There's something innately cozy, warm, and intimate staying at a ski hotel. Wrapped in wood with soft, sensual furnishings and dimmed lighting, they’re like a cocoon welcoming you back from the cold white snow and blinding sunshine. And what better spot to take in the scenic slopes and atmosphere than the French Alps. Here, a breakdown of where to take refuge after a day on (or off) piste and where to dine in style nearby.
Le M de Megève
Megève, FranceLe M fully embraces Megève’s high-style Savoyard heritage, your classic ski chalet to its core. The 42 rooms and suites each come with a balcony overlooking the picturesque village or the majestic interior courtyard with mirror-smooth ponds. Though the blond timber and pristine mountain light are beauties to behold, your sense of touch might be the most rewarded: Arpin fabrics and lusciously thick wall-to-wall carpets will render you forgivably barefoot and handsy in short order. From US$641
Eat: Snail ravioli from Magland, guinea fowl from the Ain, and a cheese trolley (100% Savoyard)—young chef Marvin Lance is bringing a breath of fresh air to Le Saint-Nicolas with his technical skills and ambition. €€€
Zannier Le Chalet
Megève, FranceChecking into Le Chalet Zannier feels like a special occasion. There are just 12 rooms — it’s often booked in its entirety by families or groups — so plan ahead. The reward is the alpine paradise of your dreams, marrying lavish touches with the wonderfully cozy. The decor mixes minimalism with rustic chic: vaulted ceilings made with beams of rough-hewn wood, white linen sofas, stone fireplaces, hand-thrown pottery. The idea is to bring the feeling that you’re in your own private chalet, but with all the amenities from a luxury hotel. From US$731
Le Lodge Park
Megève, FranceIf you’re of the mind that the chalets of the French ski country could use a rougher edge, you’re not alone. One of the area's regional authorities, the Sibuet family, agrees. Just as their farmhouse hotels are a bit more rustic than most, their slopeside Megève hotels are more lodges than chalets. This holds true for Le Lodge Park, whose rough-hewn log-and-stone construction would look at home in the rugged Canadian Rockies more than the après-ski glamour of Megève. It’s a distinctive look indeed but with oodles of panache and comfort. From US$531
Eat: The hotel's haunt for carnivores, the aptly named Beef Lodge, has a very "animal" decor: trophies, animal hides, leather. Like traditional American steakhouses, Beef Lodge offers high-quality meats, carefully selected and matured, including Black Angus, Simmental, and Texas premium beef. €€
Alpaga
Megève, FranceWe’ve seen some masterfully renovated Alpine chalets, but nothing like Alpaga. Here no fewer than seven chalets have been stitched together into an alpine-design hamlet, which in its entirety comprises one of the most luxurious hotels in the mountain town of Megève. The hotel’s 22 rooms are a masterful blend of rustic texture and modern sheen. Some have balconies or terraces with views of the mountains, and under the knotty-pine surface they’re as well equipped as any urban boutique-hotel. From US$575
Eat: The hotel's Two Star restaurant, La Table de l'Alpaga, is stylish and snug, where a juxtaposition between rough and polished materials (such as marble and oak) create a timeless decor. The gourmet table, which enjoys a matchless view of Mont Blanc, is devoted to enhancing Savoie produce with a weakness for vegetables. €€€€
Les Fermes de Marie
Megève, FranceLes Fermes de Marie is Megève’s most classic hotel, a collection of traditional farmhouses and chalets lovingly restored and converted into a truly grand luxury hotel. The style is rustic, the Alpine cabin-style rooms each fitted with a unique collection of Savoy antiques and modern conveniences. Here, there’s time to live the good life before and after hitting the slopes, therefore, it’s no wonder many guests spend the whole day at the hotel. There’s a warm and cozy library, a charming and rustic bar, and a fitness center with an indoor pool. From US$702
Eat: Chef Emmanuel Renaut's Flocons Village showcases simplicity and boldness in its meticulous contemporary cuisine and tasty terroir dishes. €€€
Refuge du Montenvers
Chamonix, FranceRefuge du Montenvers was built in 1880 to house the first alpinists coming to visit the dramatically named Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) that flows right below the hotel’s windows. Nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, Refuge du Montenvers is delightfully inaccessible by car — train or trek are the most common transportation alternatives. Inside, dark woods and deep sofas radiate the same warmth and comfort as every other hotel on this list. Refuge, indeed. From US$191
Eat: This typical farmhouse is home to La Maison Carrier and its beautifully devised seasonal menu. Sample the charcuterie that they smoke and dry on site, and take your pick from the legendary and lavish buffet of desserts, including biscuit de Savoie and blueberry tart. €€
Le Refuge de Solaise
Val d’Isere, FranceLe Refuge de Solaise is located inside an old cable car station sitting high above Val d’Isère. Accessible only by gondola, the boutique hotel has accommodation options ranging from luxurious suites to dorm-style bunk beds. Amenities vary by room type — higher-end rooms have fireplaces, freestanding tubs, and glorious views over the valley — but the rustic-chic aesthetic is consistent throughout, with massive windows letting in abundant natural light by day and industrial lamps casting a warm glow over knotty wood-paneled walls at night. From US$500
Airelles Val d’Isère
Val-d’Isère, FranceEuropean ski resorts already lead the way in combining world-class winter sports with top-shelf luxury, but even in the context of the French Alps, Airelles Val d’Isère stands out. It’s a proper ski-in ski-out resort hotel, but also simultaneously refined; its architecture and décor combining classic Alpine-lodge warmth with a generous measure of Renaissance-era character — and the service, as in other Airelles hotels, is unusually devoted. From US$1,256
Eat: At L'Altiplano 2.0, chef Riccardo Berto fêtes an entirely different mountain range—the Andes. He proposes dishes inspired by Peruvian history and cuisine, including barbecued meat and fish. It's a culinary journey, to be savored in a chic, intimate and friendly setting. €€€€
Hotel des Dromonts
Avoriaz, FranceThere's no chance you'll miss the Hotel des Dromonts. The quirky, pyramid-like architecture is truly eye-catching and inspired by Le Corbusier, however, its unusual design also lends for fabulous views and maximum space from every room. From US$332
Eat: Despite the name, the hotel's restaurant, Les Enfants Terribles, is inviting and intimate. The menu is a smattering of gastro, bistro-inspired dishes like gilthead bream ceviche with lime and ginger or thick Salers steak with green peppercorn sauce. €€€
Aman Le Melezin
Courchevel, FranceEven the most upscale European ski resorts aren't as elegant as Aman Le Mélézin. The location, in Courchevel 1850, couldn't be more exclusive. The Aman’s exterior, sticking to the lines of the original Le Savoy hotel, keeps one foot in the traditional, while the rooms, feature the group’s trademark minimalism. Rich cedar walls and ceilings (and the views of the snowy slopes outside) bring together the best aspects of an archetypal Alpine hotel with a refreshing and modern slant. From €2,700 (7-night min stay for many dates)
Eat: Chef Sylvestre Wahid regales around 15 guests per sitting in an exclusive open kitchen setting. This bespoke fine dining experience draws on Wahid's signature dishes like Roscoff crab or lemon and seaweed dessert. Magnificent produce, luxury ingredients, comforting sauces, expert seasonings, impeccable technical skill and, above all, emotion shine through the generous tasting menu. €€€€
Hotel des Trois Vallées
Courchevel, FranceHotel des Trois Vallées was the first hotel in the postwar resort of Courchevel, and its look, marrying the exterior of a traditional Alpine inn with a cool modernist interior, epitomized the spirit of the times. Recent renovations have restored the hotel’s retro charm — much of the original furniture, by designers like Charlotte Perriand, Jean Prouvé, and Pierre Paulin, is back on the floor — and today’s Hotel des Trois Vallées feels like a vintage film set down to the glamorous guests. From US$1,060
Eat: Le Chabichou by Stéphane Buron serves a single set menu of five to nine courses that highlights the ingredients of the region, down to the trolley decked with fine mountain cheeses. As for the decor, the interior exudes a hushed elegance: carpeting, coffered ceiling, comfortable immaculate-white designer chairs, modern tables with smoked glass tops. €€€€
Le Cerf Amoureux
Sallanches, FranceLe Cerf Amoureux aims to smother you with warmth and a familial vibe mimicking those of a family-operated chalet. However, the experience is elevated thanks to minimalist, contemporary, and comfy rooms that riff on classic Alpine style. The best part? A direct of Mont Blanc which is only a five minute cable car ride away. From US$3,678
L’Armancette
Saint-Nicolas de Véroce, FranceWhat’s remarkable about L’Armancette is the marriage of classic luxury with modern, boutique-hotel style. It's unexpected given the traditional Alpine-chalet façade and the seventeen rooms carry this trend over with a contrast between modernist-inspired furnishings and a backdrop of oak timbers and parquet floors. The rooms are spacious enough — almost all have balconies — and the Family, Duplex rooms, and the junior suites are downright expansive. And in spite of the rustic-inspired atmosphere and mountain setting, each space is unapologetically luxurious. US$626
Eat: Within the hotel is La Table d'Armante, run by chef Fabien Laprée. Serving a modern menu showcasing a succession of fine ingredients, mainly from the region — think Arctic char with chanterelles and watercress; Chartreuse veal, sand carrots and lemon balm — the resulting meal is innovative and flavorful. €€€
Hero image: Le Refuge de Solaise, Val d’Isere, France
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