Valamar Après-Ski Escape Event

The Valamar Après-Ski Escape event (14–17 December) brought together nine Croatian influencers and creators on-site: Karla Zelić, Luna Valas, Mia Matić, Luciano Plazibat, Antonio Knežević, Senja Vild, Matea Miljan, Isabella Rakonić, and Dorin Zelenika, and generated strong, real-time destination visibility across social media. During the Valamar Après-Ski Escape, guests stayed at Valamar’s hotels: PLACES Obertauern by Valamar and Kesselspitze Hotel & Chalet, Valamar Collection.

Group of guests raising glasses during an après-ski gathering in Obertauern, with snow-covered slopes in the background
Après-ski moments in Obertauern, where winter days naturally turn into shared social experiences on the mountain.

During the stay, influencers enjoyed a carefully curated program of experiences, including Austrian wine tastings, a Kaiserschmarrn workshop and friendly team contest, skiing with the Snow Mastermind during the Tauern Safari, professional ski instruction, snowshoeing, wellness and spa treatments, relaxed gaming sessions, and on-slope moments enhanced by IZIPIZI ski goggles, all designed to blend activity, lifestyle, and shareable experiences seamlessly.

A rooftop party at PLACES Obertauern by Valamar, powered by adidas and featuring DJ Lorenzo, proved to be a standout highlight of the program, alongside an elegant fondue dinner at Kesselspitze Hotel & Chalet, both designed to encourage authentic interaction, storytelling, and real-time content creation.

Guest checking in at the reception area of PLACES Obertauern by Valamar, dressed in winter attire with luggage
Arrival at PLACES Obertauern by Valamar, where contemporary design, relaxed service, and winter escapes begin effortlessly

An Alpine Escape Within Easy Reach of Zagreb

Situated in the heart of the Salzburg Alps, Obertauern’s appeal to Croatian travellers is strongly linked to its proximity and ease of access (only 3,5 hours drive from Zagreb), enabling smooth, time-efficient travel without the complexity often associated with Alpine destinations. This makes it an ideal choice for short winter escapes that still deliver a full alpine experience.

Tauern Safari with Valamar’s Snow Mastermind

We designed the itinerary to allow the group to fully experience Austria’s snowiest ski resort and its outstanding ski conditions, making the Tauern Safari a natural highlight of the program. Led by Valamar’s Snow Mastermind, it guided creators across Obertauern’s most scenic runs, combining destination insight with a smooth, content-friendly on-slope experience, all culminating in fantastic après-ski moments that perfectly rounded out each day on the mountain.

Adjusting IZIPIZI ski goggles before heading onto the slopes in Obertauern
Preparation moments on the ski slopes are part of the overall winter experience

Unlike overcrowded resorts, Obertauern, Austria’s snowiest ski resort, offers a stress-free atmosphere, combining reliable infrastructure with a compact layout that maximises time on the mountain and off it. With a six-month snow guarantee, the destination ensures consistent winter conditions, providing travellers with the confidence that every visit will deliver high-quality experiences, and offering more than 100 km of ski slopes in the Obertauern ski area.

Where Ski Days End and Wellness Begins

Guest checking in for a wellness treatment at the spa area of PLACES Obertauern by Valamar
Wellness at PLACES Obertauern by Valamar – personalised rituals designed to balance active days on the slopes with moments of calm and recovery.

After full days on the slopes, taking time to unwind became an essential part of the experience. At PLACES Obertauern by Valamar, wellness and recovery are seamlessly integrated into the stay, offering a calm counterbalance to active ski days. Thoughtfully designed spa areas and relaxation rituals allowed guests to slow down, recharge, and reset, highlighting how wellbeing is not an add-on, but a key element of a balanced winter routine, which our guests truly appreciated during their stay.

Lifestyle Experience: Rooftop Party Powered by adidas

The rooftop party at PLACES Obertauern by Valamar featuring DJ Lorenzo became one of the most memorable social moments of the stay, setting the scene for relaxed gatherings, music, and shared energy against the alpine backdrop. As the evening continued, the atmosphere naturally shifted into the hotel’s social spaces, where billiards, casual games, and laid-back conversations kept the group connected long after skiing hours. Blending fun, chill moments, and spontaneous interaction, these experiences created genuine memories and the kind of content that reflects connection rather than staging.

Guests playing a game of billiards in a social lounge at PLACES Obertauern by Valamar during an evening gathering.
Evenings at PLACES Obertauern by Valamar are designed for connection: where social spaces, games, and spontaneous moments shape the after-ski experience

Making the Slopes Accessible for Everyone

Not all of our influencers arrived as confident skiers, which is why we included professional ski instruction as a key part of the program. With experienced instructors tailoring sessions to different skill levels, participants were able to learn the basics or refine their technique in a safe, supportive setting: building confidence quickly and ensuring everyone could fully enjoy the slopes and capture authentic on-mountain moments.

Ski instructor guiding a guest during a private ski lesson on the slopes of Obertauern under clear alpine skies.
Professional ski instruction in Obertauern makes it easy to combine skill-building on the slopes with authentic, experience-led storytelling.

Wine Tasting and Alpine Evenings

Culinary experiences added an important social and cultural layer to the stay, beginning with Austrian wine tastings at PLACES Obertauern by Valamar as a welcome experience that immediately relaxed the atmosphere and encouraged connection, as it can be seen on the photograph.

Group of guests raising glasses during a wine tasting and shared dinner in an alpine dining space in Obertauern.
Shared dining and wine moments in Obertauern turn evenings into social experiences, where conversation, connection, and content flow naturally.

A fondue evening at Hotel Kesselspitze then brought our guests together around traditional alpine cuisine, with a warm, intimate setting that naturally sparked conversation, community, and memorable storytelling.

Guests enjoying a fondue dinner at Kesselspitze Hotel & Chalet, surrounded by alpine interiors and shared dishes on the table
Fondue evenings at Kesselspitze Hotel & Chalet transform dining into a social ritual: relaxed, interactive, and made for memorable moments

Events like Austrian wines’ tasting at PLACES Obertauern by Valamar and a fondue dinner at Kesselspitze Hotel & Chalet create relaxed settings where conversations, spontaneous content, and group dynamics unfold naturally.

Hotels as Lifestyle Hubs, Not Just Accommodation

PLACES Obertauern by Valamar positions itself as a social and lifestyle hub, offering contemporary design, flexible communal spaces, and curated experiences that naturally bring guests together. Kesselspitze Hotel & Chalet complements this with a more Alpine-refined atmosphere and ski-in/ski-out convenience, combining wellness, gastronomy, and traditional hospitality in a way that encourages both relaxation and social connection.

Obertauern as a Winter Story Worth Sharing

Thoughtfully curated experiences, combined with details such as well-designed goodie bags featuring Valamar and partner products, reinforce a sense of care, personalisation, and storytelling continuity that influencers value and often share with their audiences.

Curated goodie bag and lifestyle products prepared for guests at PLACES Obertauern by Valamar: IZIPIZI snow and sleeping glasses and pouch, FOREO BEAR™ 2 Eyes & Lips, adidas Tererex beanie, Kevin Murphy hair set, Noberu set, Elemis and Sensai skin care set and VALAMAR bag, thermos bottle
Thoughtfully curated goodie bags extend the experience beyond the stay: blending winter essentials, lifestyle products, and brand partnerships into shareable moments.

Obertauern Is Lived, Not Just Visited

What resonated most with Croatian influencers in Obertauern was the combination of accessibility, reliability, and lifestyle-driven experiences. Easy travel from Croatia, a six-month snow guarantee across more than 100 km of slopes, and excellent ski conditions set a strong foundation.

This was elevated by guided on-slope experiences like the Tauern Safari and professional ski instruction, social moments that felt natural rather than staged, and Valamar hotels that functioned as lifestyle hubs, offering wellness, gastronomy, and curated events.  Together, these elements created a genuinely enjoyable experience for our guests, and we hope they will inspire new travellers to discover Obertauern for themselves.