Find the right resort for your next winter holiday by taking our ski-inspired test
Feeling unsure about where to hit the slopes this season? Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn or a seasoned snow-lover in search of alpine adventures, we’re here to help you point your skis (or board) in the right direction – with a selection of cosy chalets, chic lodges and luxurious mountain retreats to choose from. Simply select an answer from a-e in the questions below, count up the number of each letter and start browsing boutique hotels.
Be honest…how good is your skiing/boarding?
a) I am happiest on gentle green and blue runs
b) Style over speed any day, my technique is flawless but I like to take my time
c) I am usually off piste, knee deep in powder
d) You’ll find me freestyling at the snow park
e) I am an experienced seasonnaire who likes a challenge
Who are you going skiing with?
a) My young family – the little ones will be on the nursery slope while we explore
b) My partner – we’d like a romantic adventure in the mountains
c) A small group of experienced ski friends
d) My grown-up family – we’ve been on skiing holidays for years
e) A group of friends with mixed ski abilities
How do you like to après-ski?
a) Relaxing with a spa treatment, or swimming laps in the pool
b) Curling up by the fire with a warming drink
c) Soaking my muscles in a mineral-rich onsen
d) Enjoying a games night
e) Dancing on tables in a high-altitude bar
Your slopeside snack of choice would be…
a) Hot chocolate, with all the toppings!
b) Raclette
c) A steaming bowl of ramen noodles
d) Loaded fries
e) Crêpes
Pick one of these chalet perks…
a) Kids club with family-friendly instructors
b) A fabulous spa
c) A personal ski valet
d) Ski-in, ski-out location
e) Ski concierge and equipment room
Mostly A: Méribel, France
With chalet roofs dotted up and down wooded mountains, Méribel sets a charming scene. This is the backdrop for one of the world’s biggest – and best renowned – ski resorts, where soaring peaks promise sublime snow in the heart of France’s epic Trois Vallées.
With two separate nursery ski areas and an extensive network of green and blue pistes, Méribel is the perfect place to ease into the sport as a beginner, or progress to intermediate level. Little ones will love the Moon Wild, an animal-themed piste which runs through the woods, while more experienced skiers are whisked up to a peak 3,000m altitude by the 46 (and counting) lifts and gondolas where Olympic-level runs await.
Where to stay: Snuggled into the Méribel mountainside with Le Rond-Point des Pistes on its ski-in, ski-out doorstep, Le Coucou is a stylish home-from-home with an elegant ski room (which opens directly onto the slopes with its own take-off terrace), slope-side restaurant serving up the finest cuts of meat, two heated pools, and a magical kids club.
Mostly B: Gstaad, Switzerland
For flawlessly groomed slopes and glitzy boutiques, the picturesque village of Gstaad has style as well as substance when it comes to ski holidays. Step away from the high-end shops on The Promenade and you’ll find a different side to this fashionable mountain retreat – with 220km of pistes, there’s a run to suit every taste and every level of experience.
When you’re not celeb-spotting on the slopes, head up Glacier 3000 for breath-taking panoramic views of the Alps. For an enchanting day trip, step aboard the Golden Pass train to Montreux as panoramic views across the frozen landscape pass you by.
Where to stay: Perfectly placed on The Promenade, Le Grand Bellevue puts guests in the heart of the chocolate box town of Gstaad. With a fine dining restaurant, Art Deco bar, and 3,000 square-metre spa with 17 different experience zones, there are plenty of reasons to stay inside at this early 20th-century grand dame as much as enjoy the great outdoors. Hop into a horse-drawn carriage from the front door – the sound of the hooves with jingling bells and the gently falling snow adds to an already romantic storybook setting.
Mostly C: Niseko Village, Japan
Boasting Mount Yotei as its backdrop and some of the snowiest resorts in the world, Japan’s northern Hokkaido Island sees over 15 metres of light, fluffy snow fall annually and near constantly from early December to the end of February. As the largest of these resorts, Niseko’s 55km range of runs and cross-country routes will have more advanced skiers waist-deep in powder thanks to its daily dose of snow from Siberia, while its extensive flood-lit network means that the fun continues after dark. Warm up in one of the onsen hot springs around Niseko, famed for their healing waters rich in minerals, followed by some après ski sushi.
Where to stay: Choose between the sleek, minimalist apartments with volcanic mountain views at Hinode Hills Niseko Village which embrace wabi-sabi aesthetics – with ski-in ski-out access to over 2,000 acres of snowsports terrain, and your own personal ski valet to wax your equipment while you sleep – and Kasara Niseko Village Townhouse, a contemporary collection of classic Japanese heritage townhouses with attentive concierge services, inspired by the ichi-go ichi-e concept.
Mostly D: Park City, Utah – USA
Widely acknowledged as one of the powder capitals of the world, Utah is home to heavyweight resorts such as Snowbird and Alta, along with the iconic Park City – the largest lift-served terrain in the USA. Most of the slopes are left unpisted, where the snow is consistently fresh and the rugged mountainscape sufficiently steep for intermediates to get a first taste of powder. The exclusive ski-only Deer Valley limits the number of lift tickets each day to ensure spacious runs, so be sure to pre-purchase your passes to guarantee mountain access.
Try out the latest ski technology at the Rossignol High Performance Test Center, located near the Race Hill Registration Building at the top of the Ottobahn ski run on Bald Mountain for a fun (and free!) way to find your feet.
Where to stay: There are not many places in the world where you can ski directly onto the slope from the hotel lounge. Stein Eriksen Residences puts you at the heart of Deer Valley’s Silver Dollar Ski Trail, while giving guests exclusive access to the resort’s Main Lodge. These modern mountain lodges are cosy yet contemporary, with wrap-around windows framing mountain views, soaring ceilings, crackling fires and bubbling hot tubs.
More advanced skiers can join one of six celebrated Olympic snowsport athletes on the slopes with Stein Eriken’s ‘Ski with a Champion’ experience, or take to the skies with Powderbirds for an exhilarating heli-skiing, backcountry adventure.
Mostly E: Verbier, Switzerland
Standing as the gateway to the famous 4 Vallées, Verbier forms part of Switzerland’s largest ski area, with 410km of powder-perfect pistes. On bluebird days, the sunshine reflects off the slate-roofed chalets and pretty café tables made for après-ski dancing as much as guzzling raclette. The resort’s main network of pistes is served by the Médran gondola, located directly above Verbier – and whilst there are slopes to suit all levels, some of the Alps’ best lift-served off piste can be enjoyed by more advanced skiers and snowboarders.
Where to stay: A warm welcome awaits every guest at Cordée des Alpes Hotel, a sporty-chic wooden ski lodge which has been thoughtfully designed to integrate with the surrounding alpine architecture. Rooms are cool yet cosy, with timber balconies and light-filled window seats which make the perfect post-ski reading nooks.
Relax slope-sore muscles in the soothing spa with a dip in the 15 metre swimming pool or a hot stone massage. Be sure to book a table at the hotel’s sister restaurant, La Marlénaz, where you’ll be taken up by snow taxi and provided with sledges to make your own way down!