Lech Zürs, located in Austria’s Arlberg region, has been named the best overall ski resort in the inaugural Snomad Ski Resort Awards.
Launched during the 2023-2024 winter season, ski resort comparison website Snomad currently has 1,204 ski resorts listed on its website, with more than 78,800 community-led ratings built up over one winter season. Using data from its website, Snomad created 20 award categories with the top three ski resorts in each, then awarded gold to the resort with the highest rating. This meant the awards were “truly impartial”, according to the company.
One of the primary aims of Snomad is to create an engaged community of skiers and snowboarders supporting each other to find resorts and hidden gems, based on the factors that are important to them, with data across 20 distinct categories.
As well as the ratings, Snomad brings a wealth of resort stats and information from each destination, highlighting the skiing, accommodation options, après ski and restaurants as well as pros and cons. Detailed resort stats are updated with the latest ski runs, lifts and lift pass costs. But the user generated reviews and ratings have driven significant engagement to the website and the Snomad Ski Resort Awards have now been launched following months of work behind the scenes.
Dan Lever, founder of Snomad, said: “When we launched last winter season, we always planned to create an awards system based on user ratings, but we didn’t expect it to take off this fast. It has been amazing to see the number of skiers and snowboarders that joined our community, wrote detailed resort reviews and left over 78,000 resort ratings, in just one season. With this level of engagement, it’s clear there’s a real demand for unbiased, authentic information.
“Due to factors such as the rising costs of skiing and less reliable snowfall, consumers are becoming increasingly selective about where they choose to ski. This data has enabled us to launch truly impartial awards, and we’re thrilled with the results. Each winner justifies its position in each category, we believe it’s hard to argue with the outcomes”.
For more information about the Snomad Ski Resort Awards see gosnomad.com
2024 Snomad Ski Resort Awards: categories and gold winners
- Best Overall Ski Resort: Lech Zürs am Arlberg (Austria)
- Best Ski Resort for Groomed Runs: Val Gardena – Gröden (Italy)
- Best Ski Resort for Off Piste-Terrain: Alta Ski Area (USA)
- Best Ski Resort for Tree Runs: Smugglers’ Notch Resort (USA)
- Best Ski Resort for Snow Parks: Copper Mountain (USA)
- Best Ski Resort for Moguls: Winter Park (USA)
- Best Ski Resort for Quiet Slopes: Sainte Foy Tarentaise (France)
- Best Ski Resort for Powder: Jackson Hole (USA)
- Best Ski Resort for Efficient Ski Lifts: 3 Peaks Dolomites (Italy)
- Best Ski Resort for Ski Schools: Livigno (Italy)
- Best Ski Resort for Après-Ski: St. Anton am Arlberg (Austria)
- Best Ski Resort for Families: Montgenèvre (France)
- Best Ski Resort for Eating Out: Livigno (Italy)
- Best Ski Resort for Accommodation: Sölden (Austria)
- Best Ski Resort for Value: Bolton Valley (USA)
- Best Ski Resort for Beginners: Avoriaz (France)
- Best Ski Resort for Intermediate Skiers: Heavenly (USA)
- Best Ski Resort for Advanced Skiers: Lech Zürs am Arlberg (Austria)
- Best Ski Resort for Expert Skiers: Crested Butte Mountain Resort (USA)
- Best Ski Resort for Snowboarders: Avoriaz (France)
Image: Lech Zürs am Arlberg in Austria (Credit: Snomad)