My Favourite Resorts for a Weekend Event on the Slopes
Henry Wells is our PB Events Account Manager and, with 16 years of experience at Powder Byrne, he knows our resorts inside and out. He specialises in ensuring all of our group trips, both corporate and leisure, really knock guests’ socks off. Here he rounds up his favourite resorts for a short break on the slopes.
As with all Powder Byrne holidays, we make sure that everything’s possible for our clients and that requires complete flexibility, intimate knowledge of our resorts and leveraging our network of exceptional partners and suppliers.
In key resorts, we have Powder Byrne staff all season to look after our clients and if you choose one of these resorts for your event, you’ll benefit from the very best service of the Resort Manager, Drivers, Ski Managers and Childcare Managers. We also offer the option of a dedicated PB event manager for an added level of service to ensure that everything runs smoothly so you can focus on your objectives, your friends, colleagues, and clients and on enjoying the event.
Of course, no matter which resort you choose, the skiing has to be exceptional and we’ll maximise your time on the slopes with our much-loved ski guiding service. We can also organise ski instruction, heli-skiing and ski touring, depending on your needs. There’s so much to enjoy off the slopes too! From wine tasting and cooking classes to spa days, snowshoeing and anything else you can possibly get up to in the Alps, we’ll arrange it all for you.
Each resort has its own benefits and unique charms so choosing the best resort for your event depends on your needs and preferences.
These are my top picks for weekend events in the Alps:
1) St. Anton, Austria
For lively corporate or private groups, St Anton is an exceptional destination as it is the ultimate après-ski party town. St Anton is famed for the Mooserwirt and Krazy Kangaroo, and the skiing and hotel and chalet accommodation matches up. About 1¼ hours from Innsbruck or 2½ hours from Zurich Airports, getting there is no bother at all. For groups in St Anton, we would recommend a dedicated event manager to manage the group’s logistics and groups in St Anton also benefit from top class service from the Powder Byrne resort team that operates in nearby Zurs for the full season.
Flims is ideal for groups who are interested in excellent accommodation and gastronomic delights. One of our clients’ favourite resorts; it is a short transfer of around 1¾ hours from Zurich Airport and offers exceptional accommodation, with luxury serviced apartments and top quality hotels, as well as the highest quality gastronomy, both in the village and on the mountain. Powder Byrne operate comprehensive in-resort service for the entire season in Flims, including with a Resort Manager, Ski Managers, Drivers and a childcare team, and the addition of a Private Chef who creates the highest quality dishes for the luxury apartments in the apartment’s own kitchen based on your tastes and preferences. One thing is for sure: you’ll be well looked after!
Laax, as the sister resort of Flims, offers the same exceptional gastronomy, but with an atmosphere, that’s a little more relaxed. The Rocks Resort, Laax is a purpose built, lively ski-in-ski-out resort that offers a good mix of apartment and hotel accommodation, together with a great selection of restaurants and après-ski spots. Laax is also the home of Switzerland’s snowboarding fraternity and so operates a lot of events and parties around them, making it very lively at times. It also boasts the biggest half-pipe in Europe and watching the daring skiers and snowboarders perform their tricks is a real treat! As Laax is within such close proximity to Flims, it benefits from the service of the full Powder Byrne team.
4) Soelden, Austria
Soelden is a classic Austrian ski resort with good accommodation options, lively après-ski bars often with traditional music, great in-resort restaurants, bars and late-night options and enough skiing to cater for all levels. The ski area offers 144km of piste, with skiing up to 3340m. Soelden is easily accessible from Innsbruck at 1¼ hours and it’s a little further from Munich Airport at 3¼ hours. For events here, we would provide a dedicated event manager to take care of the group’s logistics in the resort.
Lenzerheide is a fantastic ski village and is fondly called Switzerland’s ‘Diamond in the Snow’. It offers 225km of piste thanks to its link to Arosa (10), with an altitude range of 1230–2865m. Hotels in Lenzerheide offer ski-in ski-out possibilities, luxury apartments, amazing spas and plenty of heritage and tradition. To access Lenzerheide, you fly into Zurich and the transfer time is approximately 1 hour 50mins, so it’s very reachable for a weekend or a week’s stay. This is also a full season Powder Byrne resort, which means that our staff will be on hand to cater to all your needs.
6) Verbier, Switzerland
Verbier is the “party” resort of Switzerland, frequented by the Geneva elite and royalty. It is a sophisticated resort that combines luxurious accommodation options, both hotels, and chalets, with a huge ski area of four valleys, offering 412km of pistes and world famous off-piste. Don’t forget the exceptional après-ski at Farinet and top class nightlife at The Farm Club. For groups in Verbier, we’d provide a dedicated event manager to ensure guests enjoy all the best the resort has to offer, without having to worry about the logistics.
Zurs is a pretty village situated in the center of the snowy Arlberg ski region, which includes Lech, Zurs, St. Christoph and St Anton, and offers over 284km of pistes, catering to for all skiers’ levels and preferences. Zurs offers accommodation that is all within easy reach of the ski lifts and some have ski-in ski-out convenience. Zurs is ideal for groups that want a quieter village without the full-on party atmosphere of St. Anton, but with easy access so that you can visit to experience the legendary après-ski festivities. As a full season Powder Byrne resort there will be experienced staff on hand to make sure everything is done for you. Zurs is about 2 ½ hours from Zurich or an hour from Innsbruck airports.
8) Chamonix, France
Chamonix is the extreme sports capital of France. Busy throughout the year with sports enthusiasts, Chamonix is a large village that caters to any party. Chamonix offers a fantastic range of accommodation, excellent bars, and restaurants, great late night options and it’s within 1¼ hours of Geneva Airport. Chamonix valley’s skiing (150km) is split between 5 Valley regions: Les Houches, Brevent, Flegere, Grand Montet and Le Tour, and ranges in altitude from 950m to 3300m. With the aid of a PB event manager and a PB van, groups are sure to make the most of the skiing and the party atmosphere.
St. Christoph is the smallest hamlet within the Arlberg region but has easy access (7mins drive) to nearby St Anton for late night and après-ski options. St Christoph offers excellent accommodation with ski-in-ski-out options, hotels with impressive wine cellars for special tasting events and one of the most famous restaurants in the region. St Christoph is a perfect choice for food and wine lovers that enjoy easy access to the slopes and amazing skiing. Like St Anton, groups will have access to the Zurs Powder Byrne resort team who can offer ski guiding, drive between venues and so much more!
Arosa is a traditional Swiss mountain village that offers stunning vistas, excellent accommodation in both luxury apartments and hotels, a myriad of food and beverage options from Michelin-starred to local home-style cuisine, and a ski area that’s fully linked with Lenzerheide that totals 225km of piste. Arosa is not your traditional ski weekend location as the transfer takes approximately 3 hours, but this journey is part of the charm, with the last hour on a scenic mountain railway. Arosa is a full season Powder Byrne resort so there will be a Resort manager, Driver and Ski Managers on hand so your guests will be fully engaged and not have to worry about a thing.
No matter which resort you choose, we’ll design your itinerary around your exact needs, from a choice of accommodation, budget, activities, and dining, down to all the little extras that take a trip from great to exceptional.
To find out more about booking an event that everyone will rave about for years to come, call 020 8246 5300 or click here.
