The Swiss Alps are renowned worldwide for their high-altitude, snow-sure pistes and charming resort towns. But they’re also synonymous with luxury and style, attracting celebrities, royals, and high society from across the globe.
Swiss ski resorts are brimming with elegance. The streets are lined with designer boutiques, chic bars, and gourmet restaurants. The luxury chalets are the perfect blend of traditional charm and modern refinement. And the fashionable crowds flock there for the champagne and caviar lifestyle as much as the well-groomed pistes.
So which resort is the right one for you? From the glamorous St Moritz with luxury chalet apartments to trendy Verbier with its vibrant nightlife to the postcard-pretty, car-free streets of Zermatt, we’ve pitted the top resorts against one another so you can find your perfect match.
ST MORITZ
One of Europe’s original ski towns, St Moritz, is nestled at the foot of Piz Nair in the Engadin Valley. The resort boasts over 300 kilometres of wide, well-groomed pistes spread across nine mountains, which have twice been host to the Winter Olympics. The picturesque town is dotted with Michelin-star restaurants, designer stores and fine Swiss chocolatiers, and it is home to a sophisticated and discreet après ski and nightlife scene.
The resort’s focal point is Lake St. Moritz, whose crystal-clear waters reflect the surrounding peaks, creating a breathtaking scene. When the lake freezes over, it is host to the annual Snow Polo World Cup, where riders adorned in Casablanca jerseys compete in front of crowds of fur-clad spectators on the sidelines, champagne glass in hand.
This exclusive resort oozes old-school glamour and counts the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot and Kate Moss among past revellers. They all head for the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski, a fairy tale-worthy 19th-Century building set near the famous mineral springs. The hotel boasts modern luxury apartments, including two four-bedroom tower suites – Corvatsch Tower and Corviglia Tower, whose sleek interiors match the elegance of St Moritz, ideal for a luxury ski break.
Explore villas in St Moritz
Carlton Penthouse
Bedrooms: 3, Guests: 6
From 126,000 CHF
per week,
to price on request
Corvatsch Tower
Bedrooms: 4, Guests: 8
From 45,500 CHF
per week,
to price on request
Corviglia Tower
Bedrooms: 4, Guests: 8
From 45,500 CHF
per week,
to price on request
Piz Bellavista
Bedrooms: 3, Guests: 6
From 28,000 CHF
per week,
to price on request
Piz Gluna
Bedrooms: 2, Guests: 4
From 14,000 CHF
per week,
to price on request
Piz Muragl
Bedrooms: 3, Guests: 6
From 39,200 CHF
per week,
to price on request
Piz Roseg
Bedrooms: 2, Guests: 4
From 14,000 CHF
per week,
to price on request
Piz Surlej
Bedrooms: 3, Guests: 6
From 39,200 CHF
per week,
to price on request
Ultimate Mountain Suite
Bedrooms: 5, Guests: 10
From 54,600 CHF
per week,
to price on request
VERBIER
The chic alpine village of Verbier is the gateway to the Four Valleys – the largest ski area in Switzerland. Over 400 kilometres of groomed runs await skiers, though the resort is also famed for its powder skiing with challenging off-piste routes. The highest peak reaches 3,330 metres, making it a relatively snow-sure resort, ideal for early-season or spring skiing breaks.Verbier is known as much for its vibrant après ski and nightlife as it is for its world-class slopes, so it tends to draw a younger crowd than St Moritz. However, the picture-postcard resort is dotted with chocolate box chalets and stylish eateries, securing its place as a favourite amongst socialites, celebrities, and European royalty.
From Richard Branson’s famous ski-in chalet, The Lodge, to the ultra-luxurious Chalet Spa Verbier, which – as the name suggests – is home to extensive private spa facilities – you’re spoilt for choice with luxury chalet options in this upmarket resort.
Explore villas in Verbier
Chalet Apartment Entre Ciel et Terre
Bedrooms: 4, Guests: 8
From 21,000
to 36,000 CHF
per week
Chalet Apartment La Vallee Blanche
Bedrooms: 4, Guests: 10
From 10,000
to 22,000 CHF
per week
Chalet Chouqui
Bedrooms: 9, Guests: 20
From 55,000
to 200,000 CHF
per week
Chalet Dent Blanche
Bedrooms: 6, Guests: 12
From 63,480
to 91,140 CHF
per week
Chalet La Vigne
Bedrooms: 4, Guests: 10
From 20,760
to 116,500 CHF
per week
Chalet Les Attelas
Bedrooms: 6, Guests: 12
From 14,000
to 80,000 CHF
per week
Chalet Makini
Bedrooms: 5, Guests: 11
Price on request
Chalet No 14
Bedrooms: 13, Guests: 26
From 67,400
to 165,000 CHF
per week
Chalet Norte
Bedrooms: 6, Guests: 12
From 101,810 CHF
per week,
to price on request
Chalet Nyumba
Bedrooms: 7, Guests: 14
From 29,000
to 140,000 CHF
per week
Chalet Pierre Avoi
Bedrooms: 8, Guests: 16
From 17,000
to 100,000 CHF
per week
Chalet Rock
Bedrooms: 5, Guests: 10
From 14,000
to 75,000 CHF
per week
Chalet Spa Verbier
Bedrooms: 5, Guests: 10
From 58,000
to 155,000 CHF
per week
Chalet Truffe Blanche
Bedrooms: 9, Guests: 18
From 88,800
to 180,000 CHF
per week
The Lodge Chalet
Bedrooms: 9, Guests: 18
From 69,300
to 295,500 CHF
per week
ZERMATT
Set beneath the imposing form of the Matterhorn – formerly of Toblerone fame – Zermatt is Europe’s highest ski resort. It offers over 200 kilometres of high-altitude piste, with plenty of long, cruisy red runs that can take you from the top of the Matterhorn Glacier at 3883 m all the way down to the village. Zermatt joins up with the slopes of neighbouring Italian resort, Cervinia, providing an extra 160 kilometres of piste for keen skiers and riders to explore.Zermatt is a picturesque resort town with narrow, cobbled streets lined with traditional wooden chalets. These streets are car-free, graced instead by majestic horse-drawn carriages and cute electric taxis to whisk skiers from their chalet to the slopes or the many gourmet restaurants serving Swiss delicacies, including local game dishes.
When it comes to luxury accommodation, Chalet Peak is hard to beat; its prime position offers spectacular views of the Matterhorn from the sprawling terrace and glass-walled living room. However, with its rooftop Jacuzzi and glass ceilings, the ultra-modern Backstage Luxury Chalet gives it a run for its money!
Explore villas in Zermatt
Backstage Luxury Chalet
Bedrooms: 5, Guests: 11
From 15,050
to 105,000 CHF
per week
Backstage Luxury Loft Chalet
Bedrooms: 5, Guests: 10
From 17,150
to 135,000 CHF
per week
Chalet Elbrus
Bedrooms: 5, Guests: 12
From 49,400
to 182,530 CHF
per week
Chalet Grace
Bedrooms: 5, Guests: 12
From 24,000
to 165,000 CHF
per week
Chalet Les Anges
Bedrooms: 7, Guests: 14
From 32,000
to 195,000 CHF
per week
Chalet McKinley
Bedrooms: 5, Guests: 10
From 45,970
to 110,320 CHF
per week
Chalet Peak
Bedrooms: 5, Guests: 10
From 49,500
to 260,000 CHF
per week
