Any lodge that calls itself simply, 'The Lodge' is pretty sure of its credentials and when the tag line says 'Sir Richard Branson's Mountain Retreat' you can be certain a few celebrities have checked in before you. The 9-room, exclusive-use lodge is in the Swiss Alps above the ski town of Verbier.  The resort is loved by the Euro-elite for its steep slopes and the likelihood of bumping into your neighbour from back home in Chelsea in the nearest après ski bar. It is also a favourite with Swiss bankers from nearby Geneva. A modern take on a traditional ski chalet The Lodge interiors are all stone and dark wood, no yodel-inducing pine here.  If you go with a group of friends you can fight over the top floor suites with open fires and free-standing stone baths. The quirky Branson humour comes in the form of stuffed-toy husky dogs on each bed. Sadly there is no brandy barrel around the neck for a nightcap; still it beats a chocolate on the pillow any day. Plus it has its own mini ice-rink, 12-person hot tub and party area complete with disco ball, cinema and games room