LES AIRELLES, COURCHEVEL, FRANCE
In les trois Vallées, the largest ski area in the world, you really need it to snow. and thankfully it does so regularly, carpeting this collection of pictureperfect ski-resort villages in a fluffy white blanket every winter. courchevel, established in 1946, is one of the oldest resorts, and from here, you have access to 370 miles of slopes, and with a single pass you can ski all three valleys. but there’s a whole world of après-ski. as a French resort, courchevel prides itself on its cuisine, with a range of options from reasonably priced to blow the budget, with a few Michelin stars scattered around too, such as the two-starred pierre gagnaire pour les airelles, situated in the glamorous les airelles hotel (at 1,850m).
staying here is the ultimate festive treat – it’s rumoured to be where kate and William spent their first ski holiday. a beautiful, candy-pink confection of a building, it has all the trimmings of a traditional but luxurious chalet inside. It has 52 rooms and suites, an indulgent crème de la Mer spa, an outdoor terrace with Jacuzzi, an ice rink, and the hotel’s own horse-carriage to whisk you around the village. how to do it double rooms on a half-board basis at les airelles start from around £900 per night; to book, visit lesairelles.airellescollection.com
“Staying here is the ultimate festive treat”