High glamour and high solitude in Les Trois Vallées
From Asian-inspired glamour to Savoie savoir-faire, there’s no one way to ski Les Trois Vallées, writes Carys Sharkey
As a skiing destination, Courchevel hardly needs an introduction. It is one of France’s most prestigious resorts and boasts the largest interconnected ski area in the world in the form of the Les Trois Vallées, linking Méribel and Val Thorens.
The sheer size of the area, not to mention the well-heeled-skewing-towards-the-famous guests, can make it a daunting place to visit. This is the kind of place you can pick up a €1090 bottle of 2019 Château Lafite Rothschild at the cornershop to help wash down a bag of crisps.
But there is no right way to ski the Les Trois Vallées, and two offerings by the Maya Collection prove that there are multiple ways down a mountain. From Asian-inspired glamour in the bustling heart of Courchevel, to an isolated refuge not accessible by car, this a Tale of Two Hotels in the French Alps.
The Maya Hotel only opened at the start of the month, and there is an unmistakable newness to it – not just in its box-fresh pristine sheen, but in the wider sense of bringing something very new to Courchevel. Located two minutes from a gondola, which you can see dipping and weaving into the mountain from your room’s window, the location is perfect for skiers. It’s also a great base to explore the town, which has an enviable amount of bougie delis slinging out foie gras and truffles.
The rooms at the Maya Hotel are spacious and tastefully curated. The bed is the size of a London flat, and a particular highlight is an evening, post-ski bath with the just traceable line of the mountain visible while you soak. In fact it’s after dark when this hotel really comes into its own. The restaurant cultivates an after-hours, pulsating atmosphere that sees guests and locals sip champagne and eat sushi until late. The food at its Mayabay restaurant, which sells itself as Japanese-Thai, is a welcome antidote to the onslaught of stodgy-cheesy skiing fare that keeps out the cold. However, after a few nights of little wagyu this and lobster roll that, I couldn’t help but pine for the Alpine.
But this is the sort of hotel that knows its target audience and provides the glitz and glamour in spades. It is Courchevel written all over: prestigious, pricey and fun, and in no small part geared towards the influx of Russian money in the area.
A thirty-minute drive to another valley and you’re a world apart. Refuge de la Traye is the Maya’s sister property, but it offers an entirely different way to experience the mountain. Only accessible at certain times of the day due to strict laws around disturbing the peace, you can only travel to the Refuge by small sno-cat (sno-kitten?) or foot. The vehicle winds its way up through the wooded valley and out into the breathtakingly beautiful private alcove above Les Allues.
Built in 1982 and newly renovated in 2019, Refuge de la Traye boasts three chalets, comprising six rooms and suites. It’s exclusive with a capital ‘E’. From the terrace looking over the pool and into the valley below, the only sound is the occasional soft thud of snow falling from blanketed trees. From here you can sip champagne or mulled wine and think about very little of anything. For skiers, it’s about one hour door-to-door to get to Méribel, so the isolation does come at a cost – but to say it’s worth it would be an understatement.
Despite being in the middle of the mountain, you won’t go wanting for anything. The Refuge has mastered the sort of hospitality that anticipates your needs. Want to spend the afternoon getting Japanese spa treatments? Fine. Want a bottle of Chartreuse, the intensely herbal spirit made by Carthusian monks, delivered to your room? No problem. Want to watch a film in a cinema room with chef-made snacks? Of course.
The beautiful restaurant allows guests to sample Savoie cuisine in all its rich glory. Foie gras laced with truffle, buttery Grenobloise sauce and slow cooked lamb served with cheesy pasta. There is a generous, showstopping quality to the cooking that is captured by the pudding I had: omelette norvégienne (or Baked Alaska to you and me), set alight tableside and washed down with some génépi, the local liqueur.
After burning off lunch in the sauna, we made our way down the mountain by snowshoe. As the light started to fade into blues and a heavy silence fell on the mountain, it struck me just how differently you can experience the same region, and how lucky we are for it.
Book here:
Maya Hotel Courchevel 1850 (Minimum 2 nights / From €1,568 BB for a deluxe room)
Refuge de la Traye (Minimum 2 nights / From €1,790 BB for a deluxe room)