Saint-Alban

Though not as famous as nearby Chamonix, the French Alpine town of La Clusaz is a true classic — it was an established village long before the ski boom, and when the first lift was installed in the Fifties, it was ready. Today it’s an all-seasons resort town with more character than the more recently built ones, and in the St-Alban, it’s got a boutique hotel to match — one that pays tribute to Alpine-lodge tradition but ultimately presents its own characteristic point of view.

Ski lodges aren’t known for their heady, intellectual atmosphere, but the St-Alban’s bar is chock full of books. It’s designed to resemble an English club, but one with a modernist, Art Deco–influenced style, and it’s absolutely unique in a world full of après-ski cliché. Meanwhile the rooms are one part Alpine tradition — mostly in the form of blond wood and wool blankets — and one part boutique-hotel minimalism, a stylish combination, and one that sacrifices nothing in the way of comfort.

A Nuxe spa elevates the St-Alban into luxury territory, and there’s a ski shop with a capacious selection of ski and snowboard gear. There’s no restaurant per se, just a generous breakfast, room service, and a menu of bar bites — the location, close to the La Clusaz village center, places you within walking distance of many worthy options.