Festive Fun in Arosa
New Powder Byrne clients Cat and John Stevenson spent the Christmas holidays in Arosa with their two young children and grandparents, staying in a chalet-style apartment at Powder Byrne’s exclusive development Chesa Forma and enrolling their kids into our exclusive Yeti ski programme. Cat wrote about their experience with Powder Byrne and all that Arosa has to offer for a festive family ski holiday.
Arosa was the perfect place for my family’s first Christmas on the slopes. It offered a broad range of skiing and non-skiing activities for us and we all fell in love with the magic of the Alps at Christmas. The glistening lights, the picturesque chalets and the fresh snowfall all created the white Christmas we had been dreaming of.
We stayed at the very lovely Chesa Forma, a collection of exclusive and homely ski apartments nestled in the heart of Arosa, the ideal spot for a Christmas getaway. From the moment we landed in Zurich it became apparent that Powder Byrne were prepared to go above and beyond for us from the very beginning of our holiday. The drive up to Arosa involves many hairpin turns and tight roads, so Powder Byrne recommended that they transfer us by road from Zurich to Chur where they smoothly transferred us on to the Rhätische Bahn, a very scenic train ride from Chur to Arosa and a real experience in itself. The Powder Byrne driver continued up to Arosa by road transferring our luggage in the process. This was a very good start.
We were greeted at Chesa Forma by the lovely Powder Byrne resort manager Laura and a tempting welcome hamper full of festive treats and holiday essentials. The Powder Byrne team had decorated our apartment with beautiful Christmas lights over the fireplace and even gave us our very own Christmas tree to decorate with our small children. These little touches really helped make Chesa Forma feel like our home away from home.
When it came to the business of skiing, we were spoilt for choice by the Powder Byrne ski programmes available. The children loved the Yeti club, their instructors and Yeti assistants giving them all the guidance and attention they needed to boost their confidence enough to bomb down the mountain, but crucially improve their control and technique. We took full advantage of the complimentary ski guiding programme and had an amazing time with our guide Will, who took us to the neighbouring resort of Lenzerheide using the Urdenfürggli link, where we enjoyed lunch at the stunning Mottahutte restaurant. The food was exquisite and it had a beautiful sun terrace where we enjoyed a well earned glass of wine.
The slopes of Arosa range from relaxing blues to thrilling blacks which proved the perfect combination for our family. The grandparents and the kids had great fun going up and down the blues, practising their new found skills while my husband and I were able to enjoy the more exhilarating red and black runs. We especially loved the ‘red 10’ from the top of the Weisshorn, and we were able to meet up with the family at the end of the day and ski back into the valley together on a gentle blue for a brilliant end to the day.
Powder Byrne’s Mountain Host Programme in Arosa provided constant enjoyment for when we weren’t exploring the slopes and is a great option for those who prefer not to ski, or take a break from the slopes during the week. We enjoyed a beautifully lit guided winter walk up to Alpenblick restaurant which served wonderful food straight from the BBQ, what a treat in the mountains. The route was steady so perfect for all the family and we were delighted to be able to return to the village by a horse-drawn sleigh ride accompanied with a mug of hot spicy Glühwein to warm us up.
The Powder Byrne team were also on hand to help create an unforgettable Christmas day in Chesa Forma for my family. We spent the morning ice skating on the Obersee lake and returned back to the apartment to find our private chef for the day (part of Powder Byrne’s excellent Swiss Cook catering service) had made delicious festive canapés and a phenomenal Christmas lunch.
It is fair to say that we had a fantastic festive ski holiday in Arosa. Travelling with children and grandparents in tow can be challenge, as there are lots of different people and generations to please and everyone deserves to enjoy their holiday. The Powder Byrne team were prepared to go above and beyond for us at every step of the way and their range of ski and non-ski programmes cater perfectly to all ages and stages. The combination of a beautiful ski resort, a stunning family apartment, amazing ski programmes and 5-star service from the Powder Byrne team really set the scene for a magical family Christmas in the mountains.
Prices from £2,495 per person for a week at Christmas in Chesa Forma, Arosa. Prices include return flights from London, luxury resort transfers, welcome hamper and full Powder Byrne in-resort service including complimentary ski guiding and access to our award-winning children’s programmes.
Call our travel consultants on 020 8246 5300 or enquire online to start planning your first tracks of the season!
