In a year marked by global uncertainty, the finest homes in prestigious ski locations demonstrated impressive resilience, mirroring prime property markets worldwide. That’s one important conclusion to draw from the Savills Ski Residential Index, a detailed analysis of the prices of prime homes in 41 winter resorts from North America to Europe and Asia Pacific.
“While price growth in ski markets has slowed from its record pace in the immediate wake of the pandemic, average prime residential ski property prices have increased by 3.8% over the course of the past year,” says Jeremy Rollason, head of Savills Ski. “So, while prices are 2% lower than their 2022 highs, on average they remain 34% above 2021 levels and 36% above pre-pandemic prices.”
Prime homes are those with an asking price of €750,000 and above, and the chart shows the current dominance of European destinations, with five of the 10 most expensive ski resorts in Switzerland, two in France and two in Austria. That said, a US resort stands head and shoulders above them all – the average prime home price in Aspen, Colorado is €39,500 per square metre, significantly ahead of Courchevel 1850 and Val d’Isère, the French duo that took second and third places on the Savills index.
“Aspen is about so much more than just skiing,” says Rollason. “It’s an acclaimed international destination, busy all year round, a high, snow-sure resort set in a national forest, with a focus on health and wellness. While other US markets slowed due to high interest rates, prices in Aspen do not seem to have reached a ceiling – they have increased by 9.3% from 2023 values.”
The high-altitude resort of Val d’Isère, consistently in the top 10 of the Savills Ski Resilience Index thanks to its snow-sure slopes, slid down one place from last year’s Ski Prime Residential Index – overtaken by Courchevel 1850, in the Three Valleys ski area. These two French resorts are the most expensive in Europe, with respective average prime home prices of €34,600 and €29,200 per square metre, demonstrating their evergreen place in skiers’ affections.
Switzerland remains a prime price leader, with nine resorts making the top 20 in the index. Verbier leads the way in fourth position, with an average prime residential price of €27,200 per square metre. St Moritz is close behind at €26,600 per square metre, while Gstaad, Andermatt, Zermatt and Flims (Laax) also feature in the top 10.
Only two Austrian resorts break into the top 10, Lech and Kitzbühel, both registering an average of €21,400 per square metre, putting them in eighth and ninth places respectively. And could Italy be the country to watch? As the venue for the 2026 Winter Olympics, it will enjoy plenty of international exposure. “Cortina d’Ampezzo, which is hosting the event jointly with Milan, has been on international skiers’ radar in recent years, and this increased attention is playing out in its prime residential market,” says Rollason.
