The ultimate stress-free ski hotel comes to the Alps
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER FOUR SEASONS MEGÈVE
First impressions
ALL the less glamorous aspects of a ski holiday melt away at Megève’s newest luxury hotel. There’s an inhouse rental operation where attendants even take your ski boots off for you. A horse and cart carries guests to and from the ski lift. And, after a day in the cold, you return to a WC with a toilet seat that heats up when you sit down.
Looks
While the first Four Seasons in the Alps may have a traditional-looking exterior, inside tells a more modern, well travelled story. The hotel was designed in partnership with Edmond de Rothschild Heritage, and a large number of pieces from the family’s private collection are featured, while specially commissioned sculptures, from handblown glass “clouds” to fibreglass “grapevines” are unique.
Feel
Service is the perfect balance of Four Seasons and French: attentive yet discreet. The hotel attracts a wellheeled but low-key set that makes for a laid-back atmosphere. I feel relaxed eating breakfast in my ski gear, or wandering to the spa in a robe.
Extras
A sumptuous spa takes over much of the first floor and includes a steaming indoor/outdoor pool. The kids’ zone (piled high with cuddly toys) and teens’ zone (with arcade-style video games) make you wish you were a child again, while the 10,000-bottle wine cellar makes you thankful you’re not. But the real draw is the food — there are three restaurants, including Le 1920, which has two-Michelin-star chef Julien Gatillon at the helm.
Outside
Right at the top of resort, the hotel offers direct access to the Mont d’Arbois slopes. Guests can catch a private shuttle down to the village or channel Anna Karenina with a horse and cart. Designer boutiques and skiwear shops await, housed in charmant, traditional-style buildings.
Dark side
While it’s great for getting straight onto the slopes, the location means you can’t just walk into town for some impromptu après ski.
In a nutshell
This is the perfect antidote to the more chichi side of Megève. Its nonAlpine design offers luxury that feels cool rather than ostentatious — and boy do they know how to take the stress out of a ski holiday.
⬤ Doubles from £550, room only. fourseasons.com/megeve