Gstaad (check out the Palace Hotel), Megeve (Les Ferme des Marie, La Fer a Cheval), Zermatt..hope this helps!
tweety, Oct 23, 2007 @ 13:38

When it comes to elegant winter venues, it is tricky to do better than the Gstaad Palace. They have seminar facilities and just about everything that is needed for business. Location is stunning and easy to get to by train or car. Although transport is usually needed to get from the hotel to the ski-lifts. Service, swimming pool, spa and food there was all good. A few of us from Glocals (Roxy-G, me etc) were there briefly last season and just out of interest we asked about the rates for their Penthouse Suite....13000 CHF per night.

(Grand Hotel Bellevue in Gstaad is a very nice and perhaps slightly lower cost option to The Palace, still 5 star.)

As an alternative to Gstaad, the most famous winter resort is perhaps St Moritz. The big four hotels there are all prepared for business seminars combined with winter sports. Different people will have different favourites, but in case it is of use my order of preference there is: Badrutts Palace, The Kulm, Suvretta House, The Carlton.

Hope those ideas help. Best wishes, Phil.
phil, Oct 23, 2007 @ 15:50

But I already checked a few and it seems like this kinda place shud be
booked a year in advance. Grand Hotel Bellevue is fully booked from mid-December to 1st of April... :-s (too bad cause I really liked this one). And Gstaad is gonna be very busy end of January, beginning of feb... There's the 30th International Hot-Air balloon week and after the "Sommets musicaux"

We don't need to go in a prestigious ski resort... they just wanna be able to ski,
and therefore i need to find a place where snow wudn't be an option :-)))

Thanks again
Cheers

Phoebs
Phoebe, Oct 23, 2007 @ 16:08

Ok, all understood and you are right that these places can get booked up early. For something less obvious it might be an idea to try the Victoria Jungfrau Hotel in Interlaken (central Switzerland). It is easy to get to, 5 star, and has all the services. Ski resorts of Grindelwald and Murren are close by, about 20 minutes by car. Hotel can perhaps arrange transport. Not stayed there myself, but friends have and gave it good reviews. Here is the website: www.victoria-jungfrau.ch

Similar story with Grand Regina Hotel in Grindelwald, except that is in the ski resort itself so might be booked up already. www.grandregina.ch

Hotel Montpelier in Verbier has a conference room and might be worth a phone call.
www.hotelmontpelier.ch

Other ski resorts like Davos are well setup for conferences, but it is a long way from Geneva. However if you would like venue details for Davos then just let me know. Hope that helps. Best wishes, Phil.
phil, Oct 23, 2007 @ 18:08

I second the recommendation for Victoria Jungfrau...very nice hotel. Another one to try in Interlaken is the Beau Rivage. What about Crans-Montana? Could be an option too.
tweety, Oct 23, 2007 @ 19:04

What about Klosters?
CeeBee, Oct 26, 2007 @ 13:32

That is a good point about Davos and I agree that hotels there can get very booked up for the World Economic Forum.

Although in recent years a group of 6 of us were able to get places in Davos during the World Economic Forum and each time it was a fascinating experience. Probably the safest place to ski anywhere in the world. Security was everywhere with army soldiers, armed police and private bodyguards on the pistes, streets and lift-stations! Plus medical staff were everywhere in case anyone important scratched a fingernail.

With the exception of certain venues, quite a bit of the resort was open to the public. However I suggest carrying identification as well as dressing and behaving accordingly to avoid being blocked by security or being told to leave. Not exactly the time or place for drunken antics!

List of well known people who have been to WEF Davos is pretty impressive and it is not just business leaders and politicians. Celebrities who are figureheads for major charities sometimes show up there....Bono from U2, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Claudia Schiffer etc! Plus in a secure and social environment like WEF Davos people can become a bit more approachable and talkative....never know who you might meet, especially on ski-lifts!!!

Also worth mentioning that the Cartier Polo Cup in St Moritz takes place just as WEF Davos finishes, so quite a few people just move to neighbouring St Moritz afterwards.
phil, Oct 26, 2007 @ 15:25

Always liked the village of Klosters. Hotel Vereina is well worth a look and has a nice pool with spa. Probably has a conference room too.
Here is the link: www.vereinahotel.ch
phil, Oct 26, 2007 @ 15:32