Recent Press Coverage
GLASS – JANUARY 2020
HOTEL CARLTON, ST MORITZ
St Moritz’s magic starts long before arrival in the town, with train transfers from Zurich including a ride on the Glacier Express, which winds through stunning Unesco world heritage-approved views that included the beautiful, six-arched Landwasser Viaduct. After checking in, a short walk into town reveals St Moritz at its most charming.
After retreating from the mountain and removing my boots with minimal grace but a healthy glow, I head to the spa. Here, in addition to a vast range of available treatments that span full-body massages and facials to body sculpting and thalassotherapy, the chance to while away time in the expansive sauna and heated outdoor pool helps revive mind and body.
Equally luxuriant is the menu at the hotel’s Michelin-starred Da Vittorio restaurant. Featuring inventive takes on Italian classics from the Lombardy region that shift according to the season, highlights include handmade paccheri pasta, veal cutlets and a superlative tarte tatin, whose memory will stay with me forever.
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7*Life – NOVEMBER 2019
If you’re after a fresh ski fix this winter in a new location, then look no further: Steamboat Springs in Colorado will be your new favourite place! Specialist luxury ski holiday providers such as The Oxford Ski Company offer resorts and chalets across the state, namely Beaver Creek, Vail and Aspen, yet it’s this relatively untapped-by-Europeans city that’s northern Colorado’s hidden secret.
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Daily Mail – March 2019
Is this the most incredible hotel in the Alps? Inside the Austrian lodge that has a blizzard of stunning features
A quick Google of luxury hotels in the Austrian ski village of Lech brings up a flurry of options, with many boasting a perfect online review average of five stars.
We’re staying in Severin*s (it doesn’t countenance apostrophes) - The Alpine Retreat in Lech and it ‘only’ has an average, at the time of writing, of 4.3 out of 5.
This makes me wonder what exactly is going on at the other hotels. Do they offer unlimited Cristal Champagne, diamond-encrusted slippers and helicopter transfers to the top of the ski slopes?
I ask because Severin*s, as far as I’m concerned is, more or less, perfect.
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Daily Mail - JANUARY 2019
CARLTON ST MORITZ
Snow Night, as it is known, takes place here every Friday. For a fee £21, or £13 for children under 12, you can ride the cable car to the top of the Corvatsch as many times as you want until 2am – although the later runs can be rather more perilous, especially as the drinks begin to flow more freely.
For those who live and work in St Moritz, it’s a chance to let their hair down one night a week throughout the season and enjoy stunning views over their glamorous and illustrious village.
Night skiing is only just taking off with a foreign audience, probably because it is less advertised than the many other activities the world’s oldest resort has to offer, including the Snow Polo World Cup, and of course the Cresta Run, the famous skeleton toboggan course founded by a group of British enthusiasts in the late 19th Century. With 322 days of sunshine a year and some of the best boutiques and restaurants available in the Alps, maybe people here are simply too exhausted.
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SUITCASE - November 2018
We’ve stayed in a lot of hotels. Most are good, some are brilliant, and then there are those that linger in your mind long after the door has clicked shut behind you. Severin*s is one of them.
Tucked on a mountain slope away from the clatter of ski boots and clink of glühwein glasses in Lech proper, this is the ultimate alpine retreat. Constructed from wood over 150 years old, the gorgeous chalet-style building stands proud and welcoming, and you just know there’ll always be a lit fire inside.
With 26 staff members, there is at least one pair of hands per guest… We’re still assessing how our skillset could make the cut.
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SNOW, FIRE & FOOD - JANUARY 2017
Escaping to the Alps is a magical experience. The pristine mountain landscape, the brilliance of the sunshine, the crisp snow, the pure air - and of course the skiing; but really who am I kidding?! The only reason I learnt the basics of skiing was for my love of winter holidays - it's a time to share such a great, sociable atmosphere, and more than anything, eat well! After all, a day on the slopes burning thousands of calories is the best way to build up a real appetite.
Courchevel, at the eastern end of France's 'Les Trois Vallées' provides a forgiving environment for skiers like me. There are plenty of long, broad, gentle runs where you can build your confidence and enjoy the exceptional mountain scenery, whilst for those looking to shred the powder or carve a path off-piste, well, I'm told there's plenty of demanding runs too for intermediates and experts.
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SUR IN ENGLISH - JANUARY 2017
The 2016/17 season sees Courchevel celebrating its 70th anniversary.
The village of Courchevel Moriond is a favourite for visitors thanks to sunny slopes, many of which are ideal for beginners and intermediates. There’s also easy access to more demanding, wild off-piste mountains and summit skiing, as well as the glitzy glamour of the highest sector of Courchevel.
The place to stay in Moriond is Portetta, a mountain retreat hotel with a relaxed ambiance. This ski-in/ski-out property has an elegant Alpine lodge style balanced with friendly, attentive service.
There are 38 guest rooms, including family rooms and suites, with Valley or Piste orientation many of which offer sunrise views.
The hotel’s top two floors are dedicated to stylish, spacious self-contained loft apartments, with kitchens - ideal for families who want flexible accommodation but also hotel services.
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TELEGRAPH.CO.UK - MARCH 2016
LUXURY CHALET OF THE WEEK: CHALET OWENS, COURCHEVEL
There you have it, Chalet Owens, yours for just €200,000 per week. With everything from party room to marble en suites, it's the perfect getaway for those wishing to splash the cash in one of Europe's most exclusive resorts.
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GENTLEMAN'S BUTLER - MARCH 2016
Just 7 hours door-to-door from home to hotel offering exquisite views, genuine hospitality, fantastic food and an idyllic spa.
Talking with the owner Rupert Longsdon we commented that our two companies - that being Gentleman's Butler and his - hold similar values. We believe that Gentleman's Butler readers and clients in the main are looking for excellent service, old school values in a modern world. Luxury travel is just as much about the before and after as it is about the during and the Crans Ambassador embodies this.
It's about talking to people in the know who can give you genuine feedback, know the people, brands and locations and when you say that you need a particular type of food or Aunt Ethel is arriving from Hamburg and needs looking after and picking up you are met with open arms as opposed to crossed arms and a doubting face. I like to think of it as the difference between building a house with or without an architect. A good architect will not only build you a solid house but should save you money and importantly take your wishes and desires and turn them into action. Think of Oxford Ski as your luxury ski architect.
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FORBES - FEBRUARY 2016
What You Get For $50,000 Per Week in Meribel
Taking an Alpine chalet is the way to beat the ski crowds in this or any European season. Buy the thing if you can swing the freight, rent it if you don't want the bother, but either way, on or around almost any mountain in this grand chain, the idea is to put together a party of ten to twenty and have at it. The perks are quote handsome, which is to say, the best chalets come with staff - a chauffeur and chef, and cleaning staff, as well as a concierge through the booking agency, at a minimum.
Chalet Lodge SHL lies on the Chaudanne slopes, by which we mean about a hundred feet from the slopes. It sleeps fifteen. Accompanying your rental, you'll be well handled by a chef and butler and you'll be served from the chalet's extensive wine cellar.
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VANITY FAIR TRAVEL - MARCH 2016
BLOSSOM HILL, LE PRAZ
Blossom Hill is every inch the uber-chalet. Its impressive double-height sitting room, with full-length windows, makes the most of its Alpine setting in Le Praz. We love that the private cinema has a 10ft-wide screen, the fire-warmed Savoyard kitchen boasts a wine cellar, and the floor of the indoor/outdoor infinity pool can be raised to paddling-pool height, so it's safe for genuine water babies. You can ski right off the slopes into Blossom Hill's garden and the nearest lift is a two-minute boot shuffle away.
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ABOVE AND BEYOND
CHALET MONT BLANC, MEGEVE
Back in 1914, Baroness Noemie de Rothschild was determined to get her aristocratic pals on board to pluck the medieval Savoyard village of Megeve out of obscurity. Supporting the launch of ski lifts, plush hotels and restaurants, she was instrumental in morphing the sleepy farming community into a glamorous winter playground that,by the 1950s, Jean Cocteau had nicknamed "Paris' 21st Arrondissement".
Today, the undulating pastures and wooded slopes continue to provide make-you-look-like-a-pro slopes, and the Baroness' legacy lives on, with Megeve still the preferred destination for much of the European jet set. Yet she surely couldn't have imagined a winter bolt hole on the scale of Chalet Mont Blanc, which, even in a town where property prices rival those of Paris' Left Bank, is set to be a game changer.
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BRIDES - JULY 2015
With Krug in the mini-bar and a goodie bag of Guerlain in your bathroom, Cheval Blanc is as close to alpine ski heaven as a hotel can get. The ski in, ski out set-up gives easy access to 600km of superb slopes in the Trois Vallées, your boots are wamred for you in advance, and your ski instructors are often former world champions. Most thrilling is the chance to go heli-skiing, where you're picked up by chopper and whisked off to untouched off-piste slopes normally inaccessible to skiers. Although led by experienced guides, these are definitely not for amateurs so be warned.
Back at the hotel, your bathroom comes with a chromotherapy hammam (colour theray + hammam = surreal relaxation), delicious cedar-scented candles adn hand creams made for high altitudes. Interiors give a 'sens eof place', with animal skins, warm woods and cool cuckoo clocks. Bedrooms are spacious with mountain views. And when your limbs need a rest, head to the sensational Guerlain spa. This is the ultimate ski pad, with a gigantic dollop of luxury.
Yannick Alléno's two-Michelin starred restaurant, Le 1947, where the bouillon comes with gold leaf and the bread with truffles.
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THE TIMES - NOVEMBER 2015
GREAT FOR BIG GROUPS...
BAITA 1697
A 17th-century farmhouse in a small hamlet just outside the resort of Sestriere, Baita 1697 combines serious style with the best kind of rustic chic. There are five beamed bedrooms and a dorm room that sleeps up to six children, along with a pullout sofa in the media room - home to dozens of DVDs, games and a large TV. The rooftop hot tub is a highlight, as is the slate and cream lounge with exposed brickwork, roaring fire and statement furniture. The surrounding ski area, known as The Milky Way, is one of the best in Europe.
GOOD SKI GUIDE - JANUARY 2016
LE GRAND SPLURGE
We chose group ski experts The Oxford Ski Company to arrange it all - and they got our team of seven into the small, cosy and luxurious Chalet Eden in Courchevel centre, easy walk slopes, even easier in the chalet shuttle.
So went the rest of our wonder weekend - early morning blasts on wide-open and incredibly quiet April pistes - blow out lunch and ski, ski, ski til they stopped the lifts, back to chalet for a zizz before doing it all over again - aperitifs and boozy chateau wine with dinner. Well it was a celebratory weekend after all.
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TELEGRAPH ULTRA - JANUARY 2016
EUROPE'S BEST NEW SKI CHALETS
...in Méribel, the game-changing new kid on the block is Mont Tremblant, which blends traditional Savoyard touches - scalloped wooden eaves, vaulted ceilings and stone columns - with state-of-the-art technology, modern art and a spa that leads out to a large heated outdoor pool and hot tub.
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SKI & SNOWBOARD - FEBRUARY 2016
Courchevel 1850, FRANCE
Packed with ultra-luxury chalets, Michelin-starred restaurants and swanky clubs, Courchevel 1850 is the undisputed hotspot for glossy celebrities to ski and be seen. High rollers can splash out £50,000 a week for a chalet, feast on oysters and then pop cases of Cristal at Le Mangeoire's glamorous piano bar. If you must descend to Courchevel Moriond, keep the glamour alive at the four-star Portetta hotel, the snowy sibling of the UK's Pig hotels.
The five-star Cheval Blanc in Jardin Alpin has 36 sumptuously decorated rooms and suites. There's also a two Michelin starred restaurant, Guerlain spa, chic White Bar and a cigar lounge.
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INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE - DECEMBER 2015
Winter Wonderland
The choice can be bewildering in ski holiday options, with different countries, resorts, accommodation and, not least, is finding the right characteristics and demands of the ski terrain.
La Tene is in the very heart of the resort but is nevertheless ski in, ski out. It is newly renovated and upgraded to Swedish architects designs and is now a showpiece of elegance and comfort.
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EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH - JANUARY 2016
IN THE WORLD OF SNOW...
...These are the Britons you need to know!
Back in 1998, one of Rupert Longsdon's pals asked him to recommend a five-star chalet with an excellent chef. The enterprising ski-mad Longsdon spotted a niche, found himself a chalet - Domaine de la Baronne in Crans-Montana - and ran it that winter. That first foray into chalet management proved to be the launch pad for Oxford Ski, a ski operator that now works with over 500 chalets and hotels spanning 28 European and North American resorts. And yes, that does still include Longsdon's favourite, Domaine de la Baronne.
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THE DAILY TELEGRAPH - NOVEMBER 2015
Winter chic finally sweeps into Italy
For heritage and understated style, San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge is hard to beat. As is the jaw-dropping beauty of its setting: a glade in a dense forest high above the Puster Valley, with uninterrupted views of the Dolomites. Pass through the vaulted hallway to soak up those views from the firelit library and wood-panelled dining room, heated by an old ceramic stove.
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CHESHIRE LIFE - OCTOBER 2015
MAKING TRACKS
I've always stayed in catered chalets before, but on this occasion had a room in the fabulous five-star Hotel Le Saint Roch. Wow. Seriously - wow. Words fail me. Not a great position to be in as a writer, let me tell you.
Once you book your chalet with Oxford Ski their concierge service kicks in and you can arrange everything that you need to make your holiday perfect. Most chalets come with a resident host/hostess, chef and driver. Additional services like nannies, masseurs and private ski instructors can be arranged and they can even sort things like the ski hire people coming to you, picnics on the piste and parties.
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What makes us different?
Experience
We have been designing and delivering luxury ski holidays for 25 years. Our experience in the industry is unparalleled. You can trust us to create the perfect trip for you and your family.
Expertise
Our team live and breathe skiing and are passionate about the destinations we sell. We work with only the best chalet and hotel providers. All are regularly inspected to ensure our exacting standards are met.
Service
Each Oxford Ski Company booking includes our complimentary pre-arrival concierge service. Your specialist will help arrange the all-important finer details that are part of planning the perfect ski holiday.