RockyPop Chamonix - Les Houches

It’s fair to say RockyPop isn’t the easiest word to pronounce in a sober and dignified tone — but given that the hotel’s stated aim is to shake up the conventional image of the Alpine ski lodge, we’ll happily grant them license to have a bit of fun with the name. And as you arrive in Les Houches, just outside of Chamonix, it’s clear from a glance at the marquee, proudly emblazoned with the phrase “we will RockyPop you,” that they’re in it all the way — this is the ski-resort version of the accessible, youth-oriented boutique hotels that have been taking the world’s cities by storm.

To that end, RockyPop features fun, vibrantly colored guest rooms, with a bare minimum of old-fashioned luxury — they’re comfortable enough, to be sure, but for this audience, reading lights, comfortable duvets, and HD televisions with unlimited video-on-demand are all you really need. The restaurant is similarly laid-back and casual, with a bit of a food-truck theme going on, and a communal-dining vibe that livens the mood. And they don’t neglect the basics; the ski shop carries everything you need for rental or sale, whether you’re a snowshoer, a skier, or — let’s be honest, far more likely — a snowboarder.