Ski Through Economic Storm Guilt-Free

As the first flakes of snow begin to fall, you may find yourself feeling guilty about taking that annual winter ski trip.

Among the barrage of financial storms and Dow downpours, you've probably even considered canceling the tradition altogether. After all, showing up in your fur-trimmed Bogner on Buttermilk may send the wrong message to clients and coworkers struggling in an ailing economy.

But for those who can't imagine uttering the word "January" without the mention of Chamonix or Courchevel, we've scoured the globe for the glitziest ski destinations for this winter. Grab your ski poles, tuck in that Prada ski label, and follow us down the world's chicest slopes.

Courchevel 1850, France
Place to stay: Cheval Blanc
Guilt-free fact: A stronger dollar means more buying power.

The winter yang to St. Tropez's yin, Courchevel is just about the chicest word in the ski vocabulary. Part of Les Trois Vallées, the city is divided between four ski towns designated by its elevation in meters. The most fashionable is also the highest one, Courchevel 1850. Winter is reliable anytime after December, when the snow conditions are most ideal with groomed runs, vertical cliffs and jaw-dropping glacier runs. The on-mountain ESF Ski School allows visitors to cast their instructor online from a selection of Hollywood-style headshots.

In the past, no visit to Courchevel was complete without a stay at the Byblos Courchevel. But 2007 marked its final year as the hotel took on a new identity as Palace des Neiges. The newest it-hotel is the Chateau Cheval Blanc, owned by Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH.

The ski-in, ski-out hotel is a winter wonderland with a logo, complete with in-house boutiques Dior and Louis Vuitton. The all-suites hotel is outfitted in sleek Wallpaper-inspired interiors, terraces with mountain views and private hammam where you might bump into Tom Ford or Stella McCartney.