It continues to snow spectacularly in Val d’Isere!
Snowflakes the size of twenty pence pieces are falling relentlessly.
Powdered pistes!
Posts Tagged ‘luxury ski chalets’
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…at Le Chardon in Val d’Isere
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011Spotlight on our largest chalet – Le Chardon
Monday, August 29th, 2011
Le Chardon is without a doubt one of the most appealing and unique ski chalets within Val d’Isere. Situated neatly to the side of the Solaise Mountain, Le Chardon is a destination for enthusiastic skiers and snowboarders of all capabilities. Its entire ten en-suite bedrooms offer ground to roof windows supplying continuous sights of the Vanoise National Park as well as the Manchet Valley.
Along with two individual living areas, big television room, dining area and study room, Le Chardon is the perfect chalet for bigger groups as well as business parties to take in the enchanting atmosphere. The big private terrace is an excellent place to have fantastic barbecues whilst, in the correct conditions, drinks are offered from a handmade snow bar. Le Chardon offers an ideal way to combine business and pleasure.
Following a busy day on the slopes, elect to unwind in one of the two personal hot tubs whilst enjoying a glass of bubbly or, for those who are more lively, a splash about in the swim spa. On the other hand you might decide to enjoy a complete body massage from a recommended professional physiotherapist or to relax in front of the open log fire whilst reading a great book. After unwinding, enjoy a five-course gourmet experience from a commended head chef, served in the recently extended dining area that overlooks the Manchet Valley.
Le Chardon has many features including dinner and lunch for children, a huge choice of wines, luxurious bath items and toiletries, fresh flowers and a chauffer service.
A French Ski Chalet – ideal for a Valentines Break
Monday, January 17th, 2011How fortunate for us that the ancient Roman tradition of celebrating 14th February to honour Juno, queen of the gods, continues today as St Valentine’s Day, when we can indulge our loved ones (and ourselves) with tokens of love and appreciation.
If you’ve exhausted most choices of gifts over the years, how about surprising the person in your life with the pick of luxury ski holidays in one of the top ski resorts in the world – Val d’Isere?
The deciding factor when thinking about luxury catered ski chalets must surely be the fact that you can share the experience together, and the food and service will be second to none.
Remember that in Val d’Isere, skiing continues right through until the end of April, so your Valentine ski break doesn’t have to take place in mid-February. If it is going to be a Valentine’s gift, why not gift-wrap a small token – maybe a bobble hat and some lipscreen, and let them work it out?
Christmas Skiing in Val d’Isere
Monday, October 18th, 2010At Le Chardon we go to every effort to guarantee that your Christmas is festive, fun and stress-free, so for a magical and memorable Christmas ski holiday why not get in touch? We pride ourselves on attention to detail, personal service and extra touches which all add to the enjoyment of your holiday.
When you arrive and catch the first glimpse of your chalet, you will see that the exterior, and a number of surrounding trees, are lit by twinkling fairy lights, creating an enchanting setting amidst the snow. Inside, all our chalets are magnificently adorned with trees, lights and decorations. The Christmas tree, a real fir, can be decorated before you arrive or we can leave it for the children to decorate on your arrival.
Of course Father Christmas will make an appearance on Christmas day, at a time to suit you (he’s very accommodating), with a sack full of goodies for the children. You may prefer the main meal at lunch; or you may prefer dinner to be served. We are very flexible both in the timing and the menu, and will liase with you in advance to ensure that everyone in your party is delighted with the menu. You can rest assured that your talented and experienced chef will serve up a delicious and exquisitely presented Christmas dinner.
There are just 2 chalets still available for Christmas week; La Bergerie and Kilimanjaro.
La Bergerie for 10 people, on the site of a 17th century shepherd’s hut, retains many original features. The beautiful spacious living/dining area is warm and welcoming with an open log fire. The floor to ceiling windows offer amazing views, and the secluded hot tub and terrace are also perfect places to relax and watch the sun set. The cinema room comes complete with a Nintendo wii, and there is also a massage room for physiotherapy treatments.
Kilimanjaro for 8 people is also a stunning chalet, elegantly finished with warm Italian tiles and 200 year old reclaimed wood. Like La Bergerie, the private terrace and hot tub enjoy spectacular views, making for an ideal place to relax and enjoy a glass of champagne after a day on the slopes. The huge, open plan living area is fabulous, with deep sofas, a roaring fire and soft textured furnishings.
Each chalet is fully catered and comes with a range of chalet services to ensure your skiing trip is restful, relaxed and enjoyable.
Choose French Ski Chalets for Christmas Skiing
Friday, October 8th, 2010Christmas ski holidays in Val d’Isere are, quite simply, unforgettable. The traditional Savoyard houses clustered around the 17th century church create an enchanting setting for the village festivities. From the third week of December to the first week of January, the village comes alive with sparkling fairy lights, a bustling Christmas market, ice sculptures and snowmen, and children’s shows.
Every Thursday evening during the festivities period, the centre of Val d’Isère becomes a wonderland of street entertainments, including parades, music and fireworks. There are always lots of things going on to keep the children happy.
Of course no Christmas would be complete without a visit from Father Christmas, who appears in a horse-drawn sleigh to everyone’s delight. All in all, Val d’Isere at Christmas is a magical experience. Yet more magical is returning to one of our five luxury ski chalets for a soak in the hot tub followed by champagne and canapés before dinner.
So, why not treat yourself and your loved ones to one of the best luxury ski holidays you’ll ever experience. We’ll arrange everything down to the finest detail, and you can take the credit for a stress-free, relaxing and fun time. Our experienced chefs will cater to all your likes and preferences, we will also arrange for a selection of ski equipment to be brought to you so you may choose in the comfort of your chalet.
As one of the top high-altitude ski resorts in Europe, Val d’Isere has a longer ski season than most, so you will be able to enjoy some great skiing too.
We look forward to seeing you.
French Ski Resorts – Are Expensive Resorts Worth It?
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010It is a cliché because it is almost always a fact – you get what you pay for. Is it worth paying more for a skiing holiday? It depends on how much time you want to spend actually skiing, as opposed to waiting to ski. If you don’t want to wait in lengthy queues to hire ski equipment, or to use the chair lift or tow, or to do anything at all, then it’s probably worth paying more.
In France, high altitude snow-sure resorts with a good mountain access system and a superior range of shops, bars and restaurants, can be quite expensive. In our view they are worth it as you will undoubtedly get far more hours of skiing than in cheaper, lower resorts. A world class resort such as Val d’Isere gets skiers up the slopes in large numbers and incredibly quickly, and offers a unique alpine ambience and a range of high quality accommodation and eating establishments.
Going cheaper usually means choosing a resort where snow conditions are unpredictable or perhaps poor, or where there are few lifts and lengthy queues, or where there isn’t much to do after your skiing. It’s a balance between the amount of time you’re prepared to spend waiting to ski versus the amount of time you’re actually skiing, and the relative cost!
Après-ski is also an important part of any ski holiday, and it is important to have a wide range of things to do that will suit everyone in your group. For these reasons, along with the snow of course, Val d’Isere is considered one of the best ski resorts in the world.
Famous for the massive Espace-Killy ski area and beautiful scenery, Val is one of the top ski resorts in the world. With over 300 km of pistes and more than 100 lifts serving 135 runs, its ease of access to the slopes is incredible. Even on the busiest days, queues are uncommon, as there are more than 78,000 rides per hour to take you to the top of the runs. If you also happen to be staying in one of our luxury ski chalets, you will undoubtedly be in ski heaven.
Also worth considering are the well-known destinations of Chamonix and Les Trois Vallees, which also enjoy perfect skiing conditions over a long season, although, naturally, we would choose Val d’Isere any day!
Corporate Skiing Holidays
Thursday, July 15th, 2010Entertain special clients with a blend of fresh powder skiing, fantastic après-ski and a stay in one of our luxury catered ski chalets, providing a unique and memorable setting for your corporate entertaining to surpass all expectations.
We know that your time is precious – we ensure that the whole process is stress-free and effortless from the first time you pick up the phone. Our expertise and exacting standards will deliver everything you want and more. We work closely with you every step of the way to cater to all your party’s requests, be they discussed in advance or last-minute – nothing is too much trouble.
Our mountain lodges offer the latest technology and modern comforts housed within a traditional alpine exterior. The layout of interior spaces is perfect for uniting a group. Combined, our 5 chalets offer 32 bedrooms in one convenient location.
Le Chardon Mountain Lodges promise an attention to detail which is second to none. Daily champagne receptions and canapés, gourmet 5 course dinners, fine wines, fresh flowers and daily international newspapers, and of course a chauffeur and concierge service are all part of the service to bring you and your clients a magical and memorable experience. We don’t forget the innumerable, less obvious tasks in order to ensure your stay is smooth and untroubled by any inconvenience. You can relax in the knowledge that we will have thought of everything so that you don’t have to.
As a corporate destination, Val d’Isere has the edge over other top ski resorts with its super-efficient mountain access system. Even at the height of the season queues are rare and it’s easy to avoid them. There are a host of other activities with which to entertain your clients such as snow-mobiling, paragliding, helicopter tours and heliskiing, ice karting, quad biking, sleigh riding and husky sledging amongst others. The resort also offers a variety of shops, restaurants, and bars, plus a state-of-the art sports and leisure centre provides high quality amenities for everyone.
Why not give us a call to discuss your requirements? Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are always happy to help.
Chalets winding down as Val d’Isere celebrates great season
Thursday, April 29th, 2010With the end of an incredible season coming ever closer, our beloved Val is gradually becoming quieter and more serene. However, conditions are still good on many runs especially if you grab the first lift of the day. You can get some great skiing in before the official end of season on 2nd May, and top up your tan at the same time.
The Literary Festival, which runs until 1 May, makes for an interesting diversion when not on the slopes. Finally, from 27 April – 2nd May you can expect some great après-ski, lots of end of season celebrations, including parades and lots of vin chaud.
We’ll be hard at work over the next few months ensuring that our luxury ski chalets continue to be of the highest standard, ready for next ski season. We look forward to seeing you then, and in the meantime will keep you updated with news and snowsport info.
Luxury Ski Chalets for Val d’Isere Gourmet Food Festival
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010For all you foodies out there, you can now plan your Val Di’sere ski trip around one of the most spectacular cookery events in Europe – Pistes Gourmandes, La Cuisine Pure. This festival of fine cuisine, taking place 15-20 March, celebrates all that is wonderful about French cooking, with workshops, demonstrations, cook-off competitions, children’s cookery classes and, of course, tastings! We currently have a few spaces in Chalet Mistral, a ski chalet for 14 people, please contact us for details.
Several Michelin-starred chefs will be dropping into Val during the festival to give cookery classes participate in talks, and sign copies of their books. For the first time this year there will be a “Golden Spoon” competition especially for female chefs. Often in the shade of their male colleagues, women will come to the fore and create some amazing culinary delights to be sampled and judged by the formidable 34-strong panel of expert judges. Not for the faint-hearted!
Here at Le Chardon our gourmet experience will be more relaxed and, we think, equally as good! A private chef looks after guests in each chalet – having created menus to suit each party, breakfast is ready every morning, cakes and treats made daily, canapés prepared to enjoy with champagne before dinner and indulgent gourmet meals using the freshest local ingredients are served in the evening.
Our Head Chef Oliver Clark (who has been trained by Gordon Ramsey, Gary Rhodes and Phil Howard) has created a fantastic menu for this season, with dishes including roast sea bass with celeriac truffle and ratte potatoes; assiette of suckling pig with smoked garlic mash, pea mousse and tarragon jelly and a mouth-watering selection of freshly-prepared desserts. We look forward to seeing you.