Mt Hotham is the Powder Capital of Australia, a ridgeline village strung along the Great Dividing Range above Bright and Harrietville. You arrive at the top and ski down into the resort, an inverted layout you will not find anywhere else in Australia.
Mt Hotham is a ski resort with genuine ski-in/ski-out hotels in Australia, in the Australian Alps. The village sits at 1480 m and the lifts top out at 1861 m, with 50 km of pistes and 13 lifts. Its BestSnowHotels snow score is 82/100, and the season usually runs Jun 8 β Sep 30.
Run counts and piste kilometres are indicative. Green runs only exist in France, Spain, Andorra, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, the United States, Morocco, Algeria, Lesotho, South Africa, Egypt, Canada, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Chile; Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany start at blue. Indicative average snow depth near the top of the resort, in cm.
Where to stay
A handful of well-rated hotels in and around the resort. Pick one, then compare live prices across Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
4.6310 reviews
β¬145
β Top pick
Club Wyndham Dinner Plain, Trademark Collection by Wyndham
Excellent Β· 310 reviews
πWhy we like it
Strong value for Mt Hotham, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Guests rate this hotel as excellent (4.6/5 from 310 reviews). It sits about 10.5 km from the slopes. A mid-range option for Mt Hotham, with live nightly rates shown for your exact dates so you always see the best price.
Ratings from Google, prices indicative per night. Live availability and rates via our booking partners.
Ski-in/ski-out
Because the village runs along a ridge, lodges on the south side of the Great Alpine Road are usually true ski-in/ski-out into Big D or Heavenly Valley. The reverse-style layout means some addresses require a short uphill walk back at day's end.
Get to know the resort
Mt Hotham sits at 1750 metres along a narrow ridge in the Victorian Alps, with the resort village strung out either side of the Great Alpine Road. The unusual layout means you park or step off the bus at the top, then drop in to ride a network of 13 lifts and around 50 km of pistes that fan down into Heavenly Valley, the Extreme Zone and Mary's Slide. The black-run count, 27 in total, is the highest in Australia by share of terrain, and the steep tree-skiing through snow gum stands gives Hotham its reputation for genuine expert pitches. Mary's Slide and Gotcha drop sharply off the front face, while the Heavenly Valley quad accesses long blues for intermediates. Beginners stick to Big D and the dedicated learner area at Summit. Hotham Airport, just down the road at Horsehair Plain, is the highest commercial airport in Australia and runs charter flights from Sydney during peak winter. The village itself is utilitarian rather than charming, but a tight cluster of bars, the Snowbird Hotel and the General Store give it a friendly, no-pretence atmosphere. Pair it with Dinner Plain, 10 km away, for a quieter alpine stay with a free shuttle.
Good to know
The terrain is well balanced: 14 green, 22 blue, 16 red and 27 black runs, which suits a mixed group skiing together at different levels.
The base sits at 1480 m and the top reaches 1861 m, a profile that holds snow well across a normal winter (score 82/100).
With 50 km of piste on 13 lifts, it is a mid-size area, easy to get to know in a long weekend.
The lifts typically turn for about 16 weeks a season, planning around late January to late February tends to land the most reliable cover.
Hotels in Mt Hotham
Hotels and apartments around the lifts. Compare prices on Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Mt Hotham offers 50 km of pistes across 13 lifts, from 1480 m to 1861 m. Whether it suits beginners depends on the dedicated learner zones at the base of the slopes, so check the local ski-school options for green and blue run access.
When is the best time to ski Mt Hotham?+
The season runs from Jun 8 to Sep 30, with a snow score of 82/100. The best conditions are usually from late January through February, while spring skiing in March and April brings longer days and softer afternoons.
Where should I stay for true ski-in/ski-out?+
Because the village runs along a ridge, lodges on the south side of the Great Alpine Road are usually true ski-in/ski-out into Big D or Heavenly Valley. The reverse-style layout means some addresses require a short uphill walk back at day's end.
How big is the Mt Hotham ski area?+
Mt Hotham has 50 km of marked pistes served by 13 lifts, between 1480 m and 1861 m of altitude.
Is Mt Hotham more for beginners or experts?+
Mt Hotham counts about 79 marked runs in total. The colour breakdown above shows how they split by difficulty, a good guide to whether the resort fits your level.
Ski resorts near Mt Hotham
The closest alternatives, an easy switch if dates or hotels are tight.