An independent guide to luxury ski chalets
From £900 pp/week
Fabulously comfy, beautifully stylish luxury family home in Trois Vallées
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Chalet Floralie is a gorgeous, newly refurbished chalet in a plum location that is perfect for an extended family or a combination of families and friends. It has its own exclusive, self-catered penthouse upstairs which can be rented separately, for four people, or can be combined with the chalet to create a space for 18. An internal staircase links the two, and can be sealed off if separate parties are staying in the two properties.
location
Many chalets claim they have a great location, but Floralie really has. It is in the charming Savoyard village of St Martin de Belleville which is fully linked in to the vast Trois Vallées ski area, but it is also just yards from the lifts. You pop your boots on, pick up your skis and cross a quiet road to find the bubble up towards Meribel just a minute’s stroll away. Ideal if little Tommy wants to dive back home for a rest at lunchtime or someone forgets their gloves.
style
Floralie is exquisitely put together, with taupes and beiges and chocolates being the predominant colour scheme, and cosy, contemporary sophistication being the theme. But it is not precious or showhomey -- it was designed as a mountain home for a big family (the owners have four children) and has been created very much with families and people of all ages in mind. There is such a feeling of space throughout, with a knock-out, huge main living area which has floor to ceiling windows and piles of sink-into sofas, a cosy bench-style dining area and plenty of other nooks for hiding away in. ^
rooms
These are all gorgeously muted and luxurious, with crunchy bed linen, loads of hidden wardrobe space and soft designer lighting. The bathrooms are cutting edge stone and shiny chrome, while the toiletries are Miller Harris and there are White Company waffle bathrobes. ^
food & drink
The focus is very much on local produce where possible. Meat is delivered daily from a local butcher in Moutiers, while local cheeses are bought at the farmers’ market in St Martin de Belleville and fresh produce is delivered by a local supplier too. Guests are emailed the week before their stay with questions about dietary requirements. During our visit the dishes included starters such as carpaccio of black peppered beef or a delicious salad Nicoise, while main courses were a perfect coq au vin or individual beef Wellingtons with roasted veg or melt-in-the-mouth slow-cooked lamb shank. Desserts ranged from apple tarte tatin to winter fruit pudding with raspberry ripple ice cream. The menus are flexible, though, so can consist of the full five course feast with coffee and truffles, or can cut out the canapés and starters. Fresh mint tea and ginger tea is served as well as coffee.
The house champagne is Joseph Perrier, and the house wines are excellent, including Les Estampilles Merlot 2008 and a bright, lovely Preignes de Vieux 2009 rosé. There is also a short list of selected à la carte wines for guests to upgrade to. ^
service
Service at Floralie is the perfect combination; the staff are all really sweet and friendly, get on with the job and happily chat with the guests while professionally doing their work. There are four of them, including a chef, a manager and two hosts. Transport round the resort is laid on if needed, too, but the chalet is so well located that no lift is needed to the slopes at all. ^
spa facilities
Floralie has a lavish Wellness Suite with sauna and huge Jacuzzi plus private massage room. It also has a large plasma screen with a pile of ski DVDs to inspire while you chill out. ^
children
Chalet Floralie is an ideal chalet for kids. There is a great games room which is perfect for them to take over and play board games in. It also has table football and a large plasma screen TV with surround sound for watching any of the latest children’s DVDs (the collection is updated monthly). There is also a Wii and PlayStation, and separate areas for the children to watch TV such as in the library. The chalet also has a fun bunk room, it organises a sledging expedition each week up at Les Menuires after skiing, the Piou Piou crèche club is just 50 yards away, and the staff all live in and are happy to babysit for an extra fee. In-chalet French lessons for kids can also be arranged with a delightful teacher who children all seem to like learning from – she makes it fun! And early suppers featuring spag bol or Shepherd’s pie can be laid on easily. ^
extras
There is a comfy library area with guest computer, plus wireless broadband throughout. The library is also home to an excellent, ski- and mountain-themed collection of books, from The Chalet Girl by Kate Lace, soon to be turned into a movie (“Falling in love can be a slippery slope,” as the flyleaf reads), to beautiful coffee table books with luminous shots of wintry mountain scenery. There are iPod docking stations, TVs with English satellite channels, and a great south-facing terrace for sun-bathing and barbecues in warmer weather. The entrance hallway also has heaps of cupboard space with glove and jacket warmers so clothes are nice and toasty, and most importantly dry, the following day. ^
for skiers
Ski lessons and ski guiding can be arranged using a selection of hand-picked guides. The lifts are also so close that, while not quite ski-in ski-out, the chalet offers immediate access to the slopes. The guides come over in the evening at the beginning of the week to discuss needs and the week’s programme. They even came every morning to the chalet during our stay to collect guests and escort them the short distance to the lifts. For more adventurous off piste skiing and touring the chalet uses Elite Ski School who provide superb guides as well as all the kit (avalanche bleepers, skins and even ABS backpacks). ^
for non skiers
There is plenty to divert the non-skier in and around Chalet Floralie, from hiking to mushing with huskies, swimming in a huge indoor pool nearby, as well as all the in-chalet massage and beauty treatments and yoga sessions. ^
best thing
The gorgeously sumptuous décor and genuine handiness to the slopes. ^
worst thing
Um. Nope, can’t think of anything.
getting there
Geneva is really the best hub for the Three Valleys, being about a two hour transfer away from St Martin, or Chambery is better if you can get flights. It’s about a one hour 15 minute run to the resort. ^
bottom line
The chalet is bookable by the room if it has not been sold as a whole chalet the month before. It costs from £900pp per week on a half board basis and goes up to £1750 in peak weeks and £2000 pp for New Year. The penthouse costs from just £3000 for four people on a B&B basis, but evening meals can be pre-arranged for an extra fee. It can be let separately from the main chalet, with parties just sharing the outside ski room. ^
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 - 9
Service - 9
Room - 9
Food & Drink - 9
Luxury - 9
Do treat yourself to an afternoon off the slopes so you can really curl up indoors and enjoy the chalet.
Quickfinder
• Summer
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* Location
• Style
• Rooms
• Food & Drink
* Service
• Spa Facilities
• Children
• Extras
• Skiers
• Non Skiers
• Best Thing
• Worst Thing
• Getting There
• Bottom Line
• Bookings & Enquiries
• Other chalets in St Martin de Belleville
• Other chalets to suit corporate groups
Bookings and enquiries: enquiries at chicchaletguide.co.uk Telephone:
+44 (0)7772 853996
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