5-star hotel guide to the French Alps
The French Alps have always been a playground for adventure, set amongst truly majestic scenery, the equal of anywhere on earth. High up in southeastern France lie picture postcard towns and resorts which manage to retain their special appeal with chic, weather-toned chalets, historic hand-built stone churches and mairies.
This beautiful, mountainous region complements the trend in active holidays with a plethora of activities, from skiing, snowboarding and snow shoeing in winter and hiking, mountain biking, canyoning, rafting, paragliding and rock climbing, to name but a few, in summer. With some of the finest hotels, spas and haute cuisine restaurants, the French Alps offers exhilaration with refined indulgence and well-being that is a benchmark for any venturesome traveller. The French Alps prove that adventure and sophisticated luxury are not mutually exclusive.
If a more tranquil approach to the Alps suits, you can still take in all the activities with two feet firmly on the ground. In winter there is much to enjoy with outstanding shopping and apres-ski, the BMW Snow Polo Masters, Freeride World Tour, European Ski & Telemark cup heats, Ski Jumping World Cup or Ski Freestyle World Cup. Summer in the Alps is a revelation, as well as breathing the fresh mountain air and absorbing the beauty of wondrous alpine peaks, enjoy the Chamonix Cosmojazz Festival, Climbing World Cup, Tour de France, Fete de l’Air, weekly local food markets, golf, tennis or simply lounging by the pool.
Chamonix
Close to both the Fench and Italian border, Chamonix is a valley known for its extreme skiing and eclectic lifestyle. With easy access to 'Les Trois Vallees' it's a mecca for skiers, but it also has much to offer non-skiers both on and off season.
A historic mountain town, less than an hour from Geneva airport, Chamonix is one of the Alp's most accessible skiing resorts with excellent luxury hotels and chalets to rent. We love Chamonix in every season with the Mont Blanc Massif and its dazzling glaciers providing an extraordinary backdrop to everything you do. For a full panorama of the Mont Blanc Massif head for the summit of the Auguille du Midi, accessible by cable car to an altitude of almost 4000m. Here, there is a restaurant and bar and in summer we love to picnic on the mountain slopes observing the paragliders and valley below.
Our favourite hotel in Chamonix is Hotel Mont Blanc with its blue shuttered windows opening onto views of the mountain it takes its name from. For a quirky valley retreat, Les Chalets de Phillipe combines cosseting rustic charm with great food in a lovely location a little further up the valley, but for a unique panorama take the historic Montenvers train to the Mer de Glace glacier at 1913m where you can tour the “Grotte de Glacier” (ice cave). Here you can stay on the mountain at Refuge du Montenvers, a luxury refuge that has just been renovated.
For the 2022/23 season we are delighted to feature 'The Best New Ski Chalet in the World' as voted by The World Ski Awards'.With 12 bedrooms Le Chalet Mont Blanc is the ultimate chalet with 1,000 square metres of luxurious space, a wellness centre, sauna, pool and games rooms, all with incredible views of the mountain that inspired its name.
Courcheval
As far as we are concerened, there is only one place to stay in Courcheval 1850. Aman Le Mélézin sits directly on the revered Bellencôte Piste, allowing a true 'ski-in, ski-out' experience. Many of the rooms and suites have balconies, some with hot tubs, where you can enjoy mesmeric views and the pine-scented air. Aman is synonymous with warmer cimes, but here, on the slopes, the Aman magic works equally well.
Megève
Megève is often called the Saint-Tropez of the Alps, which is not surprising as one of its finest hotels is the snow capped sister of Villa Marie of Saint-Tropezienne fame. Les Fermes de Marie is a totally charming, quintessentialy Alpine-chic hotel in a peaceful setting close to the centre of town. we also love L'Alpaga at the foot of the resort, which caters for families or groups of friends in 8 private wooden chalets, with a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Whether you choose Chamonix, Courcheval or Megève, there really is something for everyone in this magical year-round alpine region.