luxury

Looking for a luxurious skiing weekend? The Travel Channel travelled to the resort of LAAX in Switzerland and stumbled upon a true winter wonderland…

The resort consists of three villages; Flims, Laax, and Falera. Flims and Laax were two of the first ski destinations in the world to embrace snowboarding, as well as the freestyle skiing movement for which Laax in particular has become well known. Recently, the village has acquired the trendy rocksresort, and what with the continued popularity of the luxurious Waldhaus Flims resort in Flims, LAAX seems set to become a household name with the top-end of the ski market.

Intermediate skiers are also in for an undiscovered treat. The adjoining villages of Flims and Laax are in the Graubunden region of Switzerland, one of the largest linked ski areas in the country, with over 220 km of piste. Flims is more low key, great for families, whilst Laax is more trendy, appealing to snowboarders and those seeking chic accommodation, such as the luxurious rocksresort. Its grey sugar cube-like buildings are as far removed from a typical Swiss ski chalet as you can get. The design of the apartments is contemporary and minimalist, but boast all the latest fixtures and fittings, and all apartments feature large panoramic windows with views of the surrounding mountains.

Rocksresort also has the added bonus of a “ski in, ski out” location; the ski lift is yards away from your front door and all the restaurants, shops and the piazza are buzzing with life. If you’re looking to stay somewhere a little bit alternative, then you’ll love uber cool rocksresort. If on the other hand you want old world glamour, history and tradition then The Waldhaus Flims Mountain Resort and Spa in Flims fits the bill. Built in 1877, this impressive hotel is a member of The Leading Small Hotels of the World and therefore has everything you’d expect. It was also voted best hotel in Switzerland in 2004 by the prestigious Gault Milau guide. It is a great base for couples and families and there’s a fabulous spa area, great for non-skiers. That’s not to say you won’t appreciate all the treatments and bubble beds, massage jets and neck cascades after a hard day on the slopes. The indoor pool is surrounded by glass, allowing you to enjoy the scenery whilst you swim. And when it comes to dining, the hotel has six restaurants ranging from the gourmet La Cena to the rustic new Tschaler restaurant. Accommodation is all very well but let’s not forget what you’re really here for; the skiing. So here’s some ski facts; the altitude of the ski area runs from 1100 to 3018 metres, the highest point being the top of The Vorab Glacier, the area’s only glacier but it does mean skiing is available year round. Seventy percent of the runs are located between 2,000 and 3,000 metres above sea level, making LAAX one of the more reliable resorts for snow. The season can usually run from as early as mid-November through to mid-April.

There’s a modern, fast and efficient lift system including Switzerland’s first six-person heated chair lift, which opened in 2006 on the Scansinas to Mutta Rodunda route. With 28 lift systems in total providing the capacity to transport more than 40,000 passengers an hour, queues are minimal, and there are lots of long, cruisey blue runs perfect for intermediate skiers but not quite so challenging for advanced skiers. One of the big pluses however is the easy 90 minute transfer from Zurich airport, which makes for a convenient weekend break and advanced skiers could cover most runs in this time without getting bored. Most of the terrain is above the tree line but for beginners there is a particularly pretty long green run to the village of Falera amongst the trees. In 2007 an additional new valley run down to Flims opened, making four pistes in total. Also in 2007 the snow cannon system was expanded offering guaranteed snow on all valley runs, and a light system was installed on the piste between Curnius and Laax Murschetg, making night-time skiing possible.

In 2008, Snow Wonderland, three special ski villages near the base stations of Flims, Laax and Falera opened, where children aged three years and older learn how to ski in a playful environment. This year LAAX received the family welcome award from the Swiss Tourist Board in recognition for its work as a family-friendly destination. LAAX is however best known as a snowboard hot spot with Europe’s largest half pipe. For serious snow boarders (and party goers) the time to be in LAAX is for the Burton European Open which celebrated its 10th anniversary in January of this year. Another event to look out for is The BRITS 2010 taking place March 21-28, 2010, one of Europe’s ultimate and longest established winter festivals with live bands, acoustic sets, home run style antics and world class riding. 

There are also 17 mountain side restaurants in the LAAX resort, serving everything from traditional Swiss cuisine to fine dining. 

Forget Chamonix and Verbier; this year stylish snow-seekers should head to LAAX instead for the latest in snow holiday heaven.