Best Timeshare Resorts for Skiing and Winter Sports

For many people who are bitten by the skiing bug, it stops being an occasional hobby very quickly and becomes a way of life (obsession?!). The clean air, the mountain views, that unmistakable sound of fresh snow crunching under your feet. The knowledge that after a day of hitting the slopes you can enjoy some of the best cuisine, guilt free, then sink into a hot tub with a glass of Vin chaud before drying off in front of a roaring fire… (pack the thermals – we’re off!)

Skiing and winter leisure is not a cheap pursuit however, especially for those with families and the costs can become pretty prohibitive especially over high season.

How about considering an alternative?

Hapimag Resort, Finland below

For many, timeshare or vacation ownership conjures up an image of escaping the cold winter for warmer climes, but it may surprise you to know that timeshares can be found in some of the best ski destinations in the world. Every year ski resorts get busier and popular areas have high demand for quality accommodation you don’t have to pay through the nose for.

You may want to return to your favourite resort every year and are looking for guarantee of space and a standard of luxury you expect. Or instead, using an exchange mechanism, you may choose to travel the world in search of new and exciting pistes each season. In either case a timeshare may just offer you the flexibility, assurity and affordability to indulge your passion to its fullest potential.

Below we take a look at some of the most popular destinations that have a good supply of timeshare accommodation.

The French Alps have some of the best resorts anywhere in the world, and one of the largest areas is the eternally popular Three Valleys (Les Trois Vallées). There are eight resorts that make up the Three Valleys including the highest ski resort in Europe, Val Thoren. With over 600km of piste runs, 1900 snow cannons and 2,000 ski instructors the possibilities are literally endless.  Méribel is arguably the prettiest of the resorts, founded by British born Peter Lindsay in 1938 and has retained a strong British influence to this day.

Méribel at night

Considered a mountain range perfect for skiing, the Dolomites claim an incredible 1,200km of dream slopes along with the 3,000m high Marmolada Mountain. Nominated for UNESCO heritage, this area is also considerably quieter than the French Alps and along with traditional skiing offers 1,177km of cross country tracks. Quaint mountain villages characterise the region, but the infrastructure is also in place for a hassle-free winter holiday. Home to the famous Sella Ronda – a circular network of lifts and pistes around Gruppo del Sella, an impressive limestone massif, it links a collection of resorts. Arabba is a convenient base for the more challenging slopes while Cortina d’Ampezzo is considered one of Italy’s chicest and most beautiful resorts as you join fur bedecked Italians for their ritual passeggiata.

Although the Winter Olympics have twice been held in regions of Japan, it remains off the radar for most as a ski destination. With incredible snow quality, impeccable service, delicious cuisines and attractive accommodation it also holds the record for the deepest snow every recorded. Get ahead of the crowd  before the mainstream start discovering it. With such enthusiasm from professional skiiers, the amateur clubs are sure to follow.

Hokkaido is perhaps the most developed of the many resorts and has more of a Western vibe to it along with name-brand hotels such as Hilton, Westin and Park Hyatt. If you want the authentic experience look at Nagano, far less big hotels and more ryokans (classic inns). In close proximity to Tokyo it provides an opportunity to really discover Japanese culture.

Mount Yotei, Hokkaido, Japan

The iconic Rocky Mountains stretch 3,000 miles from Canada through Colorado and down to New Mexico. Aspen, known for its celebrity appeal, is probably one of the best known ski resorts in the world but if rubbing shoulders with the great and the good is not your thing there are plenty of other resorts to choose from.

Breckenridge is one of Colorado’s most visited ski resorts and boasts one of the best ski schools in North America. Beavercreek was launched in the 1980’s and is considered a ‘perfectly designed ski village’. With heated pavements and moving walkways the only place guests need to exert themselves is on the slopes. Almost all of the acommodation is ski-in/ski-out.

The Blue Mountain resort in the Pocono Mountains is Ontarios only all year round destination. Just 90 minutes from Philadelphia and 90 minutes from New York. Originally named Little Gap Ski Area in 1977, Blue Mountain was reimagined in 1989 to better identify the grand scale of the mountain and is now the third busiest ski resort in Canada. Money has been spent and it has been extensively built out with high speed lifts, 42 runs and 3 freestyle terrains and a new village at the base of the mountain. In summer you can enjoy the Alpine Slide Ride, a 2,000 foot mini-bobsled track on sleds!

Blue Mountain Village

We had to include the Swiss Alps in any list of ski destinations and with a world-famous mountain backdrop, holidays in the Bernese Oberland have something for everyone. The Jungfraujoch, north face of the Eiger, Lake Thun and Grindelwald are all names that anyone who loves snow will have heard of. Ski world famous pistes and explore over 214 km of groomed slopes in the knowledge that the snow is virtually guaranteed due to the combination of Swiss Alps snowfall and extensive snow making facilities.

Hapimag Resort, Interlaken