Why Ski Here: St. Anton may be the most famous village in the Arlberg, a region where the sport of skiing was born. This is where ski pioneer Hannes Schneider perfected the Arlberg Method of skiing in the 1930's and later brought it to America, teaching legions of North American ski instructors. And the Arlberg region, which includes St. Christoph Lech, Stuben and Zurs, offers miles of interconnected trails, as well as a shuttle bus system that’s welcome at day’s end.
Where to Stay: The nearby hamlet of St. Christoph is synonymous with the luxurious Arlberg Hospiz. Built as a refuge or "hospiz" for mountain travelers in the 14th century, the rooms have pine paneling and goose-down duvets. The 88-room hotel boasts what is arguably the best Bordeaux cellar in Europe, with a $4.5-million collection that includes Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Jeroboams suspended like ship models overhead. And the 21,000-square-foot spa is the best facility of its kind in the Alps. The Hospiz epitomizes "gemutlichkeit," that Austrian intangible of warmth and hospitality.
For more information: Arlberg Hospiz; doubles from 400 euros/$528, including breakfast and dinner; +43-5446-2611;
Why Ski Here: St. Christoph's neighbor, Lech, is an exclusive Alpine haunt of the quietly rich and famous. Fur coats are worn with pride and it's the rare repeat guest who doesn't own a pair of Strolz ski boots, which are handmade in the village. Lech and its neighboring resort of Zurs are about privilege, excluding other skiers when 14,000 tickets have been sold. So the vast amount of terrain on offer can feel like a series of private slopes, even in high season.
Where to Stay: The 39-room Gasthof Post has beamed ceilings and antiques, with baroque cherubs over the beds. And there are enough antlers, tile stoves and painted chests to have you humming "The Sound of Music." Guests measure their stays here in decades. And those people at the next table? Yes, the Dutch Royal family.
For more information: Gasthof Post; doubles from 330 euros/$436, including breakfast; +43-5583-22060;
Why Ski Here: Is the medieval walled town of Kitzbuhel the most charming ski town in the world? You decide. Among ski racing fans, Kitzbuhel is famed as the home of the classic Hahnenkamm Downhill course, on which the World Cup Men's Downhill is held each January (though 2007's was cancelled due to poor snow). The winding streets are lined with hotels, shops, restaurants, bars and cafes and are especially enchanting at night. The sage advice is to hire a guide for a classic Austrian ski safari that starts in Pengelstein and leads to the Jochberg/Pass Thurn area.
Where to Stay: The Weisses Roessl is a distinctive, five-star property in the center of Kitzbuhel, with a fine swimming pool and two-story spa complex -- welcome after a day-long safari.
For more information: The Weisses Roessl; doubles from 435 euros/$607, including breakfast and dinner; +43-6138-23060;
Why Ski Here: Parisians flock to the boutiques, jazz bars, restaurants and yes, the slopes of Megeve, about an hour from Geneva in the French Haute Savoie. In fact, while there’s good intermediate skiing, the sport often takes a backseat to promenading, dining and cavorting until the wee hours.
Where to Stay: Baroness Maurice de Rothschild came here in 1916 after growing disenchanted with St. Moritz and opened the resort's first luxury hotel, the 20-room Mont d'Arbois, in 1921. It remains a chic outpost of old money. And while Les Fermes de Marie may look venerable, it's less than 20 years old. This cluster of antique chalets has been assembled to look like a typical Haute Savoie village by hoteliers Jocelyne and Jean Louis Sibuet. The 71 rooms boast honey-colored pine walls, beamed ceilings and wide plank pine floors. That's the stage for antique canopied beds, shepherds' tables and old Savoyard pottery.
For more information: Mont d'Arbois; doubles from 375 euros (low-season) including breakfast; +33-450-21-25-03;Les Fermes de Marie; doubles from 302 euros; +33-450-93-03-10;
Why Ski Here: Purely from a sporting perspective, this is one of the greatest ski resorts in the world. Courchevel is part of Trois Vallees, the largest ski area in the world, with 373 miles of marked pistes and 184 lifts. In other words, it’s nearly six times the size of Vail. Make a beeline for Courchevel 1850, the village that's the focal point for all the best skiing, shopping and nightlife. A bastion of Parisians, yes, but with enough Russian visitors to earn it the sobriquet "Moscow on the Snow."
Where to Stay: The four-star Le Melezin, an Amanresorts property, has smartly designed guestrooms and unobtrusive service. Another good choice is the lavish Byblos des Neiges, a sister hotel to Le Byblos in St Tropez. And the rustic chic of the 25-room Hotel Le Chabichou comes with a two-star Michelin restaurant.
For more information: Le Melezin; doubles from 680 euros; +33-479-08-01-33;Byblos des Neiges; doubles from 720 euros, including breakfast and dinner; +33-479-00-98-00;Hotel Le Chabichou; doubles from 430 euros, including breakfast and dinner; +33-479-08-00-55;
Why Ski Here: The Meribel valley is the middle area of the three that make up the massive Trois Vallees ski area. Great grooming and fast lifts means you can put a lot of miles on your skis every day. In fact, the piste choices are overwhelming. Meribel was founded by a Scot, Colonel Peter Lindsay, after World War II and modeled on Austrian ski villages—think wooden chalets, not concrete boxes—and it's beloved by Brits. They come for the terrific lift system, excellent grooming and Anglo-flavored French culture.
Where to Stay: The four-star Le Grand Coeur, a member of Relais & Chateaux, has a perfect location and just 38 rooms. Or rent Les Brames, a private chalet that can sleep up to 20 guests. It boasts a private theater and comes with a chauffeur.
For more information: Le Grand Coeur; doubles from 360 euros, including breakfast and dinner; +33-479-08-60-03; Les Brames; rates on request; +44-20-7471-7700;
Why Ski Here: With its cobbled streets and backdrop of the jagged Dolomites, Cortina is Italy's answer to Aspen and St. Moritz. In Cortina, no one skis before 11, lunch is lengthy, and everyone takes part in the evening Passeggiata along Corso Italia with fur-clad Romans, Bolognese and Milanese. Then it's an aperitif at Enoteca and dinner at the Michelin-starred Tivoli, followed by a trip to a disco. That said, the slopes are challenging enough, though they require a shuttle bus ride to link them. The best skiing is at Sella Ronda, a series of interconnected mountains that can be skied in one long day.
Where to Stay: The 73-room Hotel Cristallo is a prime pick. The rooms are frescoed, festooned with chandeliers, and past guests included Leo Tolstoy, Frank Sinatra and the entire cast of The Pink Panther, which was filmed here. Painstakingly renovated, it still exudes a kind of 60's chic.
For more information: Hotel Cristallo; doubles from 766 euros/$1,025; +39-436-881-111;
Why Ski Here: Klosters is still known as the preferred resort of the British Royal Family but it offers a quiet kind of chic. The skiing, which includes neighboring Davos, can be both scenic and challenging. And the run to the village of Kublis, which good intermediates can accomplish, is more than seven miles long.
Where to Stay: There are just a few smart hotels here, and much of the socializing takes place behind the closed doors of private chalets. Join the club by renting Chalet Eugenia, which sleeps up to 12 guests and comes with a staff of six. Or stay at Chesa Grischuna, which has 25 wood-paneled guestrooms with an old-world feel. The hotel is decorated in antiques, paintings and carvings and has quirky touches, such as a two-lane bowling alley in its basement. The famous vaulted cellar bar is where Gene Kelly danced on the tables and Orson Welles, Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant socialized. Nowadays, spotting Princes Charles, William and Harry is not out of the question.
For more information: Chalet Eugenia; rates on request; +44-20-7471-7700; Chesa Grischuna; doubles from 232 euros, including breakfast; +41-81-422-2222;
Why Ski Here: Winter sports were essentially invented here by the British in 1865 and St. Moritz is still the quintessential Alpine resort. What other resort can boast winter polo in a surrounding of glacial peaks? The 218 miles of slopes are an intermediate’s paradise.
Where to Stay: St. Moritz still draws what passes for the jet set these days. For many, the unquestionable first choice of accommodation is the venerable Badrutt's Palace, a bastion of glamour and social cachet. But don't overlook the Hotel Kulm, a five-star property that opened in 1856 as St. Moritz's first hotel. You'll find grand rooms, stellar views across the lake to the peaks, and a glass-enclosed pool and spa to soak away a day on the pistes.
For more information: Badrutt's Palace; doubles from 484 euros, including breakfast; +41-81-837-1100; Hotel Kulm; doubles from 414 euros, including breakfast and dinner; +41-81-836-8000;
Why Ski Here: The car-free village of Zermatt, dominated by the towering presence of the Matterhorn, is the definition of the Alps for many. The atmospheric narrow streets, charming shops, bars and pensions share space with ancient wooden "mazot" huts. And the skiing here is simply glorious. Zermatt has access to the highest lift-served terrain in Europe, at 12,533 feet at the top of the Klein Matterhorn glacier. The three main ski areas are interconnected, with bountiful terrain for all abilities. And skiing over to the neighboring Italian resort of Cervinia for lunch is a time-honored rite.
Where to Stay: From the balcony of guestrooms at the Riffelalp Resort 2222, there's a bird's-eye view of the Matterhorn. The 72-room Riffelalp is a 21st-century take on the chalet, where polished granite, Jacuzzis and skylights meet Oriental carpets and salvaged Valais farmhouse timbers.
For more information: Riffelalp Resort 2222; doubles from 513 euros, including breakfast and dinner; +41-27-966-0555;