An independent guide to luxury ski chalets
From £11,940 exclusive chalet per week
Traditional chic chalet that is
part of exclusive chalet complex
usp
Val d’Isère, south-facing luxury chalet, with views -- enough said. So many chalets in Val don’t have views, but Lafitenia, which is one chalet in the Le Chardon Mountain Lodges collection, has utterly uninterrupted views up the Manchet valley and to the Vanoise National Park beyond. Its sister chalets all have similarly knock-out south-facing views too.
location
Le Chardon lodges are located at the end of a road in the exclusive La Legettaz area of Val, about 10 minutes by car up from the town. Each chalet is virtually ski-in/ski-out, if not properly, and there is no passing traffic -- hence the quietness, the exclusivity, and the views.
style
Absolutely traditional chalet chic – hugely cosy old stone and wood building, stuffed with gorgeous scarlet and grass green tweedy/tartan sofas and throws and wooden mountain and farming paraphernalia. Big fireplace, fabulous views from the living space – just perfect. ^
rooms
The bedroom in the eaves is the most charming, and has a bath (which many of the others don’t have). You have to beware of banging your head on all the gnarly old beams, however. There is another big room just off the living space (with a double door for privacy and quiet), but all the rooms are a good size, and styled traditionally with gorgeous checky throws and cushions and leather armchairs. ^
food & drink
All the chefs throughout Le Chardon are French trained, to restaurant level, and focus on using local ingredients. They are overseen by Olivier, the head chef, who worked for Gordon Ramsay for several months as well as other top chefs. They are totally flexible but the food experience is very much the five-course gastro thing. There is no set menu that rotates, rather each chef is allowed to create what he or she is inspired to. Norbert, the loveable Polish chef at Lafitenia, produced delicious traditional dishes, soups and light salads, while being versatile enough to accommodate fussy eaters with little notice. His chocolate petit fours were irresistible too.
The wine is not local but tends to include Burgundies, Bordeaux and Alsaces. They are mostly French, although there are some New Worlds and some local Savoie wines, plus there is the possibility to upgrade to a special list that boasts grand crus such as a Cheval Blanc ’77, a Chateau Brion ’66 and a Chateau La Tour ’89. Prices range from 200 euros to 1580 euros. ^
service
Delightful. The staff throughout Le Chardon are extremely well trained, polite, and eager to please, as well as enjoying a little conversation and banter with guests. ^
spa facilities
Lafitenia has two hot tubs, carefully positioned outside the rooms that don’t have baths (but available to all guests). Massages are done in guests’ own rooms, while the other chalets have their own dedicated massage rooms and Le Chardon itself, the flagship chalet of the collection, has a swim spa with jet. None of the properties has a sauna or steam room – if guests require this, or any other more fancy treatments, the chalet uses the full spa centre in the new boutique hotel in town, Avenue Lodge. For massages, it uses qualified physios too, so you can properly tackle ski-related injuries rather than just have a nice rub-down. ^
children
Separate kids’ lunch is always provided, as well as early evening teas, and the chalets will collect the children from ski school. Cots and so forth can all be arranged, and nannies can be laid on at an extra expense, using local childcare specialists Jelly & Ice cream. ^
extras
The chalets’ concierge company, which is in touch with guests from long before they come out for their stay, lays on all sorts of extra things and events, such as an evening igloo experience up on the Bellevarde mountain, complete with snow tables and chandeliers. Guests can catch skidoos back down or be guided or even helicoptered. The chalets also create snowbars around the hot tubs and organises husky rides, and there is wi-fi throughout the chalets too (with, at present, an impossibly long log-in at Lafitenia which we were reassured was being shortened). ^
for skiers
Le Chardon Mountain Lodges uses the excellent private ski school, Top ski, for off piste and private advanced lessons, and Progression for beginners and younger children. Ken, who runs Progression, was wildly praised by chalet guests who used him, while Pat Zimmer who runs Top ski is a legend on the mountain. ^
for non skiers
Two of the guests staying at Lafitenia were non-skiers, and they had all sorts of gorgeous entertainment laid on. They did yoga, they had a cookery lesson with Olivier the head chef, they went for a hosted tour around Val (not missing out a sublime hot chocolate at La Maison Chevallot chocolaterie), but there are myriad other amusements, such as snowshoeing, husky rides, an ice rink, parapenting, bob sleighing, ice driving and Nordic skiing. ^
best thing
The supreme cosiness and the exclusive views. ^
worst thing
Banging your head on the beams in the top bedroom – but in a way that was part of the room’s charm. ^
getting there
Val d’Isère is around three hours from Geneva airport (Chambéry is a little closer but flights are harder to come by and they get cancelled or redirected if the weather is bad), or just 20 minutes from Bourg St Maurice train station. Transfers are sometimes included, when Le Chardon is doing promotions, but usually they are extra. ^
bottom line
The price is from £950pp to around £2500. Lafitenia sleeps 12, but combined, all the chalets sleep 65 so are a great proposition for corporates and big groups made up of separate families. Le Chardon itself is the flagship and biggest chalet, sleeping 20, while Mistral sleeps 14, La Bergerie sleeps 10 and Kilimanjaro is the most expensive, with the most space, and sleeps 8. Le Chardon can also be broken up and sold on a boutique hotel basis. ^
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 - 8
Food & Drink - 8
Luxury - 8
Don’t miss the hot tub, Norbert’s petit fours and skiing back to the chalet.
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• Other chalets in Val d'Isere
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Bookings and enquiries: enquiries at chicchaletguide.co.uk Telephone:
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