The spirit of unabashed luxury that has now become Courchevel’s signature—with its Gucci-branded gondolas, over-the-top lobster lunches, and hundreds of upscale boutiques—means that skiing can be something of an afterthought. Glamour takes center stage here, as designer-clad women don their winter best while making their way down a beginner’s slope like the beginning of a Chanel fall-winter fashion show. Courchevel’s abundance of gentle terrain has made it accessible for beginners and families alike, whose brief stint on the slopes is sometimes a mere prerequisite to engage in the après ski festivities sur piste.
Meanwhile, Val d’Isère, one of the highest peaks in Europe, can sometimes be overshadowed by Courchevel’s ritzy bravado—yet it’s long been the polestar for more experienced skiers. “The Val d’Isère traveler is an enthusiastic skier and adventurer, really looking to maximize all the outdoor adventures possible in the Alps,” explains Anne-Laure Ollagnon, the CEO of luxury hotel group Airelles. “It’s very relaxed, attracting those who are drawn to an authentic and sporty atmosphere.” She attributes this primarily to Val d’Isère’s higher altitude, making it a sport enthusiast’s paradise with slopes ranging from 1550 to 3450 meters—excellent conditions for skiing and alpine activities such as heli-skiing. Visitors can also choose from over 300 kilometers of slopes as opposed to only 150 kilometers in Courchevel, providing a huge variety for experienced skiers, which includes the famed slope, “La Face de Bellevarde”; originally created for the Olympic Games in 1968, it remains a thrilling challenge.
Beyond skiing, Val d’Isère has always been characterized by the village’s traditional stone architecture and laidback Alpine charms, as well as its satisfying—albeit fuss-free—après ski scene at casual spots serving endless raclette and beer on tap. But a new guard of luxury stays and foodie boltholes is breathing new life into this once-unassuming ski station in the French Alps. At the front of this wave is Airelles Val d’Isère, the latest opening for the luxury hotel collection known for its properties Les Airelles in Courchevel and La Bastide in Gordes. While other independent luxury hotels have quietly appeared, Airelles has had the largest impact in ushering in a new era that’s put Val d’Isère on the map among international travelers, bringing with it its playful and imaginative approach to luxury that gives all of its properties an authentic sense of place.
Positioned right at the base of the mountain as the only luxury hotel in the area to offer ski-in and ski-out access, Airelles launched in 2020 with a string of gastronomic openings, helping cement Val d’Isère as an international culinary destination. There’s Parisian favorite Loulou, with its Mediterranean menu served atop an 800-square-meter terrace, which has quickly become the ultimate après ski spot with DJs and dancing. Or, there’s the more traditional restaurant La Grande Ourse, originally built in 1936, where Savoyard cuisine like fondue and raclette has been reimagined while preserving its authentic charms—even down to the traditional uniforms.
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If that wasn’t enough, Airelles recently tripled its culinary footprint by opening three of the best restaurants in town, including Matsuhisa, where chef Nobu serves his unique Japanese cuisine with Peruvian influences within an elegant Japanese-style alpine wonderland. Also new as of last season is Le Relais, Airelles’ high altitude restaurant, which serves authentic French brasserie cuisine on a spacious terrace with direct access to Les Santons and L’Epaule du Charvet pistes for lunch. In the evenings, Le Relais transforms into the lively Le Piaf, the iconic high-end French restaurant with outposts in Paris, Courchevel, and Megève, making it a lively new addition to Val d’Isère’s nightlife scene.
Just as the restaurants offer an upscale dining experience to guests, they still retain the relaxed and easy-going spirit of Val d’Isère with a design ethos that’s characterized by its tasteful restraint. This formula of blending novelty with tradition is an Airelles signature that masterfully bleeds into other areas of the property, from their cozy Alpine-chic rooms, to the hotel’s brand new four-bedroom Chalet Schuss designed by celebrated interior designer Christophe Tollemer, in which rustic Savoyard design elements are paired with five-star service featuring the chalet’s own dedicated staff complete with a butler, chef and housekeeping. Much like Val d’Isère itself, Airelles’s luxuries are discrete, as opposed to obtrusive, invoking that if you know, you know appeal that Val d’Isère travelers are after.
While Airelles’s opening had arguably the biggest impact on Val d’Isère’s lifestyle evolution in recent years, other independent luxury hotels have since opened, such as Le K2 Chogori and the highest hotel in the French Alps, Le Refuge de Solaise, with more household brands gearing up to open as soon as 2025. “Val d’Isère has a somewhat ‘lifestyle’ feel versus the more ‘haute gamme’ experience found in Courchevel and this is reflected in the recent openings,” Ollagnon reflects.
One such opening is French hospitality brand Experimental Group’s Val d’Isère location slated to open during the 2024-2025 winter season in what will be the largest property in the group’s portfolio. In the same way that we can rely on Airelles to introduce playful luxury to a destination, we can rely on Experimental to bring the cool factor. Designed by the brand’s long-time partner Dorothée Meilichzon, the hotel will feature 110 whimsical rooms, two restaurants, the brand’s iconic Experimental Cocktail Club bar, and a spa.
This will be the brand’s second foray in the Alps, following the success of Experimental Châlet Verbier—and if that property is any indication of the group’s ability to transform a laid-back ski station into a lively social hub, Experimental Group Val d’Isère will continue to build off of the energy ignited by Airelles. So while Val d’Isère is no longer just about good snow and melted cheese, if that’s all you come for, there’s still plenty of that here too.
