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 → Sep 30.
How we score and classify resortsRun 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.
A handful of well-rated hotels in and around the resort. Pick one, then compare live prices across Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Excellent · 310 reviews
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). A mid-range option for Mt Hotham, with live nightly rates shown for your exact dates so you always see the best price.
Excellent · 172 reviews
Strong value for Mt Hotham, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Great · 365 reviews
A dependable, well-reviewed choice for a stay in Mt Hotham.
Very good · 183 reviews
Strong value for Mt Hotham, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Good · 131 reviews
A dependable, well-reviewed choice for a stay in Mt Hotham.
Excellent · 6 reviews
Strong value for Mt Hotham, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Ratings from Google, prices indicative per night. Live availability and rates via our booking partners.
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.
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.
Hotels and apartments around the lifts. Compare prices on Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Everything on our site connected to Mt Hotham: its area, the lists it makes, head-to-heads and trip guides.
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.
The season runs from Jun 8 to Sep 30, with a snow score of 82/100. Snow is usually most reliable in the heart of that window, deep in winter, while the closing weeks bring longer days and softer afternoon snow.
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.
Mt Hotham has 50 km of marked pistes served by 13 lifts, between 1480 m and 1861 m of altitude.
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.
The closest alternatives, an easy switch if dates or hotels are tight.
Australian Alps
Australian Alps
Australian Alps
Australian Alps
Resorts with a similar feel, snow record and size.
Southern Alps (NZ)
BC Interior
Sierra Nevada (California)
Andes