Courchevel
Cheval Blanc Courchevel
Design lovers who want polish, gastronomy and the quietest kind of luxury.
The Winter Edit · A guide by Nadine Brady
To Ski or Not to Ski
Either way, the mountains are yours. Courchevel, St Moritz and Gstaad: three of my favourite winter addresses, and a world of others beyond.
The overview
At a glance
Highlights
- Courchevel for the season: palaces, boutiques and the largest linked ski area in the world.
- St Moritz for the spectacle: belle époque hotels above a frozen lake and the Engadin light.
- Gstaad for the quiet: chalet life and a village where nobody needs to ski to belong.
- Private chalets, the best mountain tables, and a full Alpine week for non-skiers.
Best time to go
The season runs from early December to early April, though some hotels open for shorter windows (Gstaad Palace, for example, is open from mid-December to early March). January is the connoisseur's month: quieter slopes, reliable snow and kinder rates after New Year. Christmas, New Year and February. when UK, French and Swiss school holidays overlap. are the busiest and most expensive weeks. March brings longer days and terrace lunches, best enjoyed at altitude in Courchevel or St Moritz.
Three hotels I'd book
St Moritz
Badrutt's Palace
Travellers who want the heart of the action and a hotel that is an event in itself.
Gstaad
Gstaad Palace
Travellers who want the grandest of grand hotels, with a sense of occasion every night.
Free to read
Unlock the full guide
Every hotel, the tables worth booking, and the small details I'd only share with a friend.
Tell me who is travelling, and whether the skis are coming.
I'll shape the resort, the hotel and the days around you. Hotel or chalet, skiers, non-skiers and everyone in between.