Everything You Need To Know For The 2024 Ski Season

Gabriella Le Breton and Tessa Dunthorne chase down the latest news from the slopes for the 2024 Ski Season.

The New Hotels You Need To Know

In Switzerland…

Two landmark Swiss hotels are set to reopen after extended closures: the Grand Hotel Belvedere in Wengen and the Mürren Palace Hotel. The former is the newest member of the discrete Beaumier group (which has exceptional properties in Provence, Ibiza and Courchevel); the latter dates back to 1874, and promises to blend old-school glamour with pared-back, four-star comfort. Both properties sit in the jaw-droppingly scenic Bernese Oberland.

In USA…

The skiers-only Deer Valley resort is on track to triple its ski area over the next two winters (adding 3,400 acres to its existing 2,026). As such, it’s launched the sumptuous Grand Hyatt Deer Valley, alongside a new 300-acre terrain pod serviced by three lifts. Down the road in Big Sky, Montana, One&Only Moonlight Basin  is the first stateside resort venture from the prestige group in a staged launch. The Ski Lodge and Gondola opens on the flanks of Montana’s Lone Mountain this winter, with accommodation coming next spring.

In France…

French specialist ski operator Peak Retreats puts to use its decades of expertise crafting snowsport holidays. New sister brand the Ski Collection is its one-stop shop for some of the best luxury chalets in the French Alps (like eight-bedroom Ultima Megève), and adds a dedicated concierge team to arrange all aspects of your trip. An Experimental Chalet opens on the site of Val d’Isère’s former L’Aigle des Neiges hotel – the flourishing hotel group started life with a suave Parisian cocktail club in 2007 and has gone on to create speakeasies, restaurants and hotels in the likes of Menorca, Verbier and Venice.

In Austria…

Hotel Böglerhof is the first five-star hotel in pretty Alpbach

The Barn in Oberlech is the latest knockout property to join the discrete Pepper Collection. Set on the pistes near Oberlech, the seven-room property is the epitome of tasteful Scandi-chic design, courtesy of its Norwegian owners. Bag the stunning Rock master suite for a bathtub overlooking the mountains, chillax in the black granite spa and ask chef Charlie to whip up his home-smoked salmon with jalapeño ice cream for the ultimate decadence. And the charming family-run Böglerhof hotel has become the first five-star hotel in pretty Alpbach following the addition of an incredible adults-only spa and spa suites. Already the best address in the village, the spa and suites catapult the hotel into a new realm of luxury. 

These Are The Hot Experiences To Book…

Leo Trippi’s tour of Japan combines awe-inspiring skiing with exclusive VIP tours

With some of the world’s most exclusive chalets, heliski operators and vineyards on speed dial, Leo Trippi has carved out a name for itself as the ultimate Alpine luxury specialist. However, as travel evolves, Trippi’s role is adapting too and the ski specialist is now accustomed to piecing together elaborate itineraries for its clients that might see them drive a supercar to their plush chalet in the Alps, or visit a remote Inuit community while heliskiing in the Arctic. New for this winter is a two-week journey through Japan combining skiing on an active volcano with exclusive VIP tours in Tokyo and Kanazawa, renowned for its exquisitely preserved samurai houses. 

The Alps are looking a whole lot more American these days. Two major multi-resort season lift passes – the Ikon Pass (from $1,359) and Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass (from $1,025) – make Europe more accessible for American skiiers, and are expanding. The former includes skiing in 50 resorts in North America, plus Chile, Japan, Australia, and six major European resorts – new this winter is St Moritz. The Epic Pass allows unlimited ski in over 40 resorts, including Vail, Park City and Whistler, and it now part-owns the Swiss resorts of Andermatt and Crans-Montana.

Swiss ski resort Crans Montana has launched guided yak hikes this winter (approx £249 for two, including lunch). Its most challenging walk is 10.4km, which includes a day along the forest trails where you can explore frozen lakes and ponds to the sounds of cowbells, underneath pretty snow-tipped canopies. 

The Wiltshire indoor ski centre has opened. This new infinity slope is situated in an old barn at Bapton Manor Farm, converted into an alpine chalet. It is opened by Moonpig founder Nick Jenkins, who reports that skiing for an hour here is the equivalent to skiing from the top of Mount Everest to sea level. 

The 2024 Ski Season In Greener News…

Vialettea resort, which sits in the crook of the French-Italian alps, has extended 8,900m of snowmaking lines in the Alpette – this will stretch across Borgata and Lower Banchetta, to guarantee snow-sure slopes at lower altitudes. Expect these snow generators to be state of the art; they enable faster snow production while reducing energy consumption. The resort is currently powered by 100 percent renewable energy, and is committed to promoting sustainability. 

Gastein ski resort in Austria’s Salzburgerland has ‘planted’ solar trees. These trees sit on the roof of car parks near lifts, gobbling up morning sunlight to power its lift infrastructure. Gastein has to date also invested €2.5m into its spa complex to make its heating climate-neutral.

Eurostar’s ‘snow train’ service returns for the 2024/25 winter, promising greener travel to the French alps. These trains will operate from December to March, running from St Pancras on Saturdays with returns on Sundays. Though it’s not a direct train, it’s an easy journey; change at Lille to head to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, which serves nearby resorts Tignes, Val D’Isere, Les Arcs, Les Menuires, Val Thorens, Courchevel, La Tania, and Meribel. 

Entrepreneur Camille Lambert has designed a fully recyclable ski. Her brand ADN Skis makes its gear with a resin that when submerged into a chemical solution completely separates, allowing components to be recycled or reused. Currently, 260,000 pairs of skis are scrapped in the French Alps each year. Her company is now working with Salomon to develop a more circular economy for snow equipment. 

In gloomier news, two French resorts have shut up shop for winter: Seyne-les-Alps and Grand Puy have closed their ski area permanently due to decline in visitor numbers thanks to too little snow. Both saw votes put to residents who opted to close winter ski. To date, more than 180 small ski areas in France have closed since the 1970s.

Featured image: Fusalp.