The Chalets and Resorts Defining Ski Season 2026/27

There's a particular kind of excitement that builds as the first cold snap hits and the resorts start posting early snowfall photos. If you're someone who plans a ski trip the way other people plan a wedding, this is the season to get your calendar out. The 2026/27 winter is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in years, with new properties, upgraded childcare, and resort variety for every kind of skier, from first timers wanting a gentle introduction to powder hunters chasing untouched lines.

What's changed this year isn't just the properties on offer. It's the whole experience around them. Families want more flexible childcare, groups want architecturally striking chalets that feel like a destination in their own right, and everyone wants a trip that runs without a hitch from the moment they land to the moment they're back on the plane home. This season delivers on all three.

Properties To Know This Season

Some resorts and hotels are simply worth knowing about, whichever region you're drawn to, and the picks below show why.

For a festive base with real atmosphere, Le Coucou in Méribel brings a contemporary edge to the traditional mountain chalet, a stylish ski-in ski-out hotel with just 55 rooms and suites and two chalets, a spa with a hammam, sauna, jacuzzi and two pools, and access to the vast slopes of Méribel, Courchevel and Val Thorens. St. Antoner Hof in St. Anton channels traditional Tyrolean warmth instead, a boutique five-star family-run hotel where the Raffl family's hospitality and attention to detail run through every part of the stay. Grace La Margna in St. Moritz rounds things out with a restored art nouveau wing paired with a cutting-edge contemporary annex, lake and mountain views, and a spa built around pioneering skincare and body treatments.

Among the hotels, Hotel Tyrol in Selva, Val Gardena has the kind of warming, traditional alpine atmosphere that comes from a passionate, family-run team, direct access to the Sella Ronda ski lift, and Ladin cuisine served across three restaurants. Hotel Les Suites in Tignes is the resort's first five-star hotel, a boutique property of 25 luxurious suites just steps from the slopes with a strong focus on gastronomy. And Les Barmes de l'Ours in Val d'Isère sits right at the foot of the Face de Bellevarde piste, blending state-of-the-art facilities with the warmth of a traditional alpine mountain hotel, along with one of the Alps' largest spas.

Then there are the chalets, for those who want their own private slice of the mountain. Chalet Inoko in Val d'Isère has a magical alpine setting surrounded by snowy forest, comfortably sleeping up to 14 guests across six elegant bedrooms. Chalet Artemis in St. Anton sits in the quiet Nasserein area with fabulous valley views, and comes with its own hot tub, cinema, indoor pool and sauna for up to 12 guests. And Chalet Pierre in Méribel is an exceptional ski-in ski-out chalet with eight elegant bedrooms, a private spa, cinema, and access to an indoor pool and gym, in one of the finest locations in the Three Valleys.

Chalet Inoko in Val d’Isère, France.

New For This Year: Childcare That Actually Fits Your Holiday

One of the biggest additions this season is the expansion of the Explorers Private Nanny Service, now available across Val d'Isère, Tignes, Courchevel, Méribel and Val Thorens. Rather than dropping your children off at a set time and hoping the schedule works for everyone, you get a private, highly trained nanny for up to eight hours a day, six days a week, with the flexibility to split those hours around your own plans. Ski school drop-off in the morning, lunch and afternoon activities covered, then time free in the evening to actually enjoy your holiday. It's childcare built around your family's rhythm rather than the other way round.

Méribel and Val d'Isère have also seen dedicated new childcare offerings introduced this year, adding to an already strong lineup of family support in the Alps. And for those staying at Portetta in Courchevel, the beloved Explorers Club remains exactly the reliable, well-loved option families have come to count on, still delivering the same standard of care that's made it a favorite for years.

Why Scott Dunn for Ski

Choosing where to stay is only half the equation. The other half is who's helping you get there, and this is where Scott Dunn plays a clear role: it brings decades of ski expertise to your trip. Scott Dunn actually started as a ski company forty years ago, long before it became a name associated with luxury travel more broadly. That heritage shows up in the details, the resort relationships, and the sheer depth of knowledge the team brings to every ski trip.

That expertise translates into a concierge service that takes the friction out of a ski holiday. Our sales support teams can book restaurants, arrange spa treatments, sort ski passes and lift passes, and pre-arrange ski gear and boot fittings so everything is ready before you even arrive. It's the kind of behind-the-scenes work that means your first morning on the mountain starts with skiing, not queuing.

Scott Dunn’s Explorers Private Nanny Service

Ready to Plan Your Season?

With early booking already picking up pace across the best chalets and hotels, now is the moment to start shaping your 2026/27 ski trip. Speak to one of our ski specialists to find the right property, lock in childcare, and get every detail arranged well before the peak booking rush begins.