luxury chalets

 As spring arrives and many took to the slopes for the last time this Easter, you would be forgiven in thinking that skiing will be the last thought for those booking their luxury holidays. However, the best chalets are in such demand that bookings are being made now for the season to guarantee savvy luxury travellers can enjoy only the finest on their next ski break.  It’s not surprising considering the demand for such properties, as each year chalet design combined with formidable service levels are consistently surpassing expectations in the realms of luxury ski.
 

Having been an avid winter sports enthusiast since I was old enough to stand upright without assistance, Austria has long been on my radar during the colder months. And there’s no better destination in the country than Kitzbuhel, the Alpine enclave renowned for hosting the Hahnenkamm.

Resort: Val d’Isère (France).  This resort is one of the biggest names in skiing that attracts people from all over Europe and beyond as it has some really superb skiing together with lively après ski and good shopping.   The traditional Tarentaise village is at height of 1,850m. in the Savoie region and dates back to the 13th century.  One side of the village has attractive chalet-style architecture, the other side far less attractive with high-rise buildings but inside them can be another story.   
 

Resort: Obergurgl (Austria).  Most of the ski resorts in Austria are relatively low in elevation but the small resort of Obergurgl is relatively high at 1,930m, with only 500 year-round inhabitants.  It is the highest parish in the country and it shares its skiing area with Hochgurgl another 200m. higher, they are two of the most snow-sure resorts in Europe as it includes glacier skiing.  The villages are known as the ‘Diamonds of The Alps’ perhaps their well-preserved architecture is a contribution to that title.
 

The Resort: Morzine (France) is brilliantly located for skiing in the extensive Portes du Soleil region that boasts 650 kms of ski pistes and it is just an hour’s drive to Geneva Airport.