Luxury places to stay in Val d'Isere

Posted by - Clare Roberts on Fri 27th July 2012

If you're after a spot of luxury when it comes to your next holiday in the mountains, it's difficult to beat some of the more renowned Alpine resorts, which have become incredibly popular for a reason. Val d'Isere is right up there with the cream of the crop in terms of laying on the luxury; the following are just a few places you should consider staying when booking your next trip to the famous resort.

Chalets

Val d'Isere is known for its chalets, playing host to a vast variety of different properties at every level of the market. Veering towards the high end, make sure you research The Lodge, which is quite unlike most chalets you will have experienced before. Once run as a small hotel, it's big enough to sleep over 80 people. While that may sound counter-intuitive to the concept of the chalet - private, warm and welcoming - The Lodge manages to fuse together a combination of the traditional chalet ethic with every mod-con you could want and, when it comes down to it, a truly fun atmosphere.

Elsewhere, there are also the Grand Choucas and Petit Choucas, the first of which sleeps eight and the other six. Set right in the heart of Val d'Isere, these wonderfully decorated apartment chalets are set back enough from the high street to feel secluded yet close enough to everything that families - particularly those with teenagers - will never feel out of the loop. Both of them are luxury ski chalets, with elegant, painstakingly thought-out decor that small parties will definitely appreciate.

Hotels  

Those familiar with ski holidays in Val d'Isere will know that the hotel scene is dominated by two grand old rivals. It might not be as exciting as finding a bespoke chalet set back from the high street, but when it comes to luxury ski hotels, the Blizzard and Christiania are just about the best there are.

The Blizzard, to start with, is slightly less worried about the formalities of luxury living. The lovely wood finishing throughout the hotel gives it a warm, welcoming feel - so much so that it's sometimes easy to forget you're in the middle of a five star hotel. Right in the centre of town, you'll find a mixture of French and English patrons, while staff are always pleasant and eager to help. The restaurant serves up delicious French classics (try the fondue - it's superb!), while the spa is second to none.

The Christiania, on the other hand, takes itself a little more seriously. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing; indeed, it's what makes it so great. Open, airy and full of visitors from around the world, stay here if you want sumptuous rooms, a comprehensive wine list and the best breakfast in town.

Choosing where to stay is just the first decision to make once you've chosen your resort. Fortunately, ski holidays to Val d'Isere are very easily characterised by the sheer breadth of luxury ski establishments just waiting to make your trip there the very best yet.