Kitzbühel’s first member hotel in the ‘Leading Hotel of the World’ group has opened its doors for the first time this week. The new five star isn’t actually in the famous village, but is located in the neighbouring village of Jochberg. Named the Royal Spa Kitzbühel it offers its guests, “…a modern and luxurious stay with direct access to the slopes, state of the art spa area and individually styled dining rooms offering exquisite regional and international delicacies.”

www.kitzbuehelroyalspa.com

A second new hotel also opens this month in another neighbouring village, Fieberbrunn, close to Kitzbuehel. The new four star Austria Trend Alpine Resort features modern design and ‘blends comfortably’ with the surrounding alpine landscape.

www.austria-trend.at/alpine-resort-fieberbrunn

Isola 2000 in the southern French Alps is opening a new six-seat chairlift this winter, thanks to investment from the local Alpes-Maritimes Council.
The new lift, named “La Valette,” is 1,905m long and rises 500 vertical metres.

The lift improves people management on the slopes, reducing bottle necks, and providing a more comfortable uplift.

The ‘skier flow’ on the route increases to 3,200 passengers per hour thanks to the carrying capacity of the chairlift, which has a top speed of six metres per second.