Posted: Jan 12, 2016
France, Switzerland, Austria or Canada. Where is the most luxurious ski chalet on the market?
Ever dream of that perfect chalet? The one with the perfect powder reaching almost to the front door? Take a sneak peek inside 10 magnificent homes in some of the world’s top skiing resorts with everything from indoor-climbing walls and swimming pools to steam rooms and spectacular views.
1. Tignes Les Brevieres, Savoie, France £5m (€6.8m)
A true pleasure palace in the French Alps, nobody will get bored at this chalet. It has a huge, open-plan TV lounge, bar area, games area, heated dining terrace, and outdoor spa. Not only that, its picture windows look out over the mountain scenery. This is smack in the middle of the freestyle ski district of Espace Killy and you can swish right back to your own door. There are seven bedrooms, all en suite, and the property won Best New Ski Chalet of the Year in 2014.
2. Val d’Isere, France £6.6m (€9m)
Chalet Husky is one of Jean-Charles Covarel’s “off the shelf” designer chalets in his Le Petit Alaska development. Val d’Isere is a stylish and sporty resort and the nearby glacier means you can ski all year round. This new, seven-bedroom chalet sits at the bottom of the slopes, but if the weather’s too poor to ski, there is an indoor-climbing wall and electronic shooting gallery as well as an indoor pool and spa. A two-storey atrium brings natural light into the property and a glass walkway will wow your guests.
3. St Moritz, Switzerland £13m (CHF19m)
Chic and cosmopolitan, St Moritz is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world. Its mineral springs made it popular with visitors as early as the 16th century. The owner of the Badrutts Palace Hotel helped start the craze for winter sports before 1900. The hotel is still going strong and, right next door, this duplex in Apartment Staz overlooks the lake. It is 100m to the town centre and close to the slopes. There are five bedrooms and two terraces.
4. Morillon, France £1.8m (€2.6m)
This little French town has a cable car connecting it to the ski areas of the Grande Massif, which has 145 slopes, with 265km of ski runs for all abilities. There is also a children’s village to entertain the under-10s, with an ice rink and sledge runs for the bold. This chalet sits directly opposite the cable car and has a dramatic two-storey, open plan living area. The master suite is on the top floor and there are seven other bedrooms, all en-suite. There is also a separate one-bed apartment.
Agent: Home Hunts France; 0033 970 446643 (www.home-hunts.com)
5. Meribel, France £3.46m (€4.7m)
The Trois Vallees is one of the world’s biggest linked skiing areas. There are more than 600km of pistes. But Meribel has year-round attractions. If snow isn’t your thing, yet you love the great outdoors, you can go biking, hiking, canoeing and paragliding here for the rest of the year. The Chalet Aspara in Les Allues has been designed in the traditional style, but boasts cutting-edge lighting, entertainment and heating systems. It has four en-suite bedrooms and outstanding views.
Agent: John Taylor; 0033 (0) 479 089 000 (www.john-taylor.com)
6. Combloux, France £103,475 to £572,758
With spectacular views of Europe’s highest peak, the little mountain village of Combloux is part of the ski area known as Evasion Mont Blanc. It has direct access to 445km of slopes and two cross-country ski loops. This brand-new apartment block, Les Fermes du Mont Blanc, is 200m from the village centre and due for completion next winter. The 52 apartments range from studios to three-bedroom duplexes, and there will be eight demi-chalets.
Agent: Erna Low Property; 020 7590 1624 (www.engelvoelkers.com)
7. Lech am Arlberg, Austria From €6.2m
Lech is the world’s most exclusive ski resort. On any day, once 14,000 ski tickets have been sold, the slopes are shut to newcomers. Bridget Jones took to the slopes here. Tom Cruise has been spotted here, too. The area gets the most snow in Austria which maximises its season. The new Chalech development comprises four luxury chalets, each with five suites set over three floors. There will be a large pool area, plus a guest lounge and restaurant, giving five-star hotel facilities.
8. Kicking Horse, Canada From £345,000
This Canadian ski resort is situated in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia. The area is made up of four large bowls, with the fourth highest vertical drop in North America. The bowls combine mid-way to provide fairly gentle ski-out slopes down to the lifts at the bottom. Summer activities include mountain biking challenges with the longest descent in Canada, and white water rafting on the Kicking Horse River. The Cedars development is right next to the ski slopes. Eight semi-detached houses are being built, with two due for completion this winter.
9. Kuhtai, Austria From £157,500 (€213,500)
Just 35 minutes from Innsbruck, Kuhtai was voted the best value for money ski destination in Europe by ADAC Ski Guides. The village is Austria’s highest ski resort. This development of 16 apartments is due to be completed next autumn, so there’s still time to choose your own finish. It is close enough to the slopes to ski in and out, while the high altitude ensures snow throughout the season.
10. Les Gets, France £1.9m (€2.59m)
This little village near the Swiss border is linked with the ski area of Portes du Soleil, which consists of 13 resorts and more than 426km of marked pistes. Mountain biking is the summer sport here, with many events organised. There is also a museum of mechanical music, which runs a bi-annual festival. This recently built chalet has an open-plan living area, light wood and huge windows. The swimming pool has a glass roof, so it can be viewed from the master bedroom. There is also a steam room sparkling with black mosaic tiles.
