The Oxford Ski Company and OS Private Travel are featured in new magazine Tempus!

Tempus, the brand new (and very beautiful) magazine for aficionados of quality, luxury living, has featured The Oxford Ski Company and our Summery sister OS Private Travel in their inaugural issue!  Aiming to provide the latest luxury-lifestyle news and features, Tempus came to us for advice on current travel trends for their feature, ‘Wish We Were There.’

As Lizzie Rivera says in her article, ‘Holidays are as much about experience as relaxation’ – we couldn’t agree more!

Chalet Serena in Chamonix, Chalet L’Himalaya in Val d’Isere and L Raphael in Verbier were all featured because of their AMAZING facilities that really raise the bar for experiential travel.

Look at the pool at L Raphael! We think it’s just incredible…

Diana Cherry of OS Private Travel praises the advantages of  private island and yacht holidays in the article too. Everything can be tailor-made by us. Let us know your thoughts!

AMAZING 40% Discount at Chalet Lhotse, Val d’Isere!

Hot off the press….the amazing Chalet Lhotse, Val d’Isere is now available for just £1,400 per person for the week commencing Sunday 25th March! So pack up your ski gear and jet off on a super luxurious, last minute break at a bargain price.  Normally £24,140!! Don’t miss out, call us now – +44 (0)1993 899 420!  We can organise every detail of your holiday down to the finest detail .

Isn’t it beautiful? Just imagine…

Ode to Mont Blanc: poetry by famous Oxford graduate

The majestic mountains of the Chamonix Valley have been inspiring skiers and adventure seekers for decades. It’s therefore no wonder that their magnificence has also inspired some famous poets. So, as a tribute to our home city of Oxford and its elitest academic history, we wanted to share some mountain poetry with you, written by a well known Oxford graduate!

Percy Shelley, a celebrated English Romantic poet and husband of Mary Shelley (who wrote Frankenstein), wrote about Mont Blanc during a 6 week tour of Europe in 1816 as part of a collection of ‘odes’ reflecting on the scenery through which he travelled. Here is an excerpt from his poem -

Mont Blanc

Lines written in the Vale of Chamouni

Mont Blanc yet gleams on high:-the power is there,
The still and solemn power of many sights,
And many sounds, and much of life and death.
In the calm darkness of the moonless nights,
In the lone glare of day, the snows descend
Upon that mountain; none beholds them there,
Nor when the flakes burn in the sinking sun,
Or the star-beams dart through them:-Winds contend
Silently there, and heap the snow with breath
Rapid and strong, but silently! Its home
The voiceless lightning in these solitudes
Keeps innocently, and like vapor broods
Over the snow. The secret Strength of things
Which governs thought, and to the infinite dome
Of Heaven is as a law, inhabits thee!
And what were thou, and earth, and stars, and sea,
If to the human mind’s imaginings
Silence and solitude were vacancy?

If you’re not quite ready to tackle the power of Mont Blanc just yet, we have plenty of other options to suggest…and we’d love to hear your creative musings. Something to think about on the chair lift??

Send your poetry to info@oxfordski.com or call us on 01993 899 420 www.oxfordski.com

First visit to the Alps? Here’s what we recommend for American visitors…

Skiing in Europe is often a totally different experience to skiing in North America and  narrowing down the options can be difficult when there are so many resorts and properties to choose from for your first trip.  In the Alps you can expect iconic mountain vistas and unbelievable views, culture filled, traditional Alpine lodges and chalets, vin chaud, marmottes, horse drawn carriages, beautiful tree line skiing and charming, ‘chocolate box’ resorts amongst many other things. The ‘apres ski’ is great too!

Here are some of our top choices for an unforgettable holiday in the Alps -

ZERMATT, SWITZERLAND – home to the Matterhorn

Chalet Grace, Zermatt 

This is an amazing property with incredible Matterhorn views and a designer Alpine finish which we know you’ll love. Zermatt is a picturesque, car free resort with excellent ‘foody’ mountain restaurants. Book a ski guide to take you on a gourmet journey through the mountains or take a help-skiing trip into Italy.

KLOSTERS, SWITZERLAND  - the ski resort  favoured by Prince William & the Duchess of Cambridge 

Chalet Bear, Klosters

This centrally located, quintessential ‘chocolate box’ chalet is privately owned and managed, offering exceptional yet informal service that’s ideal for families. The British Royal Family have been coming to Klosters for years.

VAL D’ISERE, FRANCE – one of the largest ski areas in France. 

Chalet Marco Polo, Val d’Isere

Everyone’s talking about this fantastic new ‘uber’ chalet in Val d’Isere right now. It has been finished to an incredibly high standard and has a private indoor pool, spa, fitness area and cinema. Val d’Isere is a high resort so a good bet for great snow cover throughout the season.

COURCHEVEL, FRANCE – the St. Tropez of the Alps 

Chalet Hermine, Courchevel 1850

This is a typical Savoyarde chalet in one of  the chicest resorts in Europe. Offered with a professional chef, manager and driver, this property offers very good value for money in a resort where most chalets with this level of service are twice the price!

MERIBEL, FRANCE – a perfect family ski resort in the heart of Les Trois Vallees – the largest ski area in Europe.

Chalet Trois Ours, Meribel

A great value, family chalet with direct access to the slopes and offering incredible food and service.

ST ANTON, AUSTRIA  - renowned for its Austrian hospitality and après ski. 

Chalet Gertrud Gabl, St Anton

For those looking to travel on a lower budget this is an excellent choice!  The food offered here is truly exquisite and the service is impeccable. The chalet is very comfortable and simply furnished  with everything one needs. You’d normally expect to pay twice the rate for what you get!

Ten of the Best Ski In/Ski Out Chalets!

Being able to step out  of your chalet and ski off straight away is surely an ultimate luxury. It’s definitely close to the top of our list of requirements when we go skiing. After all, who enjoys trudging for miles in cumbersome ski boots and waiting in lift queues? We’d rather save our energy for swishing down the slopes!  We always get asked if the chalet we’re proposing is ski in/ski out and so to help with this, we’ve come up with a list of 10 of the best truly ski in/ski out chalets for you to marvel at -

Ten of the Best Ski in/Ski Out Chalets

1. Le Petit Château, Courchevel 1850 Right on the edge of the Bellecote piste in Courchevel and only 5 minutes from the shops too!

2. Chalet Indigo, Megeve Situated in the wonderfully private Mont d’Arbois area with a  terrace overlooking the piste – wonderful.

3. Chalet La Tene, Val d’Isere The dining room at this beautiful chalet has the formidable le Face run as its backdrop.

4. Chalet Chamois, Courchevel 1650 Literally on the piste and bright and airy throughout.

5. Tivoli Lodge, Davos An exclusive mountain retreat. Intensely private and discreet but still ski in/ski out.

6. Chalet Gentianes, Courchevel 1850 Ski straight back to your door, then dive into your own private swimming pool!

7. Chalet Montana, Val d’Isere The Sunday Times have called this chalet ‘The Best in the Alps’ and it’s right on the Face de Bellevarde.

8. Chalet Trois Ours, Meribel One of the best located chalets in Meribel for ski in/ski out convenience.

9. Hidden Dragon, Les 4 Vallees As the name suggests, this chalet is secluded and exclusive with great ski in/ski out access.

10. Elephant Blanc, Val d’Isere Close to the nursery slopes and with direct access to a blue run – great for more tentative skiers.

To find out more about all of the above chalets and many more with ski in/ski out access, please give us a call – we have personally inspected each and every one!

Happy skiing!

We only have one thing to say to you today…KEEP CALM BOOK OXFORD SKI!

Chalet La Tene in Val d’Isere – get 15% off in February!

Chalet La Tene is a magnificent chalet located right the heart of Val d’Isere.

Newly-renovated for this season, it’s now one of the most sought after properties in the resort and the service you get here is impeccable! Guests can expect to be treated to the ski experience of a lifetime here.

The chalet is being offered at €17,595 for the weeks commencing 29^th January and 5^th February 2012 -this is a 15% discount off the original price.

For more information or to book this beautiful luxury ski chalet in Val d’lsere, please contact our team on +44 1993 899 421. Full details can be found on www.oxfordski.com 

Destinations Travel Magazine: Ten of the Best Luxury Chalets!

Check out our article on Ten of the Best Luxury Chalets in Destinations Travel Magazine !!

We think these are some of the very best chalets in the world.

Check out The Luxury Chalet Collection for even more options.

Please also see Destination Travel Magazine’s feature on Top Travel Agent Secrets to remind yourself of all the many reasons why you should book through The Oxford Ski Company

Simply look no further!

Photos of Chalet Marco Polo released!

We are really happy to release the new photos of luxury ski chalet Marco Polo. This luxury ski chalet in Val d’Isere is incredible and one of the finest luxury chalets to rent in France.

Read the full post to see all the images….

Read more

Last chance to book Grand Sarire

The ever popular Chalet Sarire (sleeps 10+2) and Grand Sarire (the chalet plus an additional 4 to 6 beds) only have 3 weeks left to rent this winter season. We feel that this is one of the best value luxury properties in the Espace Killy. With exceptional food and wine, attentive personal service and extremely comfortable surroundings, this chalet is hard beat.

As an added bonus, any bookings made through The Oxford Ski Company will receive one complimentary sports or relaxation massage per person during their stay.

The chalet is available on 15th January, 5th February and 15th April.

Smaller group? For smaller groups, there may be the opportunity to rent this property on a room by room basis. Please contact the chalet team on +44 1993 899 421 for more information and pricing.