Hotel le Totem – Flaine – Crystal Ski

Hotel Totem - functional styled but ultra well located

Hotel Le Totem enjoys a perfect position in Flaine Forum with skiing virtually to and from the doorstep. Under new management for 2009/10 the hotel will be run by Langley with their friendly service, good food and welcoming atmosphere. The hotel itself is modern with spacious communal areas and a lovely sun terrace. The bedrooms are minimalist in style, and families will appreciate the huge range of bedroom types on offer, with interconnecting rooms and family suites.

@foxychops says “Stayed at the Totem last year via Crystal Holidays, good location, good food”

Les Fermes du Soleil – Les Carroz – Ski Independence

A beautifully appointed residence in the centre of Les Carroz, ‘Les Fermes du Soleil’ offers an exceptional standard of self catering accommodation with hotel style facilities.

@skiindependence  says “Great location & excellent facilities – top seller every year”

Ski Massif – Samoens

Ski Massif - Chalet Ralley

The Chalet was built in 2002/3 and was built in traditional alpine style, in keeping with the natural beauty of the area surrounding the chalet. We want you to be as comfortable as possible in the chalet, where you can relax and start enjoying your holiday the moment you walk through the door. The rooms are beautifully furnished and decorated in an authentic style, which is why the chalet has been awarded five stars by the local authority. All rooms have ensuite facilities and are equipped with hair dryers, fluffy towels, dressing gowns, The White Company Toiletries including shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, soap, hand and body lotion,digital safes along with tea and coffee making facilities. (blurb taken from their website)

@Bazzarutto says “ I have stayed in Samoens a few times with Ski Massif who are great. I would recommend them highly”

Le Refuge de l’Alpage – Morillon – Peak Retreats

Located in a prime position at the foot of the ski slopes in Les Esserts (Morillon 1100m, pedestrianised resort), Le Refuge de l’Alpage offers some ski-in/ski-out apartments. It is located just a stone’s throw from the resort centre and 50m from the nearest ski lift. The Green run Marvel (a family favourite) leads back to some of the apartments. Le Refuge de l’Alpage is close to the nursery slopes, it is perfect for families looking for convenient, professional childcare, as well as for those without children looking for nearby skiing. The mini-market, ski school meeting point, ski hire shop and lift passes are all within short walking distance.

@skifamille says “Sheila from the office rates Morillon (bit like Reberty in some ways) this accommodation is good”

Of course there are lots more accommodation options in the Grand Massif ski area if none of these suit. The best place to see what’s available where is the Grand Massif tourist website.

The newest additions are Artemis in St Anton, an über-luxurious Austrian chalet concept and Le Rocher in Val d’Isère, a hugely impressive chic property that literally stands below Eagle’s Nest.

Ski Chalet Artemis interior (St Anton)

Artemis offers the best in architecture, style, spa, cuisine and service. Located in St. Anton in the Austrian Alps, this chalet has been styled to ooze maximum indulgence and all-round luxury.

Designed by celebrated architect Karl Fahner, the hexagonal, four-storey chalet has six superb bedrooms and majestic Alpine views, and unashamedly luxurious en-suite bathrooms – one with a rainforest shower with shielded mirrored glass. Sound and vision are effortlessly brought together by Sonos and Bowers & Wilkins to provide the ultimate in music systems. A retro-style 12-seater cinema, 140m2 wellness area with wet room, sauna, steam room, massage room, indoor pool, and an indoor/outdoor hot tub complete the offering. Throughout the chalet, old and new design concepts merge. And Artemis herself, the Greek goddess of fertility, forests and hills, is personified in a 7ft statue watches over guests, designed by British artist Alexandra Beale.

But Artemis isn’t the only pretty face. The Scott Dunn Flagship collection welcomes Le Rocher in Val d’Isère, France, a stunningly vast new property, designed by architect Michel Covarel, of Eagle’s Nest fame. The decadent Chalet Le Rocher fuses traditional Alpine style – reclaimed wood beams, intricate carvings and slate finish – with contemporary cool. Boutique-style glass bathrooms and bright, retro furniture take this chalet into a new generation of luxury chalets.

Chalet le Rocher pool area (Val d'Isere)

Set against the rock face, this imposing property is located in the desirable new estate of Les Fermes de Val d’Isère, and features not only an indoor swimming pool with jet stream but also a Hammam, massage room, home cinema room and sun terrace with views down the Isère valley. At Le Rocher, guests can enjoy traditional charm in the luxury of space; the master bedroom suite alone covering over 60m2, with his and hers dressing rooms and rock wall bathroom. Each of the seven bedrooms is finished with the finest, sumptuous soft-furnishings, and has a private bathroom, offering comfort and relaxation on an unprecedented scale.

Joining Le Rocher and Artemis is award-winning Eagle’s Nest, which sits high above Val d’Isère and is just 2 minutes from the edge of the La Face piste. Outside, the silver eagle herself points majestically out over the town. Inside this stunning luxury ski chalet, you’ll find an indoor pool, sauna and steam room, as well as an imposing dining room and luxurious lounge. Its six en-suite bedrooms offer spectacular views across Val d’Isère. Furnished to an impeccable standard and scattered with antiques in keeping with the Alpine Savoyard style, Eagle’s Nest is synonymous with the definition of flagship.

Chalet Aurea bedroom (Courchevel 1850)

Aurea is Scott Dunn’s fourth flagship chalet and award-winning mountain retreat and is one of the best ski chalets in Courchevel 1850. Aurea has five luxurious bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. The chalet is furnished in a traditional way with wooden floors and ceilings and has a roaring fire. The wellness area boasts an indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi along with a glass floored steam room over the pool. The chalet can be skied back to from the Cospillot piste.

Accommodation is just the start of the flagship experience. At Scott Dunn, personality and service is just as important too. Guests travel British Airways Club Class, before taking a private transfer to the chalet (private jets and helicopter transfers can be arranged), with a glass of chilled Laurent-Perrier Champagne en route.

Cuisine is an important part of the Scott Dunn experience Expert chefs create seasonal, gourmet dishes for six nights, perfectly matched to a list of fine wines and champagnes, hand selected by Scott Dunn’s very own Master of Wine. Throughout a stay with Scott Dunn, the personal service continues with touches such as tea served in bed with your choice of morning newspaper. Scott Dunn’s smart black vehicles are on hand to take you to and from the slopes and its renowned childcare means that parents can enjoy a day on the slopes, in the knowledge that the little ones are being cared for.

A truly flagship experience… 

A  stay at ski chalet Le Rocher, in Val d’Isère starts at £17,304 per chalet for seven nights on a full board basis. A stay at Artemis in St Anton, Eagle’s Nest in Val d’Isère or Aurea in Courchevel 1850 starts from £1,405 per adult for seven nights on a full board basis, including British Airways Club Class flights, private transfers.

Visit the Scott Dunn website for more information.

Green Mountain Chalets is based just outside of St Martin de Belleville, which is probably the hidden gem of the Three Valleys. I’ll come on to the area more later.

Green Mountain Chalets is run by James and Gemma, who gave up their life in the UK to live the dream to run a ski chalet. And boy did they pick a good one! The ski chalet sleeps up to 13 people in 4 double bedrooms and one family bedroom sleeping 5 with a mezzanine level double bed for the parents, this room also has a handy ensuite bathroom. The rooms are lovely and light and you’ll find the now seemingly obligatory bathrobe and slippers for your convenience. The chalet is laid out over 4 floors with a bathroom on each floor ensuring you’ll never have to wait in the morning! In the lounge they have a great entertainment system with Satellite TV, a DVD player and a Nintendo Wii if you have enough energy left after dinner! More importantly, this will keep the children amused while you finish your dinner and drinks.

The real highlight of this ski chalet is the dining room, where you’ll probably be spending most of your time eating and drinking, if it’s anything like our experience anyway! The dining room is an old cave and is really spectacular, you’ll probably never want to leave.

The amazing dining room

On the evening we visited James and Gemma’s ski chalet they cooked up a storm of a meal, from their menu. For starters we had a refreshing salad, for the main course we had a chorizo risotto, which was truly lovely and filling after a hard days skiing, for afters we had pears with a touch of chilli to add some kick! All accompanied with the usual amount of French wine drunk with any evening meal in a ski resort!

One thing to say about this ski chalet experience is that you’ll probably never find better hosts than James and Gemma. By the end of the evening I felt like I’d known them for years! I have no doubt that their only concern during the ski season is to ensure the enjoyment and satisfaction of their guests. James and Gemma said to us that their main objective is to ensure that their guests come back year after year because they love the chalet and the service so much.

Green Mountain Chalets offer a half board service, including all the usuals, breakfast (hot or cold), afternoon tea and cake, a 3 course evening meal with wine. There is also an honesty fridge and free tea and coffee for your entire stay. In addition James and Gemma will drive you to the nearest lift every morning and bring you home in the evening after a quick drink in St Martin de Belleville no doubt, so no walking in ski boots at all! Usual ski chalet rules apply, they get one night off a week, ask them about visiting La Ferme de la Choumette, a truly fantastic restaurant piste side in St Martin de Belleville, more about our visit with James and Gemma to this unique restaurant here.

One last thing about Green Mountain Chalets, along with all the above, it’s pretty reasonable too!

So you’ve decided to stay at Green Mountain Chalets, now what sort of skiing are you going to get? Well St Martin de Belleville is probably the least well known area of the Three Valleys, but possibly the prettiest village. From St Martin de Belleville village you  are only two lifts up into two main ski areas, Les Menuires or drop over at Cherferie to Meribel. Both ski areas are extensive and for those who cover a lot of ground the full Three Valleys pass (232 euros for 6 days) is needed. If you’re a true beginner then you will only need the St Martin de Belleville / Les Menuires pass (177 euros for 6 days), if you’re an improver opt for the Vallee des Belleville pass which allows you to go over to Les Menuires and Val Thorens (213 euros).

The ski areas are actually pretty extensive for all of the areas, even the St Martin de Belleville / Les Menuires pass gets you 160km of piste. The full 3 Valleys pass gets you a staggering 650km of piste and comes second in our “Most piste for your pound” research which compares lift pass prices to kilometres of piste – read this report here.

There’s so much to say about the area around St Martin de Belleville that it’s impossible to say it all here, if you’re looking for more info on the Three Valleys then visit our dedicated section on the blog, this contains information about all the villages and ski areas in the Three Valleys ski area.

You can have a look at all that Green Mountain Chalets have to offer on their website, e-mail them on info@greenmountainchalets.co.uk or phone James or Gemma on 07976 583 553.

(We took some great video of the chalet, but have still to edit it down, so watch out for that soon, in the meantime there’s a video of the chalet on the Green Mountain Chalets website here.)

Dan started the HOFNAR experience in 2003 when he wanted to offer something different from the usual ski and snowboard companies – “no big anonymous groups, no cramped nasty hotels, no kids.”

The HOFNAR experience is really laid back, and this is the basic gist……  you stay in the HOFNAR chalet in the centre of Morzine either in a shared room (max 4 people) or you can upgrade to your own twin/double room. Although great for anyone wanting a social ski holiday, it really is a superb option for single skiiers as you can’t help but find someone to ski and apres ski with.

The HOFNAR experience is offered as semi catered, this gets you a continental breakfast every morning, plus a cooked breakfast one morning. Evening meals are not included in the price but the group tends to go to local restaurants first and last night of the holiday and for the rest of the time something can be organised to be cooked in the chalet and the costs can be split.

It will be a totally different experience on your ski holiday and perfect for lone travellers or groups of friends wishing to have a different ski experience.

There are some special weeks during the season including a 2 totally singles weeks, 2 learn to ski weeks (with lift pass, ski hire and lessons included) and an off piste week.

Prices for a weeks ski holiday with the HOFNAR experience start from £300. Visit http://www.hofnar.com for more information.

 
Privately situated down a long drive at the end of peaceful Meribel village, the sumptuous the super luxury Chalet Foinsbois can sleep up to 15 people and boasts a sauna, games room, gym, cinema room, hot tub and balconies offering stunning views.

Each luxury room is spacious and beautifully decorated and the master suite comprising a large bedroom with fireplace, balcony, en-suite bathroom and study is intensely private.

Purple Ski’s personal service sets them apart from the rest in Meribel with stunning luxury ski chalets, outstanding catering from top chefs (including sumptuous four-course dinners every night), complimentary champagne on tap, a chauffeur service and an open all hours free bar of beers, wines, soft drinks and mixers.

Therefore it may come as no surprise to learn that Purple Ski’s luxury chalets based in Meribel have recently won acclaim as the best place to stay in Meribel by one of the UK’s leading national newspapers, The Daily Telegraph.

Each of the Purple Ski luxury chalets in Meribel has a very distinct character, but all offer a warm and welcoming atmosphere, en-suite bedrooms, sunny balconies with wonderful views, roaring log fires and impeccable cuisine and service.

Some of Purple Ski’s luxury Meribel chalets also boast facilities including: their own hot tubs, children’s playrooms and unlimited free champagne, chauffeur service and baby sitting service.

The location could not be more perfect. There is something for skiers and non-skiers alike in charming Méribel, convivial bars and every type of restaurant, from the Michelin Starred to the simple, as well as scenic walks, sightseeing flights, ice skating, swimming, bowling, snow-mobiling and shopping.

Find out more about luxury Chalet Foinbois in Meribel at Purple Ski’s website.