Recommend me a ski meeting resort

A snowHead

So....we need somewhere to hold our Alpine User Meeting next year - good mix of serious veterinary discussions in the mornings/evenings and fun skiing in the afternoons. We've been to Chamonix for the last three years, which has proved very popular, but it's probably time for a change of scenery. Requirements are:

1) Hotel that won't break the bank with a conference room that will hold 50 people, AV facilities etc.. Would be looking for a hotel with max €100/night B&B. Would probably want somewhere where we can all get together for an (informal - no speeches or anything) conference dinner on the Sat night.
2) Reasonable distance/connections from an airport - 90 mins is really the upper limit, but could possibly go up to 2hrs if the connections are really seamless.
3) 2nd weekend of January, Fri-Sun.
4) Reasonable access to slopes: doesn't need to be ski-in/out, we coped with Chamonix-Argentiere but that's pretty much the limit.
5) Mixture of skiing - we have a range from low intermediates to competent off-pisters.

Any suggestions?

Current suggestion is a hotel in Kufstein then skiing in the SkiWelt. I've not been there myself, so had a brief look through here for views on the SkiWelt.

Advantages:
1) not too far from Munich airport - which is an improvement over Geneva for customers coming from N Germany or America.
2) good price offered on the deal from the hotel, including free ski-bus (don't know whether this is a sheduled town thing or laid on by the hotel)

Disadvantages:
1) it's a bus-ride to the slopes, which looks like it's just as far as Chamonix-Argentiere. Anyone got a realistic view on how long it will take? We'd probably have at max a 5 hour window between the end of the morning and starting our evening sessions.
2) it looks very low and not a lot of vertical to me, so wondering whether that's going to be enough to keep the keenies interested. Looks like there's not too much of a problem with snow cover in early January, even being so low. Sounds as if it's good for the intermediates, but not exactly challenging for the more experienced - but we have to bear in mind that we're probably only looking at two 3-4hr ski sessions, with maybe a full day extra for those who want to tack on an additional day on the beginning or end.

What about other places near to Munich (best for the Yanks), or possibly Zurich (better than GVA for the Germans, no worse for us or the Yanks)?

A snowHead

GrahamN, If flying into Zurich, you could consider St Anton (rail connection to resort from Zurich airport rail station, see this thread). Not sure about the hotel prices though.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

GrahamN, Zauchensee? They have a conference center under the gondola.

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GrahamN, My first thought was Hintertux, staying in Hotel Hohenhaus http://www.hohenhaus.at/ I'm pretty sure they hava a conference room. 2.5hrs from Munich Airport. The hotel is 2mins bus ride or 10mins walk from the bottom gondola station.
There are probably more hotels in Zillertal with conference facilites that wouldn't be as far to get to from Munich as Hintertux. Zell am Ziller, maybe?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

No idea where you can go but when you decide how about inviting me to give a lecture on radiation safety in veterinary radiology (all expenses and lift pass paid for natch) wink

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SaraJ, yes excellent suggestion, we have done that one twice, stayed at the Rinderhof though.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

GrahamN, if you pm jonpim he has a lot of experience of organising meetings in La Plagne and other resorts and maybe able to help.
or perhaps you could chat to him in the SCGB 'chatroom'

After all it is free · Last edited by After all it is free on Wed 6-04-11 23:17; edited 1 time in total

Wengen or Flims/Laax would fit in to your maximum travel limit for Zurich.

GrahamN,
Don't know about transatlantic flights but when I lived in Asia Zurich was by far and away the easiest airport to fly to directly.
Davos is conference city but maybe a bit far from the airport for your requirements.
Flims I would of thought would be a good choice with plenty of low and high altitude skiing depending on weather at that time of year and a decent lift system. Also used to weekenders so accomodation shouldn't be a problem.
Engelberg looks pretty convenient but I have not been.

If Salzburg could be a destination airport there are lots of resorts with very short transfers and the area seems to get decent early season snow. Lots of ski inand out stuff at Obertauern with skiing for all levels but being a 'destination' resort weekend accommodation may be more difficult to organise. Zauchensee is not a bad shout

A friend has been to conferences which he rated at Wengen and St Christoph, though knowing the company he keeps they may not have been cheap.

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Another vote for Flims. I went to a conference there myself many years ago. Easy links into Zurich airport.

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Thanks for the suggestions.

I'd love St Anton, and the train service is good, but I think it's just going to be a bit far from Zurich, and I wouldn't be surprised if hotels for a weekend only are a bit pricy. I was wondering about Laax/Flims myself, although I see the train journey is not far off that to St Anton (still over 2hrs) - thanks for the votes so I'll check them out. Actually another destination at that kind of distance is Engelberg (ah, I see T Bar has also suggested it), which is a big enough town to have that kind of hotel - but you do have to time things with buses from the town centre to the lift station - I may have to check that out (again Wink

) .

I've been to Hintertux (staying in the Rindererhof also), and it's good, but maybe there's a better of choice of hotels in Mayerhofen, or as you say further down the valley. The train does go there, which is good, but it says it's about 3 hours that way, so I expect we'd still have to organise some road connections though - and it's easier herding cats than vets!

I was wondering about Ski Amade, but that looks as if it may be a bit far.

We've already looked at Wengen, but suitable hotels were extortionate, so unfortunately that's off the list.

Anyone got any thoughts of suitability/times of using Kufstein as a base for the SkiWelt?

With the exception of connections to GVA from N Germany and US it does seem as if there's not much that ticks the boxes quite as well as Chamonix (which is why we went there in the first place snowHead

). We've got people coming in from probably LA, Boston and New Jersey, and it looks as if ZRH and MUC do seem to be pretty similar for direct flights (the problem looks like Boston which only seems to have one flight a day in to either)

halfhand, 10/10 for effort. Unfortunately, as we are purveyors of Veterinary MRI systems, I doubt we'll be needing your undoubtedly invaluable services.

snow reports

GrahamN,

Have a look at Garmisch. Big town with lots of hotels and more than enough skiing

GrahamN, personally, I think you need a couple of experienced "ski guides" to take your clients around wink

You know it makes sense.

if flying to Munich maybe the Stubai Valley, which is also accessed from Innsbruck too ! It will meet your budget and requirements for morning work and afternoon skiing, and snow sure

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

GrahamN, From the centre of Engelberg, which is where most of the big hotels are, the buses are often enough that they wouldn't be a problem. The Waldegg is up the hill a bit and only one of the bus routes goes past it.

They have a section on their website for business events. I'm not sure I would recommend Engelberg for low intermediates though.

A snowHead

GrahamN, I do MR safety as well wink

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

GrahamN, a few I've used for conferences...
- Eibsee Hotel in Garmisch
- Lanersbach - brand spanking new conference centre with nice hotels nearby and Hintertux just up the valley - or ski Lanersbach of course.
- Kaprun - loads of conference hotels (Steigenberger Avance), snowsure skiing. Not tried the brand new mega hotel there yet though - Alpin Something.
- Zell am See - Grand Hotel. Zell also has v nice new conf centre.

Forget St Anton for weekend with 50 peeps.

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GrahamN, I have been to Gstaad for conference/ski meeting, the Steigenberger Gstaad, has the meeting space and a ski shop in the basement, we flew to Geneva and then train with one easy change. We had an informal dinner in a small Chalet in the grounds of the hotel. There also do a shuttle service to the slopes.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Thanks for the recommendations guys - particularly Garmisch, which I'd been thinking of as a candidate myself, but forgot to ask about. There is a slight complication with that in that there is a huge convention there at the same time as our weekend, but it's looking a definite possibility - so choices are a bit restricted. We've got an offer for the Mercure (OK, I know it's not the snazziest chain, but it fits the bill) near the station.

As I've never been there myself though - info please. Any ideas on how easy it is to get to the slopes from there?

Anything else it would be worth knowing about Garmisch? Good bar(s) for the evening? Vets are not unlike medics, in that our lot have been known to partake of the odd half on occasion - one or two have even come from the bar straight to lectures in the morning Laughing

... even if presenting Shocked

!

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GrahamN,

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Davos.

After all it is free

I second jbob, and would recommend you look at The Sunstar Park hotel Davos as they have just the facilities you need, but check the dates of the WEF first because a clash with that will put the price into the unbelievable category rolling eyes

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There was a very big conference going on in Mayrhofen while we were there, so that must mean it can cater for these things!

Quite a few people in our hotel (Kristall) were there for it.

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GrahamN, skipped to the end... hope I don't duplicate anything...

Firstly Kooky has a gret suggestion with Zauchensee.
You can get good priced accommodation in Altenmarkt and use the conference facilities in Zauchensee.

I am currently in Hinterglemm doing an instructors qualifiacation.
we are using a 4* hotel @ 39 euro per night half-board and using the conference centre in the 5* partner hotel - The Alpine Palace
http://www.wolfhotels.at/en/alpine-palace/meetings-and-incentives/
They certainly have all the gear!

snow reports

Thanks for the suggestions guys, but most of them are considered a bit far from a major international airport to be viable - anything more than 2 hours from ZRH or MUC seems to be a no-no (certainly for those travelling from England/Germany). Certainly suggesting even the bottom end of Zillertal didn't raise much interest.

So it looks like the search has gone on long enough, the powers that be are getting impatient for a decision, and we're currently in the process of deciding between Garmisch and Kufstein - or going back to Chamonix again, as the status quo (although the connections into GVA from anywhere except England/France are the stumbling block there).

Of course an hour or two extra for someone travelling intercontinental wouldn't be much of an issue, so we maybe should have looked more seriously at connections into Salzburg. Maybe we'll look more into that next year.

(Oh, and good try FlyingStantoni, but I doubt that angle'll work either - even I didn't get to go myself this year Sad

)

no no no dont book until youve had a look at mayrhofen its got everything and more that your lookin for and you can get up to tux if you want for a day , the whole valley is very accessable you can have a day in zell am ziller . it has something for all abilities , night life is terrific. the snows guaranteed as the glacier is open all year and in winter you can ski down to the bottom .
you can ski over from zell am ziller to gerlos and konnigsleiten,. all huge areas. and high. well i have a caravan in mayrhofen ill show you round if you like.

You know it makes sense.

ps its only 1 hour from innsbruck easy jet fly there. you can get bus which meets flights. or redpoint will do a transferlots of options for that.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

pps look at the sport hotel its right next to gondola and has everything and very lovely hotel. but most of em are.

Help!!

Recommend me a ski meeting resort

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