Even if there is a world-wide recession, hotels and local businesses in ski resorts are determined to encourage people to come back to the mountains for their annual ski holiday.
From high technology on the slopes to new après ski activities such as thrilling water parks, top class restaurants and new nightclubs, everyone has been investing time and money to offer new and exciting reasons to get back up the mountains this winter season. Airlines and rail companies are also offering some outstanding deals this season. Coming soon: our special report on getting to the mountains.
Aquariaz, a huge, futuristic water park, the highest so far in Europe, has recently opened in the French ski resort of Avoriaz, offering an exotic alternative for non-skiers or for those who just fancy a bit of time off slopes. This new 2000m² water park has quarter pipes, half pipes, slides, rapids and a kids’ play area. Packed with tropical plants, you’ll almost forget you’re not by the beach on a tropical island!
Tignes
in France will be opening Tignespace in January 2013, an indoor sports and congress centre featuring a 13m-high climbing wall, an athletic zone, 3 squash courts and a gym. Not forgetting the multi-sport area large enough for basketball, handball, volleyball or hockey games.
In
Morzine
in the Portes du Soleil, 2 dedicated and regularly groomed sledging pistes have been securely separated from the slopes - one for children aged 3 - 6 and the other for older children and adults – tons of fun for all ages!
For an interesting alternative to the sporting activities on offer, Val d’isere has converted its oldest building - the Maison Moris - into a museum dedicated to the history of Val d’isere. The Val d’History museum will be open every evening from 5pm to 7pm (except Saturdays) with an entrance fee of just 5€ per person. A bit of culture never did any harm!
The famous après-ski bar La Folie Douce has opened its third establishment in Meribel this season after its huge success in Val d’Isère and Val Thorens so if partying is your scene, then this is the place to be!
The Swiss ski resort of Verbier is determined to keep its visitors well fed and entertained long into the early hours! The hotel Le Farinet’s bar, The Casbah, is moving home, after 8 years on the hotel’s premises, to take over the old Public/Coco venue and promises to carry on keeping its clients up all night! Replacing The Casbah is the Pot Luck Club Restaurant with the Swiss born and internationally renowned chef, Luke Dale Roberts, responsible for the huge success of the Pot Luck Club in Cape Town, as head chef. South Africa's most famous chef, promises a menu as innovative as the one in the Cape based Pot Luck Restaurant. Reservations recommended by calling the Le Farinet on 027 771 66 26. For pre and post dinner drinks, the new Martini and Cocktail Bar has opened its doors just next to the restaurant.
Work to improve service and safety for winter sports fans in the Portes du Soleil ski area has been non-stop over the last few years and the fruits will be harvested this season. The 50 year old Prodains lift that links Morzine to Avoriaz is being replaced by a completely new lift - known as the 3S – which has been designed using three cables combining the plus points of a cable car and a gondola lift together. The 3S is scheduled to open in mid February so it’s only the Spring skiers and snowboarders who will get to try it out this season… It will be able to transport up to 2400 people each hour, in comparison to the current 450, up to Avoriaz and its slopes! Another advantage is that the 3S will run until 11pm allowing people staying in Morzine to enjoy both resorts in the evenings... Not forgetting, of course, the stunning nighttime scenery which will be on display during the ride!
Sports Santé
The nearly 30 year old Des Troncs chairlift in
Morzine
is being replaced with a high speed 6 person lift speeding up the transfer from Les Gets to Morzine via the Nyon area. Improvements to widen slopes and make difficult runs, such as the Crot run, more accessible to beginners, have also been carried out. Snow conditions have been on the agenda too with 30 extra snow cannons ready to be installed around the area meaning that 70% of
Morzine’s own ski area will now be able to offer guaranteed snow. With an 80,000m² water reserve in construction in the Chavanette area, there will no longer be any concerns about the link to
Avoriaz
- no matter what the snow conditions are like.
And just to top all of this off, Avoriaz has fitted all of its 18 chairlifts with the Magnestic safety system meaning that if your child wears an ESF (ski school) waistcoat over their ski suit, they will literally be stuck to the chair by a magnetic system for the whole journey. Don’t worry - this system automatically releases the child on arrival at the top of the lift!
Val d'Isère
has been busy working on improvements too and has replaced its old, unpleasant chairlift, the Fontaine Froide with a new, fast and comfortable lift which arrives a little higher giving access to the Olympique cable car too. A lot of work has taken place on the Face de Bellevard slope in preparation for the World Cup competitions meaning this smoother and wider run will now be less busy and more enjoyable for everyone!
For serious snowpark fans, you can now film yourself in action in
Val Thorens
and practice using your avalanche transceivers in the new DVA (Avalanche Victim Detector) park which was created by the ski patrol team. This area is free and open to everyone for avalanche rescue training and off piste safety advice.
The First Tracks program is becoming increasingly popular each season with more and more ski resorts opening their slopes to the early birds among you. If being up on the slopes for breakfast at sunrise before the resort even starts to wake up appeals to you, then check at the Tourist Office in your resort to see whether the First Tracks program is on offer.
With all of the above on offer, it will be hard to choose your ski resort this winter! Let us know if you're going to be in any of these resorts this winter ...
Join us on
Facebook
and tell us all about you trip...
Even if there is a world-wide recession, hotels and local businesses in ski resorts are determined to encourage people to come back to the mountains for their annual ski holiday.
From high technology on the slopes to new après ski activities such as thrilling water parks, top class restaurants and new nightclubs, everyone has been investing time and money to offer new and exciting reasons to get back up the mountains this winter season. Airlines and rail companies are also offering some outstanding deals this season. Coming soon: our special report on getting to the mountains.
Aquariaz, a huge, futuristic water park, the highest so far in Europe, has recently opened in the French ski resort of Avoriaz, offering an exotic alternative for non-skiers or for those who just fancy a bit of time off slopes. This new 2000m² water park has quarter pipes, half pipes, slides, rapids and a kids’ play area. Packed with tropical plants, you’ll almost forget you’re not by the beach on a tropical island!
Tignes
in France will be opening Tignespace in January 2013, an indoor sports and congress centre featuring a 13m-high climbing wall, an athletic zone, 3 squash courts and a gym. Not forgetting the multi-sport area large enough for basketball, handball, volleyball or hockey games.
In
Morzine
in the Portes du Soleil, 2 dedicated and regularly groomed sledging pistes have been securely separated from the slopes - one for children aged 3 - 6 and the other for older children and adults – tons of fun for all ages!
For an interesting alternative to the sporting activities on offer, Val d’isere has converted its oldest building - the Maison Moris - into a museum dedicated to the history of Val d’isere. The Val d’History museum will be open every evening from 5pm to 7pm (except Saturdays) with an entrance fee of just 5€ per person. A bit of culture never did any harm!
The famous après-ski bar La Folie Douce has opened its third establishment in Meribel this season after its huge success in Val d’Isère and Val Thorens so if partying is your scene, then this is the place to be!
The Swiss ski resort of Verbier is determined to keep its visitors well fed and entertained long into the early hours! The hotel Le Farinet’s bar, The Casbah, is moving home, after 8 years on the hotel’s premises, to take over the old Public/Coco venue and promises to carry on keeping its clients up all night! Replacing The Casbah is the Pot Luck Club Restaurant with the Swiss born and internationally renowned chef, Luke Dale Roberts, responsible for the huge success of the Pot Luck Club in Cape Town, as head chef. South Africa's most famous chef, promises a menu as innovative as the one in the Cape based Pot Luck Restaurant. Reservations recommended by calling the Le Farinet on 027 771 66 26. For pre and post dinner drinks, the new Martini and Cocktail Bar has opened its doors just next to the restaurant.
Work to improve service and safety for winter sports fans in the Portes du Soleil ski area has been non-stop over the last few years and the fruits will be harvested this season. The 50 year old Prodains lift that links Morzine to Avoriaz is being replaced by a completely new lift - known as the 3S – which has been designed using three cables combining the plus points of a cable car and a gondola lift together. The 3S is scheduled to open in mid February so it’s only the Spring skiers and snowboarders who will get to try it out this season… It will be able to transport up to 2400 people each hour, in comparison to the current 450, up to Avoriaz and its slopes! Another advantage is that the 3S will run until 11pm allowing people staying in Morzine to enjoy both resorts in the evenings... Not forgetting, of course, the stunning nighttime scenery which will be on display during the ride!
Sports Santé
The nearly 30 year old Des Troncs chairlift in
Morzine
is being replaced with a high speed 6 person lift speeding up the transfer from Les Gets to Morzine via the Nyon area. Improvements to widen slopes and make difficult runs, such as the Crot run, more accessible to beginners, have also been carried out. Snow conditions have been on the agenda too with 30 extra snow cannons ready to be installed around the area meaning that 70% of
Morzine’s own ski area will now be able to offer guaranteed snow. With an 80,000m² water reserve in construction in the Chavanette area, there will no longer be any concerns about the link to
Avoriaz
- no matter what the snow conditions are like.
And just to top all of this off, Avoriaz has fitted all of its 18 chairlifts with the Magnestic safety system meaning that if your child wears an ESF (ski school) waistcoat over their ski suit, they will literally be stuck to the chair by a magnetic system for the whole journey. Don’t worry - this system automatically releases the child on arrival at the top of the lift!
Val d'Isère
has been busy working on improvements too and has replaced its old, unpleasant chairlift, the Fontaine Froide with a new, fast and comfortable lift which arrives a little higher giving access to the Olympique cable car too. A lot of work has taken place on the Face de Bellevard slope in preparation for the World Cup competitions meaning this smoother and wider run will now be less busy and more enjoyable for everyone!
For serious snowpark fans, you can now film yourself in action in
Val Thorens
and practice using your avalanche transceivers in the new DVA (Avalanche Victim Detector) park which was created by the ski patrol team. This area is free and open to everyone for avalanche rescue training and off piste safety advice.
The First Tracks program is becoming increasingly popular each season with more and more ski resorts opening their slopes to the early birds among you. If being up on the slopes for breakfast at sunrise before the resort even starts to wake up appeals to you, then check at the Tourist Office in your resort to see whether the First Tracks program is on offer.
With all of the above on offer, it will be hard to choose your ski resort this winter! Let us know if you're going to be in any of these resorts this winter ...
Join us on
Facebook
and tell us all about you trip...
Being lucky enough to have parents who were crazy about skiing, my love for the mountains started when I was 4 years old on our first family ski holiday to Austrian ski resort of Obergurl. One ski holiday a year was never enough and tears rolled down my face as I looked out the back window of the car on the drive down the valley on the way home!
