What’s the world’s best ski resort? Val Thorens in France takes the title ahead of Deer Valley and Kitzbühel
Europe’s highest ski resort was the big winner at the annual World Ski Awards, while Switzerland took the top prizes for ski hotels, chalets and freestyle terrain.
Val Thorens has once again been named the world’s best ski resort at the World Ski Awards.
The French Alpine resort took the title for the 11th time, with Deer Valley in Utah, US, and Austria’s Kitzbühel rounding out the top three for 2026. All three resorts also won their respective national titles.
In the awards’ 14th edition, ski industry professionals and the public cast votes, with the most-voted nominee in each category taking the title.
At 2,300 metres, Val Thorens is Europe’s highest ski resort . It forms part of Les 3 Vallées, which links around 600 kilometres of pistes across resorts including Courchevel and Méribel.
Val Thorens also had a winner off the slopes. Pashmina Le Refuge, which offers ski-in, ski-out access, took the boutique hotel award ahead of Hotel La Perla in Italy’s Dolomites and The Omnia in Switzerland.
W Verbier won best ski hotel , with France’s Le Fitz Roy and Utah’s Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley also in the top three.
The Grand Hotel Belvedere, a Beaumier hotel set in a restored 1912 property in the car-free Swiss village of Wengen, won best new ski hotel ahead of Italy’s Aman Rosa Alpina and France’s Rosewood Courchevel Le Jardin Alpin.
Switzerland’s Chalet Zermatt Peak was named the world’s best ski chalet, with France’s Chalet Harmony and Canada’s Wedge Mountain Lodge & Spa completing the top three.
Switzerland also took the best new ski chalet award, with Chez Madeleine winning ahead of France’s Chalet des Légendes and Japan’s Meigetsu at Aki Niseko.
Switzerland’s LAAX won best freestyle resort ahead of France’s Les 2 Alpes and Canada’s Whistler Blackcomb. Also in LAAX, rocksresort took the green ski hotel title, with Austria’s Naturhotel Forsthofgut and Italy’s Naturhotel Leitlhof in the top three.
Ski Dubai was named the world’s best indoor ski resort, ahead of Qianhai Snow World in Shenzhen, China, and Norway’s SNØ Oslo.
