Le Hameau Albert 1er

The most storied hotel in Chamonix is over a hundred years old, and from the exterior, it’s postcard-perfect, a classic ski chalet surrounded by Europe’s highest peaks. Inside, though, Le Hameau Albert 1er anything but a museum piece; rooms and suites in the main hotel building are decorated in a tasteful and restrained contemporary style, with sprawling king beds, white walls trimmed with dark wood, and decidedly urbane modernist furniture.

Separate from the central building are the farmhouse, more rustic though still contemporary, with walls and ceilings of light wood and more of a country-house tendency to the décor. These twelve suites feature fireplaces and spa baths, as well as balconies with stunning mountain views. And the Chalet Soli is the most extravagant lodging, a freestanding mini-chalet sleeping up to six in two double rooms and a loft with two twins. The style is a similar modern/rustic hybrid, and amenities include a sauna and lounge.

Forget ski-lodge casual; service here is old-world, not the typical ski-bum students, and the facilities are appropriately genteel. Le Hameau Albert 1er offers a fitness center, massage and body treatments, an indoor/outdoor pool (open year round) and two restaurants. Restaurants include Le Maison Carrier and the MICHELIN-Starred Albert 1er.