Winter Events and The Start of The Ski Season in Laax

Winter is finally here! With the snow falling on the hills around Zurich and Zug we can all start to enjoy the mountains and the excitement for Christmas has started.

Christmas Parties and Events

With Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s parties just around the corner why not ask Allow Me to take away the stress of the event by letting us organize and run your event. We offer bespoke event planning to individuals and corporate clients for events of all sizes – from a small and elegant gathering to a large office party.

We can help you with every aspect of planning and organising your event, from idea generation to execution. If you have already planned your event but would like to enjoy it rather than worrying about it on the day, Allow Me can also provide on-site assistance, hosting, managing service providers and ensuring attention to detail.

Allow Me specialises in designing bespoke, sophisticated and memorable events from dinner parties to baby showers, anniversary/engagement parties, weddings, birthday parties, BBQs, wine tasting and corporate events. We love this time of year and have some great ideas for events that will round of 2016 for you and your friends and colleagues in style.

Don’t forget that we are also available for any Thanksgiving and Christmas-related services prior to the holiday season. We can help with present or food shopping, gift wrapping, catering, picking up relatives from the airport, planning ski trips and pet/house sitting – at a very reasonable price, leaving you more time to relax and enjoy your time off.

For more details, please contact us.

Start your Ski Season in LAAX

Allow Me can help with all your weekend (or longer) ski break bookings during the winter season and with over twelve years of involvement in the winter sports industry we can make sure you have an unforgettable and stress free ski break.

Films-Laax-Falera – Located just a short (circa 90 minutes) drive from Zurich, LAAX is the marketing name for the linked ski circuit above the villages of Flims, Laax and Falera, which is regarded – glorified, even – as Europe’s leading freestyle resort. With 224 kilometres of slopes and five downhill runs with artificial snow, multiple snow parks and the world’s largest superpipe, Laax is unquestionably one of the best winter resorts in Europe. The original village of Laax is a short bus ride away from the lifts but Laax Murschetg, a more ski-friendly purpose built satellite, has recently been built around the base-station with the rocksresort at its heart. This resort has become a serious magnet for snowboarders, who congregate at the trendy Riders Palace hotel, but the accessibility to the lifts, and on-site food and shopping make it ideal for skiers and families too. With a number of cool eateries and an apres-ski scene that explodes at the weekend when young people pour in from Zurich, the rocksresort is the perfect mix of great skiing and après-ski for a weekend break.

With over a metre of fresh snow last weekend, LAAX will be opening the ski resort and some of the slopes around Crap Sogn Gion this weekend, starting on Saturday 12^th November.

ALLOW ME is very happy to be able to offer you PREMIUM access to the LAAX INSIDE APP free of charge, worth 69 CHF. The LAAX INSIDE APP gives access to background information, lift ticket webcams & queue alerts and free Wi-Fi in the ski resort. For more information, please email Robert Brommer for the free access code: Robert.brommer@laax.com

LAAX INSIDE APP:

The LAAX INSIDE app is your ideal companion for you winter adventure in Flims Laax Falera. Book tickets at the best available rate within seconds, reserve your parking spot next to the gondola, check the snow conditions on the top of the mountain, track your on-mountain activities and get rewarded for the days you spend in LAAX skiing, snowboarding, sledging or simply having a good time.

Discounted lift tickets from 49 CHF (instead of 77 CHF) available in the LAAX INSIDE APP and on the designated ticket website:

SAVE NOW, SKI LATER

Benefit from the early bird rates and book your lift tickets for the coming winter season now. The amount of lift tickets is limited and the prices can change at any time. Be the quick, it pays off!

For information on all the up and coming events happening at Laax this winter please click here.

Accommodation deals at Rocksresort

Short break with Family

Laax family deal 4 Nights offer is ideal for a spontaneous short break in the richly varied ski resort in LAAX. Enjoy spending time with your family in the spacious apartments at the rocksresort and take advantage of the lift tickets included in the offer to explore the ski resort with your nearest and dearest. Please click here for more details.

Short break with Friends

Enjoy four nights with your friends in a rocksresort apartment and discover the richly varied ski resort in LAAX.

Thanks to our 4 Nights for Friends offer, all this awaits you and your companions. Make the most of the rocksresort’s ideal location by the base station and enjoy perfect days on the slopes. Please click here for more details.

Zurich voted 2nd best city in the world

Zurich has recently been voted the 2^nd best city in the world to live in and Allow Me was asked by thelocal.ch to give our view on why, please click here to see what we had to say.

Allow Me press trips

Jenny capturing Klosters

Allow Me has also been busy in Klosters. We where asked by Conde Nast Traveler to help them on a photoshoot in Klosters and show them the best spots and also to be the model in some actions shoots. We had the most amazing day with fresh snow and sun and the photographer was blown away by the shots we managed to find her. All in all a great day and another service that Allow Me can provide for clients. On Friday we are again in Klosters looking after another journalist for In The Snow magazine. Lets hope we have another great day.

Easter

With Easter fast approaching, please get in touch as Allow Me can organize any event for you (Easter egg hunt, bbq, drinks parts etc etc), look after guests, plan your perfect mini-break and much more, so please get in touch.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and next week I will be writing about finding the perfect place to get your car serviced at a great price…

Looking down on Klosters

Winter fast approching

With winter fast approaching why not ask Allow Me to plan your winter ski break? We can help with all your ski holiday bookings during the season and with over 14 years of being professionally involved in the winter sports industry we can make sure you have a holiday that you wont forget. We can also plan corporate ski weekends away in the mountains and make sure it suits everyones needs from heli skiing to luxury spa’s. For more information on how Allow Me can plan your unforgettable break then please get in contact.

Dan from our members ski trip last winter in Flims.

Allow Me had a great day at the expo-expat in Zurich yesterday. We have some amazing new partners which have really expanded the services that we can offer to our clients.

I hope everyone has a great week and please get in contact with Allow Me if you think we can help make your life easier. We are also doing a special September deal with 15% of membership or up to 5 hours of concierge service. Please use the code Allowme15% to qualify for the discount.

First Annual Member’s Ski Day

Everyone else had skied off……

Allow Me had great pleasure organizing our very first Member’s ski day last Friday. With such great snow conditions and perfect blue skies it was a day everyone was looking forward to. I decided to go to Flims/Laax which is an ideal distance for a day trip from Zurich. The drive takes a little over and hour and a half and you get some breath-taking views along the way.

Dan finding putting in some nice turns in the powder

Dan putting in some nice turns in the powder

Upon arrival at Flims the slopes were nice and quiet and we set out to explore the mountain. Not only did we find run after run of fresh powder but the sun was shining and there were no queues. Flims/Laax is a huge ski area and there are so many hidden routes to explore. For the more serious freestyle skiers/snowboarders Laax boasts one of the best freestyle parks in Europe and you will be spoilt for choice. You have everything from the beginner park/pipe right up to the world’s biggest pipe and an amazing pro kicker/rail line. As we were powder hounds we left the parks alone and set out exploring the mountain.

Cassons was one area that we really wanted to ride as it’s famous for its long powder field and it’s very easy to access by cable car but due to dangerous avalanche conditions it was closed, however we found some great powder fields at La Siala then looping down to Grauberg. After a morning filled with thrills and spills we had lunch at possibly the best mountain restaurant I have ever been to, Ustria Startgels. They have an open fire kitchen for roasting meat, incredible homemade pasta and very knowledgeable and friendly staff. They are also open in the summer and I cannot recommend visiting enough. On weekends and busy days it’s always best to make a booking (which naturally, AllowMe can help you with!).

The all important lunch

A little tumble

The afternoon was spent exploring the runs – we headed over to Crap Sogn Gion and were blown away by how big the area was. So if you’re stuck for something to do during the week or weekend we suggest you head over to Flims/Laax. Allow Me can help with all your ski break bookings during the winter and indeed summer season holidays, and with over twelve years of being professionally involved in the winter sports industry we will make sure you have a fantastic weekend break.

The amazing view on the drive home

Ski with Chemmy Alcottfrom with Allow Me

Ski with Chemmy Alcott – Britain’s No.1 Alpine Female Skier

SKI WITH CHEMMY ALCOTT –BRITAIN’S No.1 ALPINE FEMALE SKIER

Allow Me is excited to offer you a once in a lifetime skiing experience in Verbier, Switzerland, in partnership with ALS Private Ski Specialists (“ALS”).

ALS are running a one-off and exclusive weekend ski coaching on piste with Chemmy Alcott, Britain’s four time Olympian, and off piste with Bella Seel, British Freerider and founder of ALS. This adventure will include two action packed ski days skiing the entire mountain, in one of the most challenging and exhilarating resorts in the world, on all types of terrain, alongside the cream of Britain’s female skiers. An unparalleled opportunity to push yourself and pick up tips from the pro’s.

Date: Friday, 30th January – Sunday, 1st February 2015

Where: Verbier, Switzerland

Cost for 2 days skiing: £600 per person (excluding accommodation).

Accommodation option at W Verbier Hotel: From CHF 700 a night for a double room for 2 people including breakfast.

Many other accommodation options are available in this amazing resort.

For more information please contact Chris at Allow Me: chris@allowme.ch or by phone 0765005647.

Early Bird Skiing

With snow on the hills already it’s time to start thinking about visiting the mountains. We are very lucky in the Zurich area as we have so many world class ski resorts within a 2-hour drive and even better news, quite a few of them are already open during weekends. Be warned, it’s still very early in the season so most resorts only have a limited ski area open, but it’s still worth going for a weekend to start building your fitness in the legs and enjoy the fresh mountain air (not to mention the famous après-ski!).

So what’s open and where is the best place to go?

Last weekend I was lucky enough to have my first snowboard run of the season in Davos. The Parsenn ski lift was open and they had about seven runs open. The snow was very good on the piste but a bit rocky if you ventured into the powder (at the very least – not to be considered without a helmet). The slopes were not too crowded and being just under a 2-hour drive from Zurich, I would recommend making the trip over this weekend if you are looking for somewhere to go. There’s a huge variety of hotels in Klosters and Davos, from budget and family-friendly to super-luxury, and with many offering a reduction in prices for both accommodation and lift passes, it could be the perfect break before the festive season is upon us.

Apart from Davos, here is a little list of some of the bigger resorts open this weekend within a 2-hour drive of Zurich:

· Andermatt – From the 29^th of November you can ski daily at Gemsstock. With Andermatt only 1 ½ hours from Zurich, with a charming village and easy access to the runs, it’s an ideal a day trip.

· Engelberg – Only and 1 ½ hours from Zurich, Engelberg has been lucky with some great early season snow including a few powder days already. Their last snow was on the 17^th of November and they have 6 lifts open.

· Films-Laax-Falera – Just on the cusp of being within the 2-hour drive from Zurich. From the 29^th Laax will be open daily and for freestyle skiers and snowboarders, Laax has one of the best parks in Europe as well as a huge ski area with plenty of fun and challenging runs.

Allow Me can help with all your weekend ski break bookings during the season and with over twelve years of being professionally involved in the winter sports industry we can make sure you have a weekend that you wont forget.

Don’t forget that the Allow Me Concierge service is also available for any Christmas-related services prior to the holiday season. We can help with present or food shopping, gift wrapping, catering, picking up relatives from the airport, planning ski trips and pet/house sitting – at a very reasonable price, leaving you more time to relax and enjoy your time off.

November Launch

I am proud to say that Allow Me will be launching on the 17^th of November. More details about the launch event will be available soon.

Through our blog and social media pages we want to keep everyone updated on the goings on in Zurich and surrounding areas as well as snow reports in the winter.

We have also gained some great partners who pride themselves on the services they provide and also speak English and we are very excited about working with them to help our clients.

October snow in Klosters

October has been amazing in Zurich and we have been lucky with the weather. I was still swimming in the lake last weeks but then the snow came so I escaped to Klosters for a few days to see how the snow was falling and even through its early days I was very pleased with the results with about 70cm of fresh snow in the town.

Lovely view of Zurich and the lake from the hills

I have also been walking in the Wildnispark and found some lovely restaurants for lunch. The views you get along the ridge of Zurich and surrounding areas are breath taking and I even climbed the high tower and found the a ruined castle. Switzerland never fails to surprise me. These walks are ideal for a romantic strolls or a picnic with the family. Its only a short drive/bus/train ride from Zurich and it really is a gateway into the wilderness.

This week we have the wine boats in Zurich at Bürkliplatz. This is an event not to be missed. The 12 wine boats with a total of 180 stands allow visitors for the 61th time to taste the wines of Swiss viniculturists, wine dealers and importers and talk about the most important wine regions of the world. In addition, it is worthwhile visiting one of the many restaurants aboard. Entry to the boats is only 20 CHF and goes on from the 30^thOctober to the 13^th of November.

This is just a short post and I am very much looking forward to keeping you all updated with best places to eat, drink and enjoy your selves in this magical part of Switzerland. Please check back soon and have a great weekend. If you have any questions or would like to pass on some ideas then please get in touch. I hope you are all getting your skiing legs ready.

Chris