Hi there Ciarán,
We live here! So if you need any info just shout. Last year I skied 48 days in the Skiwelt so know the area fairly well. Also, with my wife’s family having lived here for over 4 generations, we can pretty much answer most questions.
The whole skiwelt is generally classed as an Intermediate resort, there are places to learn from all the main ski towns though. My personal favourite is Ellmau, if the snow is good in the valley. Great choice of ski schools, cheap hire skis and enough bars to keep you happy in the evenings.
If you want to find the black runs then there are a couple from Scheffau and more in Westendorf. Now with the new connecting cablecar, I get from the bottom of Scheffau to the top of Westendorf in about 45 minutes.
For Nightlife.
Ellmau – has a mixture of family hotels and a couple of good bars and 2 average nightclubs, it is small scale though. Good prices though, a lot cheaper than France.
Scheffau – the village is too far from the ski area for have a good feel to it, but Andy_B is right, the Red Bull bar is stuffed full at the end of the red run into the valley.
Soll – this really is Brits abroad, loads of bars much more like a night out in town.
over the other side – Hopfgarten, Westendorf etc are pretty similar. Personally, I like Hopfgarten, if you get into a bar and settle down for a drinking session with your mates, you’ll be fine here.
We regularly update our blog with bits and bobs from the Skiwelt. So if you have a sec take a look.
The Guides Ramblings – Ellmau, Austria
Sorry if this reply is far too late for making your holiday decisions, just spotted it when I re-registered for the forum.