for beginners you could have a look at the resorts in Andorra. There'll be enough to do there day and night
have a look at this link.
http://andorra.ski.com/

Also good and cheap for beginners is Bulgaria. It all depend where you want to fly from and who offers the flights to your chosen destination.

Hi Marianne.

Soll in Austria. Brilliant beginners nursery slope, which is the very most important thing about a first time skiing holiday.

It's slope is so gentle, you can learn in a controlled and very safe way. When you progress from there, which you will do, the instructors will take you up the mountain to enjoy the easy blue runs and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking!!

Great night life there too, plenty of late bars and restruants.
Very popular resort with the Brits.

Big Advice !!!.............Do not go to Livigno,Italy.

Suicidal nursery slope, 10 of us , 6 adults & 4 late teenagers, on our first skiing hol too, started ski school on sunday, by thursday there were 4 of us left skiing !!! Me, the only adult and 3 of the (older) kids. All the others gave up because they got fed up of not progressing their skiing due to the sheer steepness of the "nursery slope". They were either falling down all the time or ending up careering down the hill out of control at breakneck speed !! Which believe me is very scary and would put anyone off !!
My Missus ended up in the back of one of the ambulances that were called to the foot of that slope every day of our holiday, Dislocated knee....OUCH!!

So find a place with a good safe nursery slope, do not , repeat, DO NOT take the tour operators word for being accurate, we did and look what happened !

There is even "pokies" being told now about how much snow there is in some resorts right now, it would appear that mis-leading figures are being passed on to the reporting bodies, I can only imagine by the people who have an interest in the resort. You can't very well expect them to say ..........
"No, there is hardly any snow here, so better book somewhere else and spend all your money there and leave all our resort hotels, bars, restruants, supermarkets and ski lift people with no profits, jobs and income " can you?

Research the resorts yourself over the net and get first hand recommendations ( like you are doing), find what you need and you'll have a ball.

I can't recommend this resort for its nightlife as I don't know what its like - I'm old and go in a catered chalet so I don't have to go out in the cold at night plus I'm usually too tired to go out!!!)

Anyway, the nursery slopes in Avoriaz are very good plus the nursery slope at Montriond is good too. You can ski between each of these resorts, they're on the Portes du Soleill in France. Best all of all, and I know this because I've only just returned, the snow is good. Some of the lower runs in to the resorts are a little patchy and sometimes bare but the higher slopes are great with plenty of snow.

Good luck with choosing your holiday