Whistler, Canada
New luxury spa Le Scandinave (scandinave.com) opens in the Canadian resort of Whistler (whistlerblackcomb.com) this month at a cost of £5m. You can indulge in an outdoor après-ski hot tub set in three acres of parkland, or rejuvenate your muscles in one of 14 massage rooms. Otherwise, sweat it out in a eucalyptus-scented steam room and the Finnish-style sauna. There are also hot and cold waterfalls and designated chill-out zones.
Verbier, Switzerland
CK Verbier (ckverbier.com) is a small, owner-operated chalet company setting the standard for luxury ski breaks. Each chalet aims to be a genuine home from home for groups holidaying together or for families. In fact, the top-notch cuisine, comfortable beds and fluffy towels might make staying in your chalet seem more attractive than getting onto the slopes. This season sees the opening of the latest addition to its portfolio, chalet Sagittaire. Sleeping up to 31 guests, it can be divided into three self-contained apartments with a shared pool, spa and gym facility.
St Anton, Austria
In St Anton, the new Rendlbahn gondola can whisk more than 2,000 people an hour up the mountain and the base station is now in the village centre (stantonamarlberg.at). No more standing round waiting for a bus to get to that legendary après-ski. St Anton has also built a state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor rock-climbing centre, Arl Rock (arlrock.at), with a 16m-high ice wall.
La Plagne, France
The French resort of La Plagne (la-plagne.com), linked into the extensive Paradiski area — with more than 400km of runs — is greening up its act. A rethink of the half-pipe will mean it will only need half the snow used previously (15,000 cubic metres). The ice on the luge track is now treated with eco-approved glycol rather than ammonia, and the ice tower has been relocated to the riverside, meaning less energy is needed to ice it up.
Les Deux Alpes, France
Ski Freshtracks by Ski Club of Great Britain has some of the best guiding and instruction around (skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/skifreshtracks). This season you can attend one of their performance courses being held for the first time in the high-altitude resort of Les Deux Alpes (les2aples.com). Perfect your ski technique on the cruising-friendly pistes. The cost is £750 for a week, including instruction and accommodation but not flights.
Saas Fee, Switzerland
The Hotel Ferienart and Spa in Saas Fee proves that five-star doesn’t have to sacrifice the environment (ferienart.ch). It’s all in the detail, such as Fairtrade coffee, water treated to need less detergents, and carbon-offsetting by funding solar-powered kitchen equipment in Madagascar. Most rooms have been converted into two-bed suites and there has been a décor update.
Kate Whittaker is a ski specialist and the founder of maddogski.com, which publishes insider guides to skiing and snowboarding.
