Skiing destinations?

[bonniejoy03]

Haven't skied there but visited the Slovenian alps. Quite lovely, alittle less expensive than the French or Italian Alps, great people, great food. Most of the "resorts" are smaller and not as crowded as most ski areas. Check it out!

[disneygal]

Hi bonniejoy3,



The Slovenian Alps? Now there's a destination I had not considered! Thanks for the idea, I will check it out.

[coleridge377]

I just want to say that we were in Telluride a few weeks ago,having bid on a 4 night stay at the San Sophia on Luxury Link. It was a lovely and well situated place to stay and I recommend it highly.However, I especially want to tell you all that the magician who prepares the daily breakfast buffett needs to have a place of his own since his food and his pastries are to die for! He has been trained at the Culinary Institute of NY and it shows. Each morning, we could hardly wait to wake up to his omelettes and frittatas and sauces and garnishes. And then the pastries,so flaky and succulent, you will want to fill a bag to take with you.( I do not recommend this.)It is a bountiful feast, with the meats and French Toast and nut pancakes and juices and gorgeous fruits and cereals and breads,etc. Even if you do not stay there, the buffett is open to the public.Go there. You will leave happy

[copahc]

First, I'd like to say that my favorite Ski destination so far is Breckenridge, CO.. (but i haven't been too many places yet). Breckenridge is and absolutely beautiful town and the skiing is fabulous. It's especially great for beginners.. they have an exceptional ski-school. When i went there I was still a beginner, but I ended up having the time of my life on the slopes. After a half-day lesson I was able to ski on my own quite painlessly becuase of the very wide trails and barely touched powder. Great Experience!



Next I want to recommend Whistler because I noticed that LL offers packages sometimes at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. I stayed there for a few nights last year and LOVED it! The service at the hotel is fantastic and the staff is wonderful. I had booked a special package with american express and the day we were to leave and drive back to Vancouver there was a rockslide on the highway and we were forced to stay at Whistler for an extra night. We were worried that the hotel would charge us a fortune for the night and looked up rates for much cheaper hotels nearby. But when we asked about the extra night we were given a fantastic rate which was less than any of the other hotels and the initial rate we had paid. Overall they handled the avalanche situation very satisfactory and dealt with the distraught guests very well. Bravo!



But enough of that.. the location of the hotel was perfect, right next to the Blackcomb lift. The healthclub and pools were great. They have a number of outdoor pools and spas that we were able to enjoy at night. The restaurants were also good. One night we had dinner at restaurant operated by fairmont which offers a horse drawn sleigh ride and fondue dinner.. Very romantic. The breakfast was also great.. lots of selection, fresh fruits etc.

[PREMIUMWHISTLER_COM]

The Whistler Chateau is really nice. If you like ski in/out accommodations, Whistler Chateau does not get any better. I would also check out the Four Seasons. They actually have staff on the bottom of the hill which will take your skis for you. I'm not sure if LL offers accommodation at the Four Season, though. Worth checking out though.

[matthewlawrence26]

Of all the ski destinations in India, Clifftop Club-Auli takes the cake and the icing! maybe you should try it in India. Clifftop Club Auli is a very luxurious resort, located in Garhwal Himalayas.

[helloworldbea]

You may want to go to Courchevel in France. As they say, it's the best spot for this thrilling sport.

It's perfect for those who are still struggling to master the sport - learning how to ski like an expert. But, there are also challenging slopes on the higher end for more advanced skiers.

When you're not engaged in that, you may want to sip a few drinks around that area. Bubbly champagne, teas, great meals. (Will definitely go back there again soon). Aside from that, perhaps, it will also thrill you to do some ice skating or ice climbing.

[lhbrown]

Hello helloworldbea and other ski enthusiasts,

I agree with you Courchevel in France is a beautiful ski area. It is part of the three Valleys/les trois vallees.

We just returned from our ski trip to Val Thorens, France and had a fabulous time skiing. We stayed at the Hotel FitzRoy (www.hotelfitzroy.com) after they put a Million Euros into renovation, but it still does not qualify, in my book, as a 4-star luxury hotel. They put in 15 new rooms, increased the dining area and public lounge area and the ski cellar area. We were offered one of the new rooms with a glorious view of the building next door, and an extra mezzanine big enough for 4 people, but no sun and no view of the mountains. We opted for one of the sunny slope side rooms where they had replaced the carpet and drapes, but it still looked like a dump, they kept all the old beat up furniture. They had real problems with their spa. The shower in the spa area was broken and the only way to get a shower was to leave the spa area and go to the spa treatment area to shower, but here too, the shower attachment was broken and the door handle missing.... The swimming pool also had no shower before entering the pool, and when I saw babies with diapers in the pool, I figured, the pool was probably not too clean and was to be avoided. This said, there is a 3-star hotel called Les Val Thorens. They claim they are a 3-star hotel with a 4 star service... we will probably try that next year.

This said, the ski area of Val Thorens is fantastic. It has the real ski-in and ski-out concept. Or call it ski-to-your-door... Whatsoever, nothing could be more simple than skiing in Val Thorens. With its ideal position, wherever you are staying in the resort, the skiing is always on your doorstep. With a pair of skis you have access to an amazing ski area without losing any time !

Located in the heart of a large circle dominated by 6 glaciers, Val Thorens is, at an altitude of 2300 m, the highest resort in Europe. It is also the top of the 3 Valleys, the largest ski area in the world, (600 kms of pistes, 200 ski lifts, 25 mountain peaks). There are amazing sceneries

Val Thorens offers exceptional snow quality and breath-taking sceneries with 8 skiable peaks or passes over 3000 m high. From the "Cime de Caron" among others, you have a direct access to the largest panoramic scenery in the Alps: more than 1000 peaks are in front of you (see our 360 panoramic visits).

Even for beginners or average skiers, Val Thorens offers the unique opportunity to discover in all simplicity such an imposing environment thanks to a perfectly adapted and ultra-modern ski lift network.

Val Thorens, the highest ski resort in Europe at 2300 m altitude, is also the summit of the 3 Valles, whose culminating point is the "Epaule du Bouchet" at 3230 metres.

Les 3 Valles, largest ski area in the world, offer you an exceptional range of landscapes and a great diversity of skiing, with - among others - very easy links between the different resorts. Thus, anyone can ski the 3 Valles. And concerning off-piste possibilities, there's just no limit...

For more details, for example a remarkable interactive route map, don't forget to visit the official website : les3vallees.com.

Here are a few figures in order to give you a good idea of how exceptional the 3 Valles are :

Altitude minimum: 1300 metres - Altitude maximum: 3230 metres
16 villages and resorts: more than 600 km of mapped-out pistes
328 pistes (56 green, 120 blue, 115 red, 37 black) on 400 km2
200 ski lifts, 25 summits which can be joined on skis, 6 glaciers
124 km of cross-country skiing, 1,500 ski instructors
1 500 snow cannons, 75 grooming machines
50 nationalities represented, 3 altiports