If you like a bit of luxury and fantastic skiing, Zermatt is the resort for you. Arriving by train you take in the stunning mountain scenery, dominated by the Matterhorn. Magnificent chalets and designer hotels mingle with traditional alpine farming charm. There is skiing for everyone including a link over to Cervinia in Italy and some outstanding off-piste and the mountain restaurants are second to none.
Conveniently located in the car free centre of Zermatt this 4* hotel is just few steps away from the railway and Gornergratbahn stations. The recently refurbished rooms and suites offer the best B&B comfort for an unforgettable stay in Zermatt, so you can explore and dine around the great choice of restaurants Zermatt has to offer. Hotel facilities include a wellness area with an indoor swimming pool and a full programme for pampering and relaxation, as well as a well-equipped gym with a beautiful view of the hotel’s garden.
Proximity to Geneva with just a 90-minute transfer time is the trump card for both these resorts making them ideal for short breaks. Villars is larger and more town-like while Les Diablerets is a quiet village, but both have a strong international following as family resorts. Villars also has a low key, upmarket undercurrent with a number of discreet luxury chalets, popular with the formula 1 set. The snow-sure Glacier 3000 just outside Les Diablerets requires a short bus ride but offers stunning views.
Both very popular ski weekend destinations. Stay in the village of Flims for traditional alpine charm or head to the freestyle and snowboard mecca of Laax and the North American style Rocks Resort for a more modern feel and ski in ski out convenience. Together they make up one of Switzerland’s largest and most snow sure ski areas. The extent and variety of slopes make for an intermediate’s paradise but there is some steep stuff and incredible parks for advanced skiers. It’s quiet during the week, but the après scene is lively at weekends when the Zurich crowds check-in.
Both very popular ski weekend destinations. Stay in the village of Flims for traditional alpine charm or head to the freestyle and snowboard mecca of Laax and the North American style Rocks Resort for a more modern feel and ski in ski out convenience. Together they make up one of Switzerland’s largest and most snow sure ski areas. The extent and variety of slopes make for an intermediate’s paradise but there is some steep stuff and incredible parks for advanced skiers. It’s quiet during the week, but the après scene is lively at weekends when the Zurich crowds check-in.
Family run hotel at the start of the main high street in Flims Dorf, the more convenient section of the resort to be based in. The Vorab is ideal for a weekend break; 7 mins walk or a short bus ride from the main cable car where there is a good rental shop with storage. As well as a bar, there are 3 in-house restaurants; the steak house, speciality fondue restaurant and an excellent pizzeria in an adjacent building. There is also a small wellness area with sauna and Jacuzzi.
The three main resorts of the Jungfrau region, Grindelwald, Wengen and Murren are the birthplace of modern British skiing. It not only has some of the most dramatic scenery in the Alps amidst the breath-taking peaks of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau but a fantastic ski area with well-groomed and uncrowded pistes, all connected by the Wengernalpbahn railway. Not to be missed on a trip here is a visit to the Pitz Gloria revolving restaurant in Murren at the top of the Schilthorn, before taking on the Inferno racecourse, a 1300 metre vertical descent from the Schilthorn back to the village. Be challenged by the classic Lauberhorn downhill run in Wengen and take in the impressive views of the North Face of the Eiger in Grindelwald. The Jungfrau is the epitome of traditional Swiss skiing!
The large town of Davos is famous as the location of the World Economic Forum – and it is home to a number of big corporate style hotels that this requires. It is not an attractive town but up on the mountain there is some sensational skiing and excellent mountain restaurants and the size of the place means there is plenty going on once you are off the mountain, including some great après ski, making Davos a great group ski weekend destination. Klosters remains a small rural alpine farming community. It welcomed its first winter sports enthusiasts in 1904 and is popular with the Royals but has a very discreet feel. It shares a varied and extensive ski area with the much larger and less characterful resort of Davos. A little recognised feature is the immense off-piste skiing. There’s a gentle laid-back atmosphere with some fine dining and accommodation options. Most of the action takes place in the hotels.
Steeped in history as the original winter alpine holiday destination and home to the famous Cresta run, St Moritz is the ultimate luxury ski resort – from the designer shops and abundance of super luxury 5* hotels to polo on the frozen lake. The town itself is not particularly attractive but the setting above the lake is. Often overlooked beyond the glitz and glamour there is some great skiing spread across the Corviglia and Corvastch areas.
An attractive traditional Swiss village with a deserved reputation for luxury and exclusivity. It is home to some of Switzerland’s finest hotels as well as some impressive private chalets and there is even a small airport for those with the means to arrive in a private plane. The skiing is split across a range of pleasantly quiet and mostly lower lying treelined intermediate areas, with the exception of the impressive Glacier 3000 on route to Les Diablerets. All require a drive to get to.
