An independent guide to luxury ski chalets
From €34,200 for the whole hamlet for three nights with top VIP package, and from €57,000 for seven nights
Fairytale hamlet of ancient
wooden chalets and mazots
usp
Les Chalets de Philippe is an impossibly cute, tiny hamlet of eight reclaimed ancient wooden chalets and shepherds’ mazots dismantled, brought down from the mountains and rebuilt in a leafy, exclusive enclave of Chamonix. Everyone has stayed here, from Kylie Minogue to Nicolas Sarkozy. It is an extraordinary place, which can be hired in its entirety or by the chalet, each one sleeping between just one person and 13 people. It is like a living museum to old chalet life.
location
The chalets are located high up in Le Lavancher near the Grands Montets ski area in the Chamonix valley. There are breathtaking views all around, gorgeously colourful geraniums tumbling out of old wheel barrows and milk churns by summer, magical fairy lights everywhere by winter. The hamlet faces south, so there is plenty of sunshine as well as the majestic views of the Mont Blanc massif to enjoy.
style
Impossibly, fairytale-cute antique. Everything is old and wooden and overstuffed with nick-nacks. Each chalet is antique, dating from the 17th to the 19th century, and a feast for the eyes. You notice more and more detail the more you look. There are gilt cherubim on the walls, wall heaters disguised as old paintings, giant 17th century wooden dining tables, gnarled agricultural tools, laundry mangles, all kinds of mountain paraphernalia sourced from nearby – and all styled by Philippe himself. ^
rooms
The rooms are mostly quite small and totally different from one another. Kylie stayed in a dinky doll-sized room with a wooden lit clos under a ceiling painted midnight blue with glittery stars stuck to it. Some have sinks in the bedroom but they all manage to have smart bathroom facilities and delightful balconies. The toiletries are by Hermès, the bed linen is hand ironed, hand embroidered antique cotton in the summer (the linen for just one bed costs 5000 euros) and cosy flannel in the winter. Attention to detail is impeccable, and no expense has been spared. Fresh orchids are also provided. ^
food & drink
Only one of the chalets, the largest which is called Les Grandes Jorasses, comes with full catering, the rest are self-catered. All guests can access the Les Chalets de Philippe restaurant, operated under head chef Denis Flota, about whom hugely flattering things are said. “It is not that the cuisine is worth the detour but rather it is worth planning one’s trip around this address,” says one critic of the restaurant, which is also open to non-residents (but guests have priority). The food could be served up at one of France’s leading Michelin-starred restaurants, Flota’s amuse-bouches setting the lavish, exquisite culinary tone for the feast to follow. ^
service
All chalets have a minimum service which includes Hermès toiletries, fresh orchids and daily maid service. Chargeable extras include personal laundry, a private chef cooking in your chalet, baby sitting, airport transfer, ski guide and breakfast pastries. The phenomenal, top VIP package includes white limo airport transfers, a helicopter excursion around L’Aiguille Verte, use of the large 17th century dining room, two spa treatments of one hour per adult and a mountain guide or ski instructor at your disposal each day. ^
spa facilities
There are two steam rooms, a chromotherapy sauna and seven non-chlorinated state-of-the-art outdoor hot tubs. ^
children
Children would love Les Chalets de Philippe because it is like the pages of a fairytale brought to life. It is safe, enclosed, full of interesting pathways and higgledy-piggledy winding steps – a big adventure playground for them. ^
extras
There is a private cinema available to all guests to use. Each chalet has wifi and flat screen TVs too. A giant central spa is also being built which will open in 2013, together with several more chalets, a heated lake, a revolving restaurant, a bread oven and a baroque chapel. Philippe’s imagination knows no bounds. Oh, and animals are welcome. ^
for skiers
Chamonix is a fantastic resort that consists of four different ski areas. There is plenty for all levels, although it has gained a reputation for being an off-pisters’ paradise, and there is certainly lots of gnarly terrain to tackle, but intermediates have lots to entertain them too. Le Lavencher, the area where Les Chalets de Philippe is located, is an extensive off-piste zone with some fabulous skiing, but it is only accessible from the Grands Montets ski area. Mountain guides must be hired, too. ^
for non skiers
Non-skiers can be driven into town for some lovely shopping, or they can head through the tunnel to Courmayeur for a superb Italian lunch. There is heaps of snowshoeing to do nearby too, plus trips further afield such as to the spa and hot springs at Pré St Didier. Walks around the hamlet are unbeatable too. ^
best thing
The fairytale styling. ^
worst thing
If you like clean minimalism and contemporary design these chalets are definitely not for you. ^
getting there
Airport transfers are only included in the price if you book the top VIP package. The nearest airport is Geneva, just one hour away. ^
bottom line
The chalets cost between £22,000 and £88,000 with the VIP package. This extraordinary place comes at a price. ^
bookings & enquiries
If you would like to make an enquiry or a booking, please email enquiries at chicchaletguide.co.uk. Remember, we have visited all the chalets we feature so can give you totally unbiased, independent advice on all of them. The prices we quote are also the list prices quoted by the chalets themselves, so there is no advantage in going to the chalets direct.
Chalet - 10
Service - 10
(for VIP package)
Room - 9
Food & Drink - 9
Luxury - 9
Pack some good books. You will want to spend plenty of time in your chalet or out on the terrace, soaking up the sunshine.
Quickfinder
• USP
* Location
• Style
• Rooms
• Food & Drink
* Service
• Spa Facilities
• Children
• Extras
• Skiers
• Non Skiers
• Best Thing
• Worst Thing
• Getting There
• Bottom Line
• Bookings & Enquiries
• Summer
• Other Chalets in Chamonix
• Weekends & Short Breaks
CHAMONIX
RESORT GUIDE
The Chic Chalet Guide to Chamonix
how to book
Email: enquiries at chicchaletguide.co.uk Telephone:
+44 (0)7772 853996
guest book
"We want to express our appreciation for your hospitality on our visit to your lovely little hamlet. Your creative talent has built an extraordinary place to visit and call home for anyone visiting the Mont Blanc area and we are hoping for another stay with you in the near future."
"You could just as easily call your hamlet an Alpine museum and sell tickets. I would encourage you to write down the history, place of origin, cultural meaning, and historical significance, of each small or large piece you have collected. Your knowledge should be preserved for future generations. Your guest in each chalet could also read about each piece and have an even greater appreciation."
"Our honeymoon with you in Chamonix was the end of a perfect wedding. We cannot describe with words how amazing everything was -- your hospitality, our chalet, the view, the tranquility, the fresh air, the weather, the people and the mountains. The magic of the place still lives in us, and every day we long to go back."
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