Courchevel, France: from £840,000
Courchevel 1850 is the most fashionable ski destination in the Alps: a magnet for the ultra-wealthy, popular with chic Parisians, Russian oligarchs (though there aren’t as many as there were five years ago) and high rollers from around the world. Life in the resort has never just been about skiing — even though it sits within a world-beating 370 miles of pistes. It’s just as important to splash the cash in Michelin-starred restaurants, designer boutiques and stylish hotels, the latest of which is LVMH’s White 1921, opening in December. Don’t even think about coming without a driver or an army of nannies to chaperone the kids. Now the resort is getting its first residential spa development, the Six Senses Residences Courchevel, which will offer53ski-in, ski-out flats, priced from £840,000 for a one-bedder to £7m for a five-bedroom apartment. Six Senses is famously indulgent, and the pampering suites and ski concierge will draw buyers looking for a fully serviced status home in 1850. 020 7016 3740, savills.com
La Tania, France: from £184,000
Tucked away in a forest near the big-name resorts of Méribel and Courchevel, this low-key ski village offers easy access to the Three Valleys ski area — without the hefty property prices. It’s a modern resort, well equipped for families, and there are seven one- to four-bedroom flats under development at Chalet Caille, a Savoyard-style property five minutes from the ski lift and shops. It will have spacious living areas with huge windows; prices go up to about £600,000. 020 8905 5511, investorsinproperty.com
Grimentz, Switzerland: from £550,000
A chocolate-box resort with uncrowded high-altitude slopes, Grimentz is gaining a reputation for untracked powder — and heli-skiing. A new cable car has linked the village with the resort of Zinal, doubling the ski area to 130 miles, and properties here are half the price of those in fashionable Verbier. Phase two of Les Chalets d’Adelaide has one- to three-bedroom flats, four-/five-bedroom duplexes and custom-built chalets for £6.3m. It’s a ski-in, ski-out development with a spa and a concierge service. 020 7692 0786, markwarnerproperty.com
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Meribel, France: £4.3m
A combination of chalet-style architecture, a friendly village feel and a setting at the heart of the mighty Three Valleys ski area makes Méribel a firm favourite with British families. With access to 200 lifts, it’s a great base from which to explore the world’s largest ski domain, while the designer shopping and lively après-ski scene make it popular with seasonnaires. Though property here isn’t cheap, your money goes further than it would in nearby Courchevel 1850. Le Hameau des Cimes is a development of four new chalets near the slopes, with easy access to the resort’s facilities. The 3,200 sq ft homes have balconies,six ensuite bedrooms, open-plan living areas with a roaring fire, a garage, a boot room and a massage room.
020 7861 1727, knightfrank.com
Combloux, France: from £104,500
If you are hunting for an affordable ski home with the charm of a traditional Alpine village and spectacular scenery, Combloux could be
for you. It’s near the chic (and expensive) resort of Megève — with the same highly prized views of Mont Blanc — and only an hour from Geneva, making it an ideal choice for weekend escapes to the slopes. Centrally located and minutes from the lifts, Les Fermes du Mont Blanc is a new complex of 52 studios and one- to three-bedroom flats, with a pool and a spa, and would suit a keen skier who plans to visit a lot. A flexible leaseback deal allows owners to use their home for up to six months a year, then gain 60% of the rental income on the rest. Prices range from £104,500 to £396,000, and the completion date is December 2017.
020 7590 1624, ernalowproperty.co.uk