COURCHEVEL 1850, FRANCE
A winter haven for the glamour, caviar and excess. With well-groomed pistes, efficient lifts and multilingual instructors adept at hand-holding and ego-massaging. Packed with ultra-luxury chalets, Michelin-starred restaurants and swanky clubs, the village is where celebrities go to ski and be seen.
LECH-ZURS, AUSTRIA
Known as one, Lech and Zürs are two of the world’s most exclusive resorts, with 100 five-star and four-star hotels between them. Set high in the Arlberg mountains, the picturesque villages draw the rich and famous with opulent hotels and chalets as well as manicured slopes and extensive off-piste. Thanks to the new Flexenbahn lift, Lech and Zürs are now encompassed by Austria’s largest linked ski area, Ski Arlberg, with 305km of pistes.
MEGEVE, FRANCE
While glittering boutiques and lavish hotels line Megève’s cobbled streets and town square, the gently undulating slopes above it provide flattering, tree-lined pistes that make everybody look, and feel, great. A Mont Blanc Unlimited lift pass gives access to Megève as well as Chamonix, Courmayeur, Verbier and Les Contamines – handy if Megève’s low altitude makes fresh snow hard to find.
KLOSTERS, SWITZERLAND
Long loved by the rich and royal (particularly Prince Charles), Klostersappeals to those A-listers who are keen to keep a low profile. Frequented by the likes of Greta Garbo, Gene Kelly, Paul Newman and Gregory Peck, the little farming village was known as “Hollywood on the Rocks” during the Fifties, with most stars staying at the cookie-cutter-cute Hotel Chesa Grischuna. The village has now become much larger but maintains its traditional feel, the main focus being Klosters Platz – a collection of upmarket hotels around the railway station.
GSTADD, SWITZERLAND
Surrounded by mountains in the Saanen valley, Gstaad lies in the heart of farming country. But weather-worn timber chalets aside, the designer boutiques lining its main promenade (Chanel, Cartier, Louis Vuitton etc) reflect its sophistication. The skiing is equally suave, with 220km of mostly intermediate-friendly trails winding through postcard-worthy Swiss scenery. The Gstaad-Zweisimmen-Rougemont ski area (150km of pistes) comprises five separate hills while nearby Château d’Oex offers a further 30km and the more distant Glacier 3000 at Les Diablerets adds 25km.
EAGLE POINT RESORT, UTAH USA
Eagle Point Resort delivers 600 acres of terrain (five lifts and 40 pistes), all available for private hire for up to 200 guests Tuesday to Thursday (except Christmas and New Year). Whether you bring 20 or 200 friends, it will cost $10,000 per day, including equipment rental. Bag the resort’s stand-alone cabins by Canyonside Lodge, where a bar, disco and outdoor hot tubs ensure you party as hard as you ski. Or hit Vegas après: the city of lights is just a 20-minute helicopter ride away.