Guide II — Folio II — Alpine & Central Europe
Alpine Chalet Rentals: Gstaad, St Moritz, Lech, Courchevel 1850, Zermatt and Cortina
Christmas, New Year and February half-term are three different markets. What a staffed chalet costs in each, how the six resorts in Folio II differ, and what the rate does and does not carry.
The six resorts in Folio II
Gstaad, Bernese Oberland
Discretion over altitude. Farmhouse-scaled chalets, a village that closes ranks around its regulars, and the strongest demand for fully staffed houses with a resident chef. Skiing is secondary to the winter itself.
St Moritz, Engadin
The most social of the six and the only one with a genuine February season built around the frozen lake. Chalet inventory is small; most prime stock sits in private hands and releases late.
Lech am Arlberg
Snow-sure, low-key and family-driven. Houses are built for full board — the Austrian chalet model includes chef and service in the rate more often than the Swiss or French one does.
Courchevel 1850
The deepest luxury inventory in the Alps and the sharpest peak pricing. Ski-in ski-out matters here more than anywhere; a five-minute transfer materially changes the week.
Zermatt
Car-free, glacier-backed, and long-season — spring skiing runs later than anywhere in the folio. Chalets are smaller in footprint and priced on the Matterhorn view.
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Dolomite scenery with an Italian rhythm: long lunches, shorter ski days, and the most attainable prime pricing of the six. Winter-Olympics infrastructure has raised the floor.
How the season is priced
Alpine chalets are not priced by month; they are priced by named week. Christmas and New Year are quoted separately and typically carry minimum stays of seven to ten nights.
| Resort | January / late March | Peak week | Full board typical? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gstaad | USD 35,000 – 80,000 | USD 90,000 – 250,000 | Yes |
| St Moritz | USD 30,000 – 75,000 | USD 80,000 – 220,000 | Often |
| Lech am Arlberg | USD 25,000 – 55,000 | USD 60,000 – 160,000 | Yes |
| Courchevel 1850 | USD 35,000 – 90,000 | USD 100,000 – 300,000 | Yes |
| Zermatt | USD 20,000 – 50,000 | USD 55,000 – 150,000 | Often |
| Cortina d'Ampezzo | USD 15,000 – 40,000 | USD 45,000 – 120,000 | Sometimes |
What full board means — and what it leaves out
In the rate on a full-board chalet
Chef with breakfast, afternoon tea and six dinners, chalet host and housekeeping, daily cleaning, house wine and bar, in-resort driver during set hours, and ski-room service.
Extra, always
Lift passes, ski hire and instructors, one night off for staff, fine wine beyond the house list, spa therapists, childcare beyond a chalet host, and airport transfers from Geneva, Zurich, Innsbruck or Venice.
The transfer is the hidden cost
Geneva to Courchevel or Gstaad is three hours by road, minutes by helicopter, and the difference on a peak Saturday is significant. Price the transfer at the same time as the chalet.
Booking the winter
- Book Christmas and New Year twelve months out; those two weeks close first every year.
- Confirm whether the quote is full board, catered or self-catered — the same word is used loosely.
- Ask for the staff's night off and what happens for dinner that evening.
- Confirm ski-in ski-out literally: ask for the walking distance to the nearest piste in metres.
- Check whether the wellness area, pool and hammam are private or shared with a second chalet.
- Agree transfer arrangements — road and helicopter — before deposit, not after.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a luxury ski chalet cost per week?
- Indicatively USD 15,000 to 90,000 per week in January or late March across the six resorts in Folio II, rising to USD 45,000 to 300,000 for Christmas, New Year and February half-term in Courchevel 1850, Gstaad and St Moritz.
- Which alpine resort has the best value for a private chalet?
- Cortina d'Ampezzo and Zermatt carry the most attainable prime rates in the folio, particularly in mid-January and late March, while still offering staffed houses of comparable quality.
- Does a chalet rental include a private chef?
- In Austria and most of Switzerland the full-board model usually includes a chef for breakfast, tea and six dinners. In France and Italy it is more often quoted separately. Ask specifically which meals are covered and which night staff are off.
- When should I book a chalet for Christmas?
- Twelve months ahead. Christmas and New Year are the first weeks to commit in every resort in this folio, and the best houses rebook with the previous year's guests.
Editorial note & limitations
Rates are indicative planning figures drawn from alpine prime-market research and partner inventory in August 2026, not quotations. Every chalet in the Collection is priced live and carries a USD 500 nightly floor.