New openings
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is opening its first hotel in a European ski resort and the prestigious group has chosen the pretty resort of Megève. Located on the Mont d’Arbois slopes, Four Seasons Hotel Megève includes 55 chic and contemporary rooms and suites, a spa with six treatment rooms and an indoor-outdoor pool as well as a fitness centre. There are five options for drinks and dining open to guests and non-residents, including a new home for Le 1920, Megève’s Michelin-two-star restaurant. www.fourseasons.com/megeve
The Hyatt Group is also opening its first mountain hotel. A Hyatt Centric (four-star) will open in La Rosière, at the foot of the San Bernardo ski area. It will have 71 bedrooms, a bar called H40 Bistro Bar, and a fashionable all-day dining restaurant, La Tavola, open for both guests and non-residents. www.larosierehotel.com
K2 Collections is opening a new hotel in Courchevel, the K2 Djola (Djola means little brother in Tibetan). Inspired by the success of the K2 Altitude and the K2 Palace, the K2 Djola is a luxurious gem in the centre of Courchevel, with 24 cosy bedrooms.www.lek2djola.com
A new Club Med is opening in the picturesque and family-friendly resort of Samoëns, with 420 rooms and two restaurants. The main restaurant has four corners: a family corner, a baby corner, a wine corner and a healthy food corner. The Gourmet Lounge is a gastronomic restaurant with menus created by the Michelin-starred chef Edouard Loubet.
The Club Med Samoëns Morillon Grand Massif offers childcare for babies from four months old to teenagers aged 17.
Hotel renovations
Assas Hotels, owner of the Héliopic Sweet and Spa and the Rocky Pop in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, has bought the Araucaria Hotel & Spa in La Plagne Centre. The building has been completely renovated and extended by an extra 1,000m2 to create some new spaces, including a cocktail bar, an auditorium and a children’s play area. The hotel boasts 84 chic bedrooms decorated with a sense of fun, a Nuxe spa and a restaurant. www.araucaria-hotel.com
The three-star hotel L’Avancher, in Val d’Isère, has been completely rebuilt in a cosy and warm style. It has 37 bedrooms, a wine bar, a lounge with a fire place and a spa. The hotel also includes three apartments, which are ideal for families. www.avancher.com
Also in Val d’Isère, the four-star hotel Ormelune has created an additional floor with ten new bedrooms. https://ormelune.com/en/
Les Cimes Blanches in Courchevel has become the four-star Fahrenheit Seven hotel. Located in Courchevel Moriond 1650, this ski-in, ski-out hotel has 44 bedrooms decorated in a vintage and cosy style. Guests (and non-residents) can enjoy lunch at La Rotisserie or on the terrace. In the evening, Le Panoramik has a lively atmosphere and serves different types of fondues and other specialties. http://fahrenheitseven-courchevel.com
In Courchevel Le Praz, the family who has owned the four-star hotel Les Peupliers for 80 years continues to improve the building. This winter, four new junior suites will open and four bedrooms have been refurbished. www.lespeupliers.com
Hotel La Maison Blanche in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc has become Le Coeur des Neiges. This three-star hotel is the perfect place for a romantic weekend. The 12 bedrooms are beautifully decorated and have comfy Swedish beds as well as a large choice of pillows. A delicious breakfast of organic products is served until 11am, in bed or in the breakfast room. In the evening, guests can enjoy cocktails, wine and tapas. Le Coeur des Neige also has a small spa. www.coeurdesneiges.fr
Spend a night in a mountain hut
After two years of work Le Refuge du Lac du Lou opens a new building with four dormitories (sleeping a total of 31 people) and a large dining room. Situated at 2,300m in the Belleville Valley, between Val Thorens and Les Menuires, this mountain hut is accessible by off-piste skiing from the ski area or on snowshoes. The Belleville Valley council has invested €1.2 million in this large project in order to provide hikers and skiers with a new welcoming haven above Lac du Lou. There is a guardian on site to welcome skiers and hikers and provide a hearty meal. guides-belleville@orange.fr
New chalets
Ex pro-skier and rally driver Guerlain Chicherit is opening three new luxury chalets in Tignes, including Chalet Bansky, featuring art from the famous graffiti artist. Chicherit now has five luxury chalets, each of them with their own theme and original décor. www.gc-kollection.com
New residences
Val Thorens has a new five-star residence with 17 south-facing hotel-serviced apartments boasting views over the slopes. With a contemporary chalet atmosphere and a spa with a pool, sauna, steam room and treatment rooms, the Montana Lodge shares Val Thorens’ relaxed luxury ethos.
This new residence is perfect for families; it has direct access from the ski room to the slopes and the meeting points for ski lessons and the French Ski School Pioupiou Club are located opposite. www.village-montana.com
Two new residences are opening in the Eucherts area in La Rosière. Chalet Grivola is a four-star residence with eight spacious apartments, a sauna and a fitness room. Hameau de Bathhélemy is a luxury chalet with 20 apartments and a wellness area. www.larosiere.net
At the bottom of the Pleney slopes in Morzine-Avoriaz, Le Chalet Joux Plane has two buildings with 20 apartments. It also boasts an indoor and outdoor pool, a fitness room and a cinema. http://en.morzine-avoriaz.com
Another 41 apartments will open in Edenarc at Arc 1800 in the residence Les Monarques, as well as a 200m2 spa with an indoor-outdoor pool, four treatment rooms, a steam room, a sauna and a hot tub. https://en.lesarcs.com
