Winter sports enthusiasts, who spend their summers dreaming of knee-high powder, usually book next season's skiing holiday the day after getting back from their last. But if the sudden cold snap has only just reminded you to plan for the coming season, there are plenty of options. Indeed, with so many resorts now catering for all tastes and predilections, the decision of where to go is almost as terrifying as approaching that first black piste.

Sir Richard Branson has just added a new venture to his Virgin Limited Edition portfolio with The Lodge in the hills of Verbier, Switzerland. After a £3.7m (?5.3m) refurbishment, The Lodge consists of nine bedrooms with a six-bedroom dormitory for children, and is perched on the edge of the Swiss Alps.