JETSETREPORT

Winter Preview: Ski Season 2015/16

October 30, 2015 08.38 AM

It's around October that we stop holding out for one last summer weekend and begin planning our winter ski holidays. Alpine resorts like Austria's Solden and Zermatt in Switzerland are already open for the season and soon to be followed by France's Tignes and Italy's Val Senales. The Canadians are not far behind with Lake Louise, the first to emerge in winter white, followed by nearby Sunshine and Whistler while the US ski season doesn't takeoff until the December holidays.

But it's in the US where you'll find the biggest story of this ski season as Utah's Canyons and Park City Mountain merge into one mega-ski resort simply called Park City with over 7,000-acres, 300 trails and 40 lifts. Once separated by a divided ridge-line, a new gondola connects the two with three terminals and posh new lodge. In Jackson Hole, it's all about accessibility and avoiding connection flights with several new nonstop flights including New York and new boutique Hotel Jackson. Next year, Taos will make a grand re-debut with upgraded resort base nearing completion and new Blake Hotel owned by billionaire Louis Bacon. Our obsession last year with Aspen's Meat & Cheese will likely be countered by the opening of David Burke Kitchen - that's about a year behind schedule but just as eagerly anticipated.

In Europe, you'll see the Greek financial crisis shown in terms of new hotels that have come to a stop aside from the delayed Four Seasons Megeve property owned by the Rothschild family. In lieu of hotels, its all about keeping fit as our age-old belief that skiing is not real cardio reveals new fitness options like new Ovaverva in St. Moritz that mixes posh spa with aquatic and fitness center. Even fancier is Aquamotion opening in Courchevel 1650 in mid-December with new $68-million water park that's the largest in the Alps. And for those that hate to fly, Eurorail has now extended winter service to Lyon that means skiing from London is only a 5-hour train ride away.

Written by:

Michael Martin
Editorial Review Author
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