Some of the world’s most exclusive ski resorts are surprisingly child-friendly. Here’s where to go for glamour on the snow, writes Hilary Doling.
Private helipads, Michelin-starred restaurants, multi-million-dollar chalets and the planet’s poshest on the piste – these are the ingredients we have come to expect from the world’s most exclusive resorts. However, increasingly there’s another element creeping in; the famous are taking their families and these resorts are adapting accordingly. Here are some of my personal family favourites.
The most lavish and arguably the best-known of the eight ski resorts that make up Les Trois Vallées, the largest linked ski area in the world. Courchevel offers glamorous, star-studded skiing in more ways than one, with celebrities on the slopes and with Michelin-starred restaurants and Palace-rated hotels in the town. The resort even has its own Altiport where people can fly in by private plane and helicopter. Fairy light-adorned streets offer designer retail serenity, but there is plenty for families too, such as the futuristic glass Aquamotion sports centre in Courchevel Village (1550) and the toboggan run.
Five Star Kids love: The luxury hotels with seriously good kids’ clubs, the carousel in the square and the decorated pine trees.
Spotted on the snow: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and family.
In the 1920s, Baroness Noémie de Rothschild decided that France should have its own St Moritz and set about transforming the Savoyard farming village of Megève into a glamorous holiday destination. It remains the epitome of aristo-chic, with fabulous hotels, mountain spas, glittering boutiques, cobbled streets and gently undulating slopes above tree-lined pistes perfect for family skiing outings. Megève holds the French national ‘Family Plus Mountain’ award for its high standards of facilities for families, which means the resort has thought long and hard about what it offers families.
Five Star Kids love: The hot air balloon rides and dog sledding.
Spotted on the snow: Tom Cruise and kids stayed at the swanky Les Fermes de Marie.
Encircled by the Dolomites like a tiara, Cortina d’Ampezzo has one of the world’s most beautiful backdrops. Glossy Italian women in furs and finery take their ritual passeggiata (evening stroll) along the Corso Italia to shop for antiques and jewellery and to see and be seen. Those who ski will find every kind of slope, from flattering to fierce; those who don’t watch snow polo while drinking champagne. For families, there are special ski areas designed for beginners both in Guargnè and Socrepes and some of the best gourmet pizza restaurants you’ll find in any ski resort. Enough said
Five Star Kids love: The dedicated sled-only slope in Mietres, the Olympic Ice Stadium, the fairytale village
Spotted on the snow: George and Amal Clooney and family.
Possibly the ritziest of the ritzy resorts. St Moritz is said to have a ‘champagne climate’ (dry snow and lots of sunshine), as well as plenty of the real thing as Russian billionaires fly in to consume Krug and caviar. The beautiful and the mega-rich have always flocked here. Once the Shah of Iran and the Taylor/Burtons entertained from their chalets; now it’s a mix of euro-elite and international celebs. I recommend staying in a chocolate-box family chalet. Here, the uber-rich risk their lives on the infamous Cresta Toboggan Run or race their horses on the frozen lake, and then try a little adrenline-inducing skijoring (skiing dragged behind unbroken horses) on the lake at speeds over 50 kilometres per hour
Five Star Kids love: A cup of delicious hot chocolate and a slice of Sachertorte at the famous Café Hanselmann.
Spotted on the snow: Everyone who’s anyone.
Thanks to Greta Garbo, Gene Kelly, Paul Newman and Gregory Peck, Klosters became known as ‘Hollywood on the Rocks’ during the fifties. These days the rich and famous are still coming, especially those who appreciate serious off-piste terrain, so that’s the adventure-loving teens sorted. For younger children there are magic carpets, an ice rink, tobogganing and some award-winning ski schools and childcare centres. The Madrisa area is known for being particularly child-friendly. Accommodation-wise, there are many luxury Swiss-style chalets perfect for families.
Five Star Kids love: Finding their ski legs in the Snow Garden
Spotted on the snow: Prince Charles used to take William and Harry here; Bono and family.
Lech and Zürs are two of the world’s most exclusive resorts; between them they have around 100 five-star and four-star hotels. Set high in the Arlberg Mountains, the picturesque villages draw the rich and famous. Lech am Arlberg is especially good for families; Princess Diana visited Lech with a young Prince William. More recently Pippa Middleton was here. An Arlberg lift pass provides access to the White Ring and the neighbouring – and almost equally swanky – St Anton.
Five Star Kids love: That waiters wear the traditional Austrian dress of dirndl or lederhosen.
Spotted on the snow: Arnold Schwarzenegger and clan.
The resort’s slogan – ‘It’s not exactly roughing it’ – says it all. This resort was purpose-built for luxury in the 1980s and lives up to its promise. There are heated pavements and covered moving walkways to ensure your five star family doesn’t have to walk in snow or climb stairs, and virtually all the accommodation is ski-in, ski-out. And did we mention the free mountain tours and a village kiosk where you can swap ski boots for slippers to enjoy après-ski? The resort also boasts manicured corduroy pistes and hectares of accessible yet challenging terrain.
Five Star Kids love: The freshly baked cookies served daily at 3pm.
Spotted on the snow: Tom Hanks and family.
Any resort that offers you a soft tissue as you wait for the lift must be refined. Utah’s most exclusive ski resort has all the luxury extras: free ski valets, heated footpaths, fine dining and boutique shopping. It even limits the number of tickets sold per day to make sure there is no overcrowding on the perfectly manicured runs. All of which is wonderful news … unless you are a family who snowboards, as boarders are banned. Each December, this super exclusive ski resort opens with a Celebrity Skifest and in January Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival (Robert Redford is founder) comes to nearby Park City, with many stars retreating to Deer Valley to be away from prying eyes. Because of the exclusivity of the resort, kids’ ski school groups are small and the kids’ centre has good carer-to-child ratios.
Five Star Kids love: A magical horse-drawn sleigh ride through the fir trees.
Spotted on the snow: Gwen Stefani and family, John Travolta and family.
In winter, the private jets are parked all along the runway at Aspen’s tiny airport. Aspen in Colorado has been the home to celebrities and billionaires for 40 years, but it still manages to stay true to its mining town roots with down-to-earth locals and strict adherence to an architectural code. For posing and celeb spotting, you have to ski on the Ajax Mountain right above the town. However, the most family-friendly mountain is over the hill in Snowmass, with its wide forgiving runs.
Five Star Kids love: Ice skating and lunch or dinner at CP Burger next to the outdoor rink.
Spotted on the snow: Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson and extended family; Elton John and family; Michelle Obama and daughters.
Whistler comes up on endless ski surveys as an all-round winner, but thanks to a couple of very impressive hotels (Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Four Seasons Resort Whistler) and some swanky lodges, it is good for families who like a little luxury too. It is sometimes called Mosman-on-snow or Toorak-on-snow because of all the Australian families who ski here. There is an amazing amount of variety on the Whistler Blackcomb mountains and a fun town centre for families. Visit the Whistler Olympic Plaza on select evenings to enjoy the Family Après.
Five Star Kids love: Exploring the pedestrian centre with ice-cream (yes, really) and hot chocolate aplenty.
Spotted on the snow: The Beckhams; Heidi Klum and family; Katie Holmes and daughter.
This article originally appeared in Five Star Kids magazine. To subscribe to the latest issue, click here.
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