![\"Le](\"https:\/\/testjournal.slh.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Le-Cou-Cou3.jpg\")
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Meribel<\/a> is a favourite for family adventurers, with 330 pistes at your feet and countless snow sports to experience. Expect chocolate box chalets and tree lined slopes \u2013 suitable for first-timers and seasoned skiers alike. You will have access to both Courchevel<\/a> and Val Thorens<\/a> \u2013 each with their own personality and breath-taking scenery. If you are planning a big ski day \u2013 take a pack lunch and head to Orelle, known to locals as the Secret Valley. For the true thrill seekers, why not organise a night-time toboggan session, where you will take to the floodlit piste with a sledge.<\/p>\n Perched along the slopes near Belv\u00e9d\u00e8re and close to Le Rond Point des Pistes, Le Coucou M\u00e9ribel<\/a> is an inviting ski-in\/ski-out hotel right in the action. If you are looking to be off the beaten track, stay at Le Refuge de la Traye<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Try to conjure up an image of the perfect ski resort and you\u2019ll probably picture something that looks a lot like Lech<\/a>. Classic snow-covered chalets huddled beneath majestic towering peaks. Slopes suitable for every level where the snow is said to fall earlier and stick longer. A-list-worthy accommodation nestled in seclusion but connected to the largest ski area in Austria. It ticks every box.<\/p>\n After you\u2019ve reached new heights out on the piste, return to Severin’s – The Alpine Retreat<\/a> for alpine lodge hygge with high-end furnishings and state-of-the-art technology. Or stay at <\/em>the <\/em>Kristiania Lech Hotel<\/a><\/em> where bespoke services include therapeutic massage in the comfort of your own room and a bath butler to ensure you can sink straight into a piping hot bath. Actual bliss.<\/em><\/p>\n Regularly voted Italy\u2019s best ski resort, Val Gardena has all the effortless chic you\u2019d expect from an Italian holiday destination \u2013 at over 1,000 metres above sea level. In the UNESCO World Heritage protected Dolomites<\/a> at the south-eastern edge of the Alps, this is an open-air playground where everyone gets to join in. From pristine slopes, snowshoe walks and frozen waterfalls to medieval castles, sleigh rides and late-night shopping boutiques \u2013 this is the stuff that dream family holidays are made of.<\/p>\n Take in the full spectacle with a stay at the mountain lodge hideaway <\/em>Hotel Montchalet<\/a><\/em> where epic views combine with spacious suites and a sleek spa. Plus there are cots for babies and even beds for four-legged friends.<\/em><\/p>\n Don\u2019t be fooled by Gstaad\u2019s reputation for traditional old-world glamour. This car-free resort in Switzerland\u2019s Bernese Oberland knows exactly how to do 21st<\/sup> century luxury too. In and around Gstaad<\/a>, you\u2019ll find Michelin-starred restaurants, world-class spas and 200km of pistes that attract the most discerning snow sports enthusiasts. And for winter fun with a difference, try the freestyle snow parks, floodlit night skiing, husky rides or igloo building. Enough to please even the pickiest mini members of the family.<\/p>\n Combine the very best of early-20th<\/sup>-century elegance with a modern-day escape at <\/em>Le Grand Bellevue<\/a><\/em>. There are baby cots, interconnecting rooms, children\u2019s robes for bathtime and a playroom \u2013 not to mention the specialist Polar Bear Kids\u2019 Club offering ice skating lessons and cooking classes.<\/em><\/p>\n Spain tops a lot of lists for sun-drenched summer getaways, but it\u2019s also a sizzling ski destination when winter rolls around. With slopes reaching an altitude of 3,300 metres, Europe\u2019s most southerly ski resort has a season that often stretches from late November into early May. As you\u2019d expect from Spain, there\u2019s a relaxed family-friendly feel with runs of every colour and a kids\u2019 snowpark with ski-bobbing, tobogganing and sit-skiing. And if you feel like mixing it up, it\u2019s only 35 minutes to the spectacular city of Granada<\/a> or day-trip distance to the beaches on the Mediterranean coast. Don\u2019t forget your bucket and spade.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re done conquering the slopes head home for a siesta or a dip in the open-air pool surrounded by snow-capped peaks at the Alpine-style boutique hotel <\/em>El Lodge Ski and Spa<\/a><\/em>. <\/em><\/p>\n Can\u2019t decide whether to go alpine idyll or ultra-modern resort? The French-speaking twin towns of Crans and Montana<\/a> in the heart of Switzerland\u2019s Valais region could be the answer. Serious skiers and boarders get jaw-dropping runs with views from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn. Away from the slopes there\u2019s also some serious retail and spa therapy to be had. Newbies and youngsters in the family get a world-class golf course turned snow-play paradise. You\u2019re never too old to try snowtubing for the first time.<\/p>\n2. For the picture postcard experience\u2026 Lech, Austria<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/testjournal.slh.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Lech.jpg\")
<\/p>\n3. For ice-cool contemporary indulgence\u2026 Val Gardena, Italy<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Val](\"https:\/\/testjournal.slh.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/val-g.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\u00a04. For old-school charm with a new twist\u2026 Gstaad, Switzerland<\/h3>\n
![\"Gstaad\"](\"https:\/\/testjournal.slh.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Gstaad.jpg\")
<\/p>\n5. For skiing with time for a siesta\u2026 Sierra Nevada, Spain<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"El](\"https:\/\/testjournal.slh.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/El-Lodge.jpg\")
<\/p>\n6. For the best of both worlds\u2026 Crans-Montana, Switzerland<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Crans](\"https:\/\/testjournal.slh.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Crans-Ambassador.jpg\")
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