With the ski season almost upon us you need to be swift if you want to bag the best hotel. House of Coco recently visited the Mont-Blanc region of the French Alps to check out two very different places to stay this winter.
Just 45 minutes from Geneva airport is Saint Gervais, home to four villages and two ski areas, including ‘Evasion Mont-Blanc’ and with more than 400km of pistes this is the third largest ski area in France.
Nestled against the mountain of Saint-Gervais at an altitude of 1,150 metres in the heart of Saint-Nicolas is The Armancette Hotel. This brand new, 5-star hotel is a luxurious après-ski haven. Tucked away in a remote valley it offers guests a magnificent Alpine setting, with views of the Mont-Blanc as well as Mont-Vorassay.
The Armancette is an intimate boutique hotel with just 17 rooms, each one uniquely designed to reflect the environment and nature, think lots of wood, granite, stone and luxurious faux fur and silk. The rooms are elegantly designed and with an outdoor balcony you can wake up to breath-taking views across the village and valley.
This alpine jewel has successfully created a relaxed, calm vibe, making it a great place to stay if you want to chill-out after a day skiing. If you don’t fancy a drink in bar you can always retreat to the hotel library and games room to read or challenge your pals to one of the many board games. For those who want to take time out to unwind then hit the spa where you can make the most of the treatments, sauna and steam room. There’s an indoor pool with relaxation area as well as a heated outdoor pool with a terrace offering a magnificent, panoramic view of Mont-Vorassay, the Aiguille de Bionnassay, Armancette glacier and the Domes de Miage.
Located on the site of the village bakery, The Armancette is keeping the tradition alive with their on-site bakery serving golden pastries, an array of mouth-watering cakes and fresh bread daily. The smell of warm bread fills the ground floor each morning and is so enticing. I challenge anyone to walk by and not come away with some delicious tasty treat. The hotel restaurant, La Table d’Armante is modern yet cosy with an extensive menu offering fresh, local, seasonal dishes. There’s also a great choice when it comes to breakfast, so you can fuel up with one of their speciality juices or scrumptious omelettes before hitting the slopes.
20 minutes from Saint-Gervais and you’re in Chamonix, ski heaven! With plenty of ski runs this is the perfect place for any seasoned skier.
Catering for all budgets is La Folie Douce. Synonymous with après-ski partying and situated in the centre of Chamonix, this funky hotel has fantastic ski-in, ski-out access to the Brevent and Flegere ski areas.
What was once the historical palace of Le Savoy is now a chic, opulent, insta-worthy place to stay. The carpets depict life-sized synchronized swimmers, ice skating boots hang from the walls and there’s the odd mannequin and telephone booth scattered around the place.
The vibe is cool and eclectic. They’ve successfully nailed the trendy industrial look with exposed brick work juxtaposed elegant plush velvets and statement lighting giving the place a chic air. The hotel has 250 rooms, including premium (four star), access (three star) and dormitory rooms (three star), offering cheaper accommodation for groups. The premium rooms have views of the mountains and that quirky, luxury feel that runs through the whole hotel.
This is the après-ski party palace, with three restaurants, a main bar upstairs with a vast cocktail menu and for those looking for some fun and live entertainment, there’s the basement bar where you’ll find people dancing on the tables alongside the cabaret performers and DJs.
If you don’t feel like partying and want to rest your ski-weary legs then you can try out the yoga and spa. Here you can soak up glorious views of the Alps from the heated outdoor pool, take in a treatment or relax in the sauna and steam room.
Whatever you are looking for in a ski holiday, La Folie Douce caters for everything and everyone and is bound to be a hit with the ski crowd this winter.
House of Coco travelled to Saint Gervais and Chamonix courtesy of Savoie Mont-Blanc www.savoie-mont-blanc.com
For more information on The Armancette hotel visit www.armancette.com/en and La Folie Douce hotel www.lafoliedoucehotels.com/fr/hotel-chamonix
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