Luxury Ski FAQ | Elegant Resorts

Ski FAQ

Why book a ski holiday in the first place?: If you have never enjoyed a ski holiday, it may all seem quite daunting and there are so many things to think about – equipment, clothing lessons and passes. Here at Elegant Resorts, we aim to ease the pressure and guide our clients through the booking process, making it as pain free as possible. Once you’ve experienced the beautiful mountain scenery and got to grips with the contradictory relaxing by being active, we’re sure you’ll be as hooked as our Luxury Ski Consultants.
Chalet or hotel?: If you’re celebrating a special occasion or travelling with a large group, perhaps you just like lots of personal space and attention-to-detail, but you want a unique ski experience that provides a little something extra, we recommend you book one of our luxury chalets, all of which offer a host of opulent facilities for your convenience.
Which resort is the right one for me?: Our ski resorts vary in atmosphere, size, scenery and ski ability, so dependent on what you’re looking for, do let our Luxury Ski Consultants help you find a resort to suit your needs. Some resorts have a traditional ambience, complete with horse-drawn carriages and boutique shops, which is great for non-skiers, whereas some are purely for the seasoned ‘ski nut’. If après ski is high on your agenda, we can recommend resorts with great bars, live music and late-night fun. Alternatively, if you have children, we can find you somewhere that offers ice-skating or ski kindergartens.
How far are the hotels / chalets from the skiing area?: This varies depending on which resort or type of accommodation you choose. Some hotels are located directly on the ski slopes (ski-in/ski-out), so you can pop your skis on at the door and off you go. This is fine if you can already ski, but if you are a beginner, part of a group in ski school or dropping the children off for a lesson, it may be easier if your accommodation is in the village – from where it’s just a few minutes’ walk to/from your arranged meeting points. If you choose to stay in a hotel that is situated outside of the village, you’ll find they usually offer a complementary shuttle service – in fact, our luxury chalets offer a chauffeur service, dropping off and collecting guests at the start and end of their ski day.
Do you offer ski packs?: Elegant Resorts does not offer ski packs for one main reason – flexibility. We prefer to offer a range of options in terms of ski schools, making sure we find a school that suits the individual’s needs. We have also found it is not always necessary to pre-book ski passes and ski equipment rental in advance. If we feel you do need to pre-book (maybe you are in a large group or travelling during a very busy period), we will let you know and assist with any advance booking arrangements.
Can I pre-book lift passes?: In our European ski resorts, many of our featured hotels provide lift passes in house and will offer them to you at check-in, sometimes placing the cost on your room bill to be settled on check-out. In the USA and Canada, however, we have found that pre-booking can save you money, so we will assist you in making these arrangements, as required.
Can I pre-book ski equipment?: We usually suggest making all of your rental arrangements in resort, as equipment really needs to be tried on and fitted by a professional, which cannot be done in advance. All of our resorts offer plenty of first-class rental shops and the hotel concierge can assist you with these arrangements and make more appropriate recommendations. We suggest that you arrange your rentals immediately, upon arrival at the resort, so you are ready to hit the slopes first thing the next morning. We can arrange private fittings for those clients booked into a luxury chalet.
Can I take my family skiing?: Yes, of course! Many of our hotels offer interconnecting or family guest rooms. Some hotels offer children’s play rooms and each resort has a children’s ski school. Babysitters are available on request. Feel free to call our Luxury Travel Specialists for suggestions and recommendations.
What childcare is on offer?: Depending on the age and needs of your children, we can arrange (through your hotel) for the services of private nannies (select resorts only) and babysitters, or book them into recommended ski schools and ski kindergartens.
At what age can children join ski school?: It depends on the ski school, but more often than not, from 4 years of age. If you would like your child to learn at a younger age, you can hire a private instructor – if you choose this option, we recommend that you schedule classes that last no longer than a couple of hours at a time. Alternatively, they can join a ski kindergarten where the emphasis is on fun i.e. playing in the snow, rather than having structured lessons.
Do I need to pre-book ski lessons?: Yes, especially during the main school holiday periods (Christmas and New Year, February half term and Easter) and especially if you’ve opted to book a private instructor. We recommend booking lessons / instructors when your holiday has been confirmed. If you are booking a last minute ski holiday, please bear in mind you will need to make sure there is space in the ski school, if you require lessons.
Are there minimum stay requirements?: During peak times - especially at Christmas and New Year - there is usually a minimum stay of between 7 and 14 nights. It is not possible to book weekend breaks during this time and during half term and Easter most hotels require 7 nights, from weekend to weekend. Obviously, outside these peak times hotels are more flexible.
Do you offer private transfers?: Yes, we only offer private vehicle transfers - no shared coach transfers.
Do you offer rail transfers?: We can arrange first class rail transfers within Switzerland, as Geneva and Zurich Airports have their own train stations. We recommend purchasing a transfer ticket that will allow you to travel on any train from your arrival airport to your Swiss ski resort. We can also arrange the fly-rail baggage tickets, which allow you to check your luggage in from any UK airport. After which, you don’t have to worry about it until it arrives at the train station of your chosen ski resort.
Can I book a two-centre or three-centre ski holiday?: Yes, it is easier to do this in Switzerland as the rail network is so good at making the transfers between resorts easy and enjoyable. Alternatively, we can offer ski and sun holidays, for example, combining a ski holiday in the USA with the Caribbean, or perhaps a Canada holiday that combines skiing in Whistler, along with a city break in Vancouver.
Can I take my own ski equipment with me?: Yes, initially your quote will include just one standard check-in bag per person, but we can quote on supplements for carriage of skis, snowboards etc. as required.
As a non-skier, what can I do?: When the sun shines in the mountains (even in the winter), many people enjoy soaking up the rays (remembering sunscreen, of course), and there are always spa treatments and the wellness facilities in your chosen hotel to enjoy. Many of our featured resorts offer hiking trails, ice-skating or cross-country skiing. The simple pleasure of taking a cable-car to the top of a mountain and enjoying lunch in one of the many excellent mountain restaurants is usually sufficient for a non-skier to feel enough of those chilly thrills an exciting ski holiday can provide.

Ski FAQ

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