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5 Alpine Resorts Worth Flying to This Ski Season
The 2026/27 Alpine ski season opens in December, and the resorts drawing Europe's private jet travellers this winter are not interchangeable postcodes on a snowy map. St Moritz and Gstaad concentrate five-star hotel beds and Michelin tables within a few streets of each other, Megève has just gained a hotel with France's rare Palace distinction, and Verbier and Kitzbühel reward travellers who know where the formal five-star bar gives way to something more interesting. Here is what to know about each of them before booking.
The Data Behind This Season's Shift
Alpine property prices rose 3.3% over the twelve months covered by Knight Frank's latest index at the time, with Swiss resorts averaging 5% growth against 1.2% in France, according to Knight Frank's October 2025 Alpine Property Report. Gstaad remains the single most expensive Alpine resort by prime property price, with St Moritz close behind and prime prices there up 7.1% over the same period, per the same report.
A separate Knight Frank report published in November 2025 found that 73% of high-net-worth individuals, rising to 80% among millennials, said they would consider living in the Alps full time. That shift from short ski breaks toward longer, repeat stays shapes the five resorts below.
Those booking a private jet charter for the season should plan early for the December and February half-term weeks, particularly into the smaller Alpine airfields discussed later in this guide.
5 Alpine Resorts for the 2026/27 Season
1. St Moritz
St Moritz has several five-star addresses within a single valley. Badrutt's Palace Hotel is a member of Leading Hotels of the World, and Kulm Hotel St. Moritz is classified five-star superior by HotellerieSuisse, Switzerland's official hotel rating body.
The two-Michelin-starred Da Vittorio, run by chef Paolo Rota of the Brusaporto flagship in Lombardy, sits inside the Carlton Hotel St. Moritz, itself classified five-star and a Leading Hotels of the World member according to HotellerieSuisse's own membership listing. Note that the 2026 Michelin Guide Switzerland ceremony, which may adjust these star counts, is scheduled for 2 November 2026, after this guide was researched.
2. Gstaad
Gstaad Palace and The Alpina Gstaad are both classified five-star by HotellerieSuisse, and Gstaad Palace additionally holds Leading Hotels of the World membership. The Alpina Gstaad's HotellerieSuisse classification is confirmed directly, and its restaurant Sommet, under chef Martin Göschel, holds one Michelin star in the current Michelin Guide Switzerland.
One correction worth knowing before booking: Grand Hotel Park Gstaad, long a fixture of the resort, is closed for renovation and will not reopen during the 2026/27 season. Four Seasons announced in January 2025 that it would operate the property as The Park Gstaad, A Four Seasons Hotel, and the opening has since moved to summer 2027.
3. Megève
Four Seasons Resort Megève became the first hotel in Megève to hold France's Palace distinction, the classification sitting above five-star, as Four Seasons confirmed on 2 June 2026. The property reopens for the 2026/27 winter on 16 December, its first season carrying the Palace title, according to French hospitality trade reporting from September 2026.
Above the village, Flocons de Sel, chef Emmanuel Renaut's high-altitude dining room, holds three Michelin stars. Renaut is a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, the French state's own craft distinction.
4. Verbier
Verbier runs on private chalets rather than palace hotels, and only one property in the resort, Cordée des Alpes, is a confirmed Small Luxury Hotels of the World member. The resort's one Michelin star sits with La Table d'Adrien, at Chalet d'Adrien.
A new 36-room hotel, The Ski Lodge, is scheduled to open for December 2026 with a restaurant led by chef Mario Paiva, according to Hospitality Net, though it does not carry a five-star rating at the time of writing. For this audience, booking a private chalet with full staff through a local specialist is the main alternative to a hotel room in Verbier, and its long season (skiing runs into late April) suits a private jet charter booked across several short trips rather than one long one.
5. Kitzbühel
Kitzbühel's case for a visit rests on its dining and social scene rather than its hotels. Les Deux Kitzbühel, a brasserie under chef Marc Fröhlich, holds the town's only current Michelin star.
No hotel in Kitzbühel itself could be confirmed as Forbes Five-Star, or a member of Leading Hotels of the World or Small Luxury Hotels of the World, at the time of writing, so this guide does not recommend a specific property to stay in the town. Private jet travellers who want the dining and the Hahnenkamm atmosphere can base themselves nearby and treat Kitzbühel as a dinner and apres-ski stop rather than a multi-night stay.
Flying Private to Each Resort: Airports and FBOs
Only St Moritz has a jet-capable airport, Samedan, in its own valley; the other resorts rely on a valley or regional airport, and Megève's own altiport takes only light aircraft and helicopters, not jets. An FBO (fixed-base operator) is the private terminal handling arrival, customs and ground transport at each airport; where one could be confirmed from an official source, it is named below.
Where a valley airport sits some distance from the slopes, a helicopter charter can cover the final leg, weather and local landing rules permitting. It is also worth arranging airport transfer in advance for the December and February peak weeks, when ground transport at smaller Alpine airports is at its busiest.
For Courchevel specifically, see our dedicated guide to the resort's own season opening: Flying Private to Courchevel for the 2026/27 Season Opening.
Sources
- Knight Frank, "Peaks and Prices" (October 2025)
- Knight Frank, "Ski Resorts, Super-Prime and Shifting Taxes" (November 2025)
- Leading Hotels of the World, Badrutt's Palace Hotel
- HotellerieSuisse (Swiss Hotels), Kulm Hotel St. Moritz
- HotellerieSuisse, Carlton Hotel St. Moritz membership listing
- Michelin Guide, Da Vittorio St. Moritz
- Universal Aviation, Samedan Airport
- Engadin Airport, pilot briefing and test
- ACE Jet, Universal Aviation Samedan
- Trainline, Zurich Airport to St. Moritz
- Leading Hotels of the World, Gstaad Palace
- HotellerieSuisse, The Alpina Gstaad
- Michelin Guide, Sommet, Gstaad
- Four Seasons, The Park Gstaad announcement (January 2025)
- Four Seasons, Megève Palace distinction announcement (June 2026)
- Yonder, Four Seasons Megève reopening report (September 2026)
- Michelin Guide, Flocons de Sel, Megève
- Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Cordée des Alpes
- Michelin Guide, La Table d'Adrien, Verbier
- Hospitality Net, The Ski Lodge, Verbier
- Michelin Guide, Les Deux Kitzbühel
- Geneva Airport, business aviation (Terminal T3)
- Megève Tourist Office, access by air
- ACE Jet, Magnum FBO Innsbruck
- Salzburg Airport, business aviation news
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Switzerland travel advice
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Austria travel advice
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, France travel advice
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Which airport should private jets use for St Moritz?
Samedan Airport (LSZS) is the closest airfield to St Moritz and can take business jets, though the approach requires specially trained and certified pilots and diversions to Zurich are not uncommon in poor weather. Zurich Airport is the lower-altitude alternative, roughly 3 hours 51 minutes away by train on average. Confirm current aircraft suitability and slot requirements with your handling agent before booking.
Can private jets land at Megève's own airport?
Megève's own mountain altiport (a short, steep airstrip built for small aircraft and helicopters) could not be confirmed as suitable for business jets from an official source. Private jet travellers should route through Geneva Airport instead, which has its own dedicated business aviation terminal, Terminal T3, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes from Megève by car.
Is there a five-star hotel in Kitzbühel?
No hotel in Kitzbühel itself could be confirmed as Forbes Five-Star, or a member of Leading Hotels of the World or Small Luxury Hotels of the World, at the time of writing. Kitzbühel works best as a dinner and apres-ski destination, built around the Michelin-starred Les Deux Kitzbühel, rather than a multi-night base.
Does Verbier have five-star hotels?
Verbier's accommodation market is built around private chalets rather than palace hotels. Only one property, Cordée des Alpes, is a confirmed Small Luxury Hotels of the World member, and a new 36-room hotel, The Ski Lodge, is scheduled to open in December 2026 without a five-star rating yet. A staffed chalet booked through a local specialist is the main alternative.
When does the 2026/27 Alpine ski season start?
There is no single fixed date across the Alps; resorts and hotels open individually through late November and December depending on snow cover and renovation schedules. Four Seasons Resort Megève reopens on 16 December 2026, and Courchevel's own season opening is confirmed for 4 December 2026 in our dedicated guide to that resort. Check each property directly for its own 2026/27 opening date.