By Everett Potter

The good news for American skiers is that they can return to the Alps this winter. But for those who really want to have a blow-out ski vacation, there is nothing quite like renting a luxury chalet. The Europeans cornered this market decades ago with over-the-top lodging that includes high touch services in some of the chicest resorts on the continent.

Let’s be clear. While the word “chalet” suggest a quaint and cozy mountain hut that Heidi’s grandfather might have called home, these properties are anything but quaint and cozy. They’re grand and spacious, buildings where glass, steel and stone predominate. They pair high design with slopeside locations and feature amenities and perks that are anything but commonplace. These are fully-serviced chalets with a staff that offer housekeeping, daily breakfast/afternoon tea and dinner on five out of six nights of the week.

Here are three new chalets from Swiss-based tour operator Leo Trippi, a company that has been arranging ski holidays since 1882 … continue reading