Good snow and polished lodgings go a long way towards an idyllic winter break, but excellent nightlife is what elevates any ski trip into one to remember (perhaps a bit fuzzily). We’re talking sundowner terraces with fire pits and cosy throws to accompany chilled aperols; history-rich wine bars for pre-dinner fizz; gourmet feasting on the slopes (and in town); plus sophisticated late-night spots to keep the conviviality flowing. Here’s our pick of European ski resorts doing a fine line in après ski.
SWITZERLAND
VERBIER
For skiing hard, partying harder
Experienced skiers and boarders return to this Valais resort year after year and it’s not for the fondue… Verbier offers access to 400km of pistes, a fine reputation for powder conditions befitting backcountry forays, and enough bars and clubs to quench any evening thirst for adventure. For last-run, on-the-mountain drinks, try Bar 1936 or the sprawling terrace at Le Mouton Noir. Après venue Le Farinet is famed for its happy hours and calendar of live music, or head to Ibiza-worthy Le Rouge, where après beers and cocktails kick off from 3pm at the Luge Bar.
Where to stay Experimental Chalet, from the bons-viveurs at Experimental Group, behind drinking holes, ravishing restaurants, and covetable hotels in Paris, New York and London.
ST MORITZ
For old-school glamour
Don your biggest shades and dust down your faux-furs and snow boots – for St Moritz, the darling of the upper Engadin, is having a moment. Sure, you could count its decades of service to A-listers, serving up snow polo, the famed Cresta Run, and food and jazz festivals, as more than a moment, but its place here rests not on nostalgia but thoroughly contemporary trappings. We’re looking at you: restaurants Dal Mulin and Krone, and legendary bars, Bobby’s, King’s and Hemingway’s.
Where to stay Accommodation-wise, the buzz this year is all around Grace La Margna St Moritz – a pocket grand-dame of a hotel on Via Serlas, which packs thoroughly modern five-star frills into a listed building awash with period charm.
AUSTRIA
LECH
For cocktails and clubs
Souped-up mountain music, standing on tables and clinking beer steins is a pastime that’s synonymous with Austrian après-ski – although Lech’s particular take on this has thankfully evolved to encompass the needs of more sophisticated ski bunnies. Start with glühweins on the terrace at Schlegelkopf; zhuzh back into town to keep the après going at Eisbar, and take your pick of late-night spots including K Club and live music venue, the Cottage, at the Tannbergerhof.
Where to stay The hard part of hitting Lech’s late spots is going to be tearing yourself away from Severins Alpine Retreat – a nine-suite timbered charmer of a stay with a strong cocktail game and polished Alpine plates.
FRANCE
VAL THORENS
For with-the-family fun
A purpose-built enclave that’s Europe’s highest ski resort, Val Thorens is not just about altitude. Its perch high in the 3 Valleys ski area gives it a natural affinity with sporty types that get excited by the thought of ‘first lifts’ and ‘fresh tracks’ – and with that comes an appetite for après-ski that’s met by bars such as Rhum Box and La Folie Douce, plus live music venue and small-hours club, Malaysia. But it’s also a family-friendly resort, with an ice rink, toboggan run, dog sledding, and choice of ski schools; so if you can get the babysitting sorted, we’re all off to Saloon Bar…
Where to stay Le Fitz Roy – family-friendly, sleek and modern, spa- and restaurant-toting, and (ahem) just around the corner from Malaysia.
COURCHEVEL
For daytime dining and drinks
At the heart of the 3 Valleys, Courchevel encapsulates six villages at varying altitudes, and is in France’s biggest ski area: in sybaritic terms, this opens up a world of drinking and dining spots, accessible via lift and piste. There’s little that feels more glamorous in ski terms than navigating the slopes to lunch in Méribel, say (at La Fruitière at the Folie Douce, or forest lunch-spot, Le Clos Bernard); or dine on the mountain in Courchevel at Le 1928 or Le Cave des Creux.
Where to stay Courchevel 1850 tends to be the biggest hitter for après-ski venues, but we can’t resist the Pig Hotels’ French sister: ski-in, ski-out stay Portetta in Courchevel 1650, which itself sets a high bar for hedonism.
MEGÈVE
For village joie-de-vivre
If you were to dream up an idyllic Alpine village with the kind of cutely timbered chalets and picturesque squares that evoke biscuit-tin-worthy nostalgia, you’d probably imagine Megève. This close-to-Geneva resort is of the variety where the action is all in town, courtesy of a glut of polished eateries and watering holes, and a sprinkling of designer stores.
Where to stay Taking advantage of the resort’s geography is Coeur de Megève: you can hear the gentle rush of the Planay stream to the rear of this boutique address, but have no illusions – this accurately titled stay is at the heart of things, with a loved-by-locals cocktail bar that has has a terrace overlooking the square, and an elegant Savoyard restaurant by Vincenzo Regine.
ITALY
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO
For piste-side passeggiata
This stellar resort, on the World Cup ski circuit, is the doyenne of the Dolomites and draws an upscale crowd to its fashionable shops and restaurants, although its well maintained pistes amid breathtaking rose-rock scenery are just as attractive. Corso Italia is the main drag for people-watching, late afternoon, when passeggiata is in full flow. Good bets for aperitivi include storied stalwarts Enoteca and Bar de la Poste and a chic wine bar and terrace at Villa Sandi. Seek out starred dining at Al Camin, or dial up the tempo at late-night spots, Janbo and Bellevedere.
Where to stay A boutique retreat topped by a spa and tailed by a bar, finessed Tyrolean stay Hotel de Len, steps from Corso Italia, is our first choice.
Boot up, here are the rest of the luxury hotels in our slope-ful ski collection…
Spells as a campsite rep, ski guide, and crew on a tall ship mean that Kate Pettifer knows the travel industry inside as well as out. These days she prefers to write about it, indulging a hankering for adventure (skiing, diving, bobsleighing), with recovery time in hip hotels. She has written for The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, Health & Fitness and a whole lot for us here at Mr & Mrs Smith.