This year's most beautiful new ski chalets

Chalets in which families gather, groups of friends party, and sociable types mingle remain the most popular way for skiing Britons to head for the slopes. These days guests often take over the whole place rather than mix with fellow holidaymakers - either by choice or because chalet companies only accept whole chalet rentals - and, as properties and facilities move upmarket, enjoy the services of a fleet of staff rather than one chalet host.  

Chalet board, where half board is supplemented by afternoon tea and often includes wine with dinner, has long been the norm for UK tour operators. It is also ever more upmarket, with freshly-cooked breakfasts and gourmet dinners whipped up by highly trained chefs, mouthwatering patisserie and crudité platters at tea-time, and fizz and canapés to kickstart the evening.

At the very highest echelons, chalets may be priced without food, with personalised catering and a choice of wine is on offer, priced according to the choices guests make.

This season's upmarket new digs open their doors to reveal designer interiors, pampering spas, indoor swimming pools and cinema rooms.

But while it’s clear that choice, facilities and standards of service are rising ever higher, families are well-catered for too. Toy-filled dens and fun, stylish bunk rooms abound. Here’s a selection of the most exciting offerings for this season.

Unless stated otherwise, prices are chalet board per person, based on two people sharing and including flights and transfers.

Best for hitting the nightlife

Chalet Cristal, St Anton

Hard to beat on location. This timber-clad chalet sleeping 14 is a few minutes walk from St Anton’s main lifts and its legendary nightlife. Seven cosy but uncluttered en-suite bedrooms are decorated in relaxing beiges and blues, and there’s a convivial U-shaped sofa in the open plan living-dining area. Perks include a small sauna and handy off-road parking for self-drivers.

Need to know

Sno has seven-night packages starting at ￡1,369. Sno also reserves lockers and boot warmers for guests at a nearby ski hire shop.

Best for piste-side location

Chalet Beluga, Avoriaz

An imposing six-floor chalet with five en-suite bedrooms, Beluga overlooks the piste and is metres from the ski school meeting point in Avoriaz (the closest lift is Prodains). Sleeping 10 adults and up to four children (two bedrooms have additional bunk beds),  this state-of-the-art new building boasts halogen lighting, funky fabrics, hi-tech TVs and sleek bathrooms, as well as a basement swimming pool and steam room.

Need to know

VIP SKI has seven-night packages starting at ￡1,199.

Best for large families

Chalet L’Arpege, Méribel

Morel is the closest chairlift to this four-floor, ski-in/ski-out Méribel chalet, while Hulotte is the home run, and there’s cinema room, indoor hot tub and games room to keep both adults and children happy. L’Arpege sleeps 12 in six en-suite bedrooms, and the spacious master shares a bathroom with a seventh bedroom with bunk beds, suitable for two young children. Older teenagers can easily walk to nearby bars.

Need to know

Meriski has seven-night packages starting at €10,975 for the whole chalet.

Best for rustic Alpine style

Chalet Debussy, Morzine

Within a seven-minute drive of Morzine’s lifts and resort centre, this 200-year-old farmhouse has been completely refurbished for 2018/19. Debussy’s original wooden beams combine with mod cons like a suspended feature fireplace, hot tub on a balcony and luxury bathrooms. It sleeps eight adults and up to seven children in a family-friendly layout of two junior suites and two bedrooms, all en-suite. One suite has a three-bed bunk room, there is a sofabed in another, and two more children can be accommodated in a mezzanine above one of the bedrooms.

Need to know

Alikats has seven-night packages starting at €1,015, including wine with dinner. Excludes flights and transfers.

Best for family luxury

Chalet Mimi, Lech

Ski-in/ski-out, on a blue run in the snowy, traffic-free enclave of Oberlech, accessed by cable-car from Lech’s resort centre, Mimi boasts an indoor pool, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, a steam room and a sauna. Five bedrooms sleeping up to 13 include a children’s bunkroom for four and a suite with an interconnecting single room, making the chalet well-adapted to families. Dark wood interiors and soft lighting are complemented by traditional Austrian furnishings.

Need to know

Firefly Collection has seven-night packages starting at €54,600 for the whole chalet. Excludes flights and transfers.

Best for authentic style

Chalet du Crêt, Val d’Isère

Chalet du Crêt is the result of the exciting transformation of a cheese farm run by monks into a characterful and sophisticated chalet. It has six en-suite bedrooms sleeping 12, and is located in the small Val d’Isère hamlet of Le Crêt, a short walk from Val d’Isère central. Original beams and stone walls contrast beautifully with feature lighting and sumptuous fabrics. Facilities include cinema room, outdoor hot tub, steam room, kid’s den with climbable walls and a floor made of artificial grass - and a 17th century chapel in the private grounds.

Need to know

Ski in Luxury has seven-night packages starting at €32,850 for the whole chalet, including wine with dinner and the services of a ski instructor for two days. Excludes flights and transfers.

Best for designer chic

Chesa el Toula, St Moritz

Available on the rental market for the first time in 2018/19, this third-generation-owned private hideaway in the Suvretta area of St Moritz is within a two-minute drive of the nearest lift. Five-floor El Toula sleeps up to 10 adults and four children in six en-suite bedrooms, including two bunk rooms, one of which has kingsize bunks. A car and chauffeur is provided, along with daily housekeeping, and guests can choose to self cater, add a chef to the package, or bring their own - a seventh bedroom is available to accommodate staff. Designer furniture is set off by gleaming marble floors in this opulent setting, and there is a spa with sauna, steam room, indoor pool, gym, cinema room and bar/games room.

Need to know

Leo Trippi has seven-night packages starting at CHF75,000 for the whole chalet, self-catering. Excludes flights and transfers

Best for weekend breaks

Ascensus Chalet, Les Carroz

Linked to the Grand Massif ski area and 50 minutes’ drive from Geneva, this very spacious traditional, stone-built Savoyard farmhouse dating from 1877 is ideal for a quick getaway. Tucked away in a small hamlet just outside Les Carroz, Ascensus has a rustic, homely vibe and sleeps up to 16 people in four bedrooms and a two-bedroom apartment, which sleeps four to six. One bedroom has an extra sleeping area on a mezzanine floor. The chalet has a sauna and steam room, outdoor hot tub and children’s/TV room. It’s minutes from resort centre and lifts in the chalet’s shuttle bus.

Need to know

Chalet Ascensus costs from €6,000 for the whole chalet, or €500 per person per week, including wine with dinner. Excludes flights and transfers. Weekend and mid-week breaks from €125 per person per night.

Best for peace and quiet

Pure White Crystal Chalet, St Martin de Belleville

Situated 800m from the gondola station in St Martin, part of the massive Trois Vallées ski area, Pure White Crystal suits groups preferring a quiet Alpine base with village atmosphere, while not compromising on quality slopes. It sleeps 10 in five en-suite bedrooms. The wooden interiors are both traditional and super-stylish, and an indoor spa with swimming pool plus a hot tub on the terrace add to its charm. As there’s no chalet shuttle, bringing a car is recommended - the chalet has its own garage. Just as gorgeous, Pure Black Crystal, next door, sleeps up to 12.

Need to know

Alpine Answers has seven-night packages from ￡13,180, based on rentai of the whole chalet, including the services of a chef, but excluding food, flights and transfers.

Best for flexible dining

Chalet l’Aiglon, La Rosière

While breakfast and afternoon tea are included at this brand new chalet in La Rosière, the three-course evening meals, available six nights a week, are an optional extra, giving freedom to dine around the resort. Light and bright with large windows, l’Aiglon is 500m from resort centre, and the free resort bus stops 200m from the door. It sleeps up to 12 adults and two children in five en-suite bedrooms, all with balconies. Two of the bedrooms are big enough to take a child’s bed, and one of the rooms is a suite with a double room and an interconnecting twin. The ground floor houses a steam room and a hot tub with views of the valley.

Need to know

A stay at Chalet l’Aiglon costs from €171 per double room b&b, excluding flights and transfers. Dinner costs €30 adult and €15 for under 12s.

Best for mountain escapism

Le Refuge d’Ze La Voye, Manigod

Dating from 1779, this hardy wood-built farm building in a small hamlet at the foot of Mont Charvin is now a comfortable refuge sleeping up to 17 in six en-suite bedrooms that range from doubles to family-sized for five. The pistes of Manigod, which shares a ski area with La Clusaz, are a 12km/25-minute drive away, and there is ski touring from d’Ze’s door - the chalet is run by a mountain guide. Unfussy interiors house spacious communal areas with long, convivial dining tables. For relaxation there’s a sauna and indoor pool - and no Wi-Fi. Evening meals are optional - the nearest restaurants are in a village 6km away. Own car essential.

Need to know

A stay in Le Refuge d’Ze La Voye costs from €164 b&b per double room per night. Excludes flights and transfers. Dinner can be provided for €25 per person.