Ski Verbier

Now is a great time to secure the best chalets for the winter season if you are heading out to ski Verbier, otherwise, you may fin yourself at the back of the queue. Situated at 1,500m Verbier skiing is some of the best in Europe and the chalets that are situated at the top of the winding road, nearly always to a high standard.

So to book one of the best resorts in the world, the summer holidays are the smart start!

Luxury Chalet Chamonix

The summer solstice is of course the first barometer that already half way through the year and its now less than six months before the start of the new ski season. In Chamonix the best ski chalets are already being snapped up and Chalet Prarion is one Chamonix luxury chalet that is selling fast. Early bookings are therefore strongly recommended to avoid missing out on this particular chalet. Generally speaking, Chamonix is one of the resorts where the standard is high, so if this was your preferred chalet, there may well be some very good second choices.  

Ski New Year

If you are looking to book your New Year ski holiday, you might be pleased to hear that a new company is  going to specialise purely on this popular week to bring you the best chalets, the best luxury ski resorts, and the latest availability and prices for this popular week. Due to launch in the summer, we'll hopefully here first once its launched and let you know accordingly.

Gay Ski

A new site will launch shortly called Pink Ski. Apparently Pink Ski will offer a gay ski resources site with loads of information on gay ski events, the best places to go and be seen, and the accommodation that is welcoming to gay skiers and friends.  As we get more information we'll keep you informed.

Ski In Ski Out - Family Chalet

The best luxury catered chalet for ski in ski out convenience in Chamonix is undoubtably Chalet Prarion in the picturesque family ski resort of Les houches in the Chamonix Valley with:

• In-house Children's Entertainer
• Children's entertainment in the evenings
• Children's drop off and collection service from ski school in the mornings and evenings
• Games Room with pool, Wii, home cinema, DVD's
• Cinema projection for that movie experience
• Luxury hot tub
• On call driver
• Professional chef

And as the above is just the tip of the iceberg, is it any surprise that already the chalet is selling fast?

Easter Ski Holidays

Well the Easter ski holidays were once again a great success with the gods blessing most resorts with fresh snow, and cold nights with sunny days. Most resorts were therefore doing a brisk sale on rooms with the larger luxury ski resorts pretty much full as family skiers and ski weekenders headed for the high altitude resorts.

So if you didn't get away for that late ski the last Easter ski break, you might not want to miss out on the 2011 Easter ski!

Ski In Ski Out

If you are searching for a luxury ski chalet, if we really are talking luxury, should it be anything other than a ski in ski out chalet? After all, how can having to climb into a vehicle or walking down icy roads be described as luxury? Certainly the first time I experienced a ski in ski out chalet, it was an awakening tat after I never looked back or booked anything other than a ski in ski out chalet afterwards. A similar experience to about ten years ago when I was in Mammoth, an ex-pat friend kept running down a heavily snow ridden path, much to our bemusement, just to jump into hot bubbling water before ten minutes later running back again! Being American's with only ten days holiday a year, they disappeared on Monday when after they left we plucked up the courage to try this 'hot tub' thing for ourselves! Ever since, chalet with a hot tub please! Oh, and make sure it's ski in ski out too!!

Luxury Ski Resorts

In our opinion, luxury chalets go hand in hand with luxury ski resorts, as there is no point having one without the other. So what constitutes a luxury ski resort. Opinions here ill of course vary, but in my opinion the criteria needs to be something on the lines of:

1. High altitude skiing (piste skiing above 3,000m)
2. Extensive skiing throughout the ski region
3. Great areas for all abilities, and challenging to experts too
4. A great town centre and a good apres-ski too
5. A place to be seen and therefore frequented by the rich and famous for its great restaurants and boutique shopping

So on this basis, which European resorts would get my luxury ski resorts label:

1. Chamonix
2. Courchevel
3. Meribel
4. St Anton
5. Val d'Isere
6. Verbier
7. Zermatt

So there we are, seven luxury ski resorts to choose from!

Family Chalet

Many parents embarking on a family ski holiday, may feel that with the children its the end of the luxury catered chalets, and time to move down market! Well why should you? Many luxury catered chalets offer great family ski service, have outstanding facilities to keep all family ages entertained, and when you assess what is you are getting with a luxury catered chalet, and what lesser chalets offer, the the luxury catered family chalet is typically the better value for money choice (hence the richer chalet operators are operating at the lower end - 'pile them high ship them out').

So we would suggest you don't downgrade, you just show your family a better class of chalet!

Easter Ski

If you aren't already on the slopes, many over the coming days will be heading for the Alps for that end of season Easter ski holiday. And what a week or long weekend you are in for. The Alps this Easter will be awash with fresh snow after a snowy week with big falls at all levels and the likes of Chamonix reporting the biggest snow depths with over 400cm on the Grands Montets and 170cm at 2000m!

So if you are heading for the Alps for the Easter ski weekend or to ski the Easter holidays next week, you are in for one hell of a treat!

Ski Christmas

It may seem a little early to be hanging up the decorations again, and it probably is, but it isn't too early to book your ski Christmas holiday. Most great chalets go months before the other weeks and therefore it really is a case of the early bird gets the best ski Christmas chalet.

Ski Half Term

Already a number of luxury catered chalets have been secured for the ski half term holiday week. Being so popular with family ski groups, for obvious reasons, this in part reflects the fact that families who have found a great family friendly ski chalet, many having experienced the less than friendly, don't want to let go of such a great half term ski accommodation.

When skiing half term, it is important to choose carefully and I guess if you look carefully at the website, and talk to the owners or operators, the information, their knowledge and the assistance given should reflect how ski family friendly they really are.

But if you are looking for a luxury catered chalet for the half term ski break, we would advise that these seem to nowadays go first so the earlier you are to secure your ski holiday, the more choice you get, as well as having access to cheaper flight tickets!

Luxury Catered Chalets Val d'Isere

Well already Val d'Isere Luxury Catered Chalets are surging ahead as being some of the most sort after chalets in the European Alps. Discerning skiers recognise that a Val d'Isere ski holiday is a cut above the rest, a fantastic ski resort, extensive high altitude skiing, and some of the best ski chalets in the world.

If you are looking for a great luxury catered chalet in Val d'Isere, Ski In Ski Out chalets offer some of the finest there is, and most important for that ultimate luxury choice, ski in ski out means that you can do just that! But book early, in Val d'Isere it isn't just the ski Christmas, ski New Year, and ski half term weeks that are selling fast, its the whole season despite the 2011 ski season still being nine months away!

Luxury Chalets

The luxury chalets label seems nowadays to apply to nearly every chalet if you read most operators websites, even if it is clear from the pictures, its far from luxury!

So I guess in terms of picking a luxury chalet, after checking whether the chalet can accommodate your party, the price is within your budget, and its of course available when you need it, the Gallery Page probably should be the first port of call. Whilst a camera can nowadays lie with modern 'touch up' and even wholesale changes, it nevertheless gives a good insight into the 'luxury' and what the standard of the facilities are probably going to be like, if not the close up detail. Be careful here however, and when you look at the details and luxury features, just think about what they aren't showing! So check carefully that they aren't being choosey with the photos and if necessary ask them for the full repertoire.

The next check should probably be the Guestbook and people's comments. First question is to just think whether the comments appear genuine, and not written by the operator, you can get a feel if you look close, and then are they really waxing lyrical or just one 'polite' line. Also are the comments regular or once in blue moon where they got it right on the 6th week!

The last two factors when choosing a luxury catered chalet is to check the services and whether the delivery will truly be luxury, or pretty sparse at best. For example, is the chef some 18 year old untrained girl or boy, or a professionally trained chef, does the menu look high quality, are they providing transport, champagne, etc, etc. And when you finally have checked these to your satisfaction, contact the operator,  test their knowledge, how they come across, are they friendly but professional, because if they aren't, then is it really going to be luxury!

Ski New Year

Already many of the best luxury catered chalets have been booked for the ski New Year week and over the coming three months its unlikely that anything worth its salt will remain by the end of June!

The ski New Year week is probably the most sort after week of the year a people seek to getaway for the extended Christmas holidays, closely followed by the ski half term week and then the ski Christmas break.

In terms of chalets, Ski In Ski Out (see our link partners link above) offer a number of great locations to spend the New Year week, including Chamonix, La Plagne, La Tania (Three Valleys), Les Menuires (Three Valleys),  Morzine, Park City, Val d'Isere, and Verbier 4 Vallees from catered chalets, through to super luxury ski chalets, so they have probably something for everyone.

Chamonix

Even by Chamonix's high ski chalet standards, and if you are skiing Chamonix, the ski chalet you book should give you more bucks for your money than most ski resorts due to the level of competition between luxury chalet owners, this is an exceptional chalet and great value for money. Don't just take our word for it, if you check their availability you'll find that the ski half term week has already been booked and according to the operator by this years half term ski visitors, praise indeed!

This weeks feature looks at the finest ski in ski out chalet in the Chamonix Valley, Chalet Prarion. In the news at New Year for the visit of the wife of one of America's most famous sportsman, this slope side ski in ski out chalet is exclusive in every respect, from its luxury chalet interior, throught to the unique slope side location.


Situated on three floors, the property has six en-suite bedrooms and sleeps 12 people, 14 for family ski groups and benefits from 250 square metres of living space, including (new for 2011) a Games Room with full sized Pool Table, Wii, and home cinema projection on the basement floor. Upstairs this luxury catered chalet benefits from HD Cinema Projection, and luxury leather corner suites, with a double sided log fire providing that perfect ambience. The other side of the centre piece fire is the grand dining room with a large oak table that seats 12 comfortably, ensuring this luxury chalet really does make you feel like a king (or queen of course) in you luxury ski chalet.

Outside there is a luxury hot tub and a wooden south facing decking so those that don't want to ski out and ski in at the start and end of the day, can instead read a book and get some lovely sun to top up the tan.

Being ski in ski out however, and the best luxury catered chalet Chamonix has to offer on the piste, it does get booked up quickly so this is one chalet where the early bird gets the best chalet!

Val d Isere

I guess any luxury catered chalet blog should start with Val d Isere, not only one of the best ski resorts in Europe, but a resort that truly has some of the best luxury catered chalets that you can stop at. At 1,850m the resort is as snow sure as it gets, and has Glacier skiing up to 3,450m, but lets talk about luxury catered chalets.
One of my favourite has to be Chalet Yeti, sleeping 10 in total luxury, this a ski in ski out luxury catered Val d'Isere chalet that boasts its own swimming pool,  a hot tub, two reception rooms, and you can either ski from the door or use the 4x4 chauffeured transport!

If you have a larger party, how about Chalet Le Chardon, a 20 bed Val d Isere luxury catered chalet with ten bedrooms, all en-suite, where you can ski in ski out and weather permitting have drinks served on the terrace from a hand crafted 'snow bar'! It also has an 6m swim spa for the athletic clients amongst you.  Dinner here is 5 courses and this is a gastronomic delight, and in the morning, if you don't want to ski down from the chalet, there is again a 4x4 chauffeured vehicle.

We could go on, but we'll finish with Chalet Bergerie as our last featured luxury catered chalet in Val d Isere. Sleeping 11 people, Chalet Bergerie is an old 17th century shepherds hut that has been transformed exceptionally by the owners to make it one of the stand out luxury chalets in the resort. Full of character, it has six bedrooms, one interconnected and ideal for a nanny.

So if you are tired of chalets claiming to be luxury, that just aren't, you won't go far wring with these three.