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Nine remarkable new ski hotels opening this winter

Refuge de la Traye in Méribel is one of this season's hotly anticipated openings
Refuge de la Traye in Méribel is one of this season's hotly anticipated openings

With medieval charm in Val d’Isère, world-class chic in Colorado and secluded splendour in Méribel, this winter’s hottest new mountain properties have pulled out all the stops to ensure their place in the ski season spotlight.

Whether tastes and pocket extend to five-star luxury or budget bunk-beds, here are nine of the most exciting new hotel openings this season, with foodies, clubbers, spa-bunnies and family groups all catered for, and access to the most spectacular slopes always guaranteed.

Unless stated otherwise, prices are half board per person, based on two sharing and including flights and transfers.

Best for luxury

L’Armancette, Saint-Nicolas de Véroce

This five-star boutique hotel is in the village of Saint-Nicolas de-Véroce, near Saint-Gervais, which links into the 400km Megève ski area. With 17 stylish bedrooms and beautiful views of Mont Blanc, the hotel is the perfect place to relax. It houses a gourmet restaurant, La Table d’Armante, with a menu designed by the three-Michelin-star chef Antoine Westermann. The property is on the site of a former bakery and has its own onsite bread and pâtisserie shop. There’s also a tea room, wine bar and a full spa with gym and inside/outside swimming pool.

Need to know

From £3,032, including FlexiPlus Eurotunnel crossings for self-drive with Peak Retreats.

L’Armancette, Saint-Nicolas de Véroce
L’Armancette, Saint-Nicolas de Véroce
Best for charm

Mademoiselle Val d’Isère, Val d’Isère

This new five-star ski-in/ski-out property, built in baronial style with grey stone walls, wooden beams and wrought wooden staircases, is right on the edge of the piste in Val d’Isère. It’s also close to the shops and all the popular après spots. The accommodation – 40  rooms, 11 suites and five apartments with private butler service – is spacious, stylish and cosy. Other features include four restaurants, a private cinema, a gallery of upmarket boutiques, and staff decked out in medieval costumes. For post-ski muscles the 1,200sqm Guerlain spa provides a luxurious retreat, with steam rooms, hot tub, swimming pool, sensory showers and a dedicated kids’ pool. Many are expecting Mademoiselle to raise Val’s game culinary and luxury scene to a new level.

Need to know

From £3,300 with Scott Dunn.

Best for cuisine

Le Coucou, Méribel

Snuggled into the mountainside above Méribel, this elegant hideaway offers a five-star ski-in/ski-out experience. Rather than traditional Alpine style there’s a minimalist, contemporary look throughout the 10 floors. Most of the 55 rooms have terraces, while two large independent chalets, connected to the hotel via an indoor corridor, offer total privacy while benefiting from all the hotel’s services. There are two very different restaurants: Italian-style Bianca Neve, with adjoining wine cellar, and BeefBar, offering exceptional meat cuts from around the world, including Australia, Argentina, the USA and Japan. Other features include a spa and wellness centre with two swimming pools, the Le Fumoir bar for connoisseurs of unusual spirits and cigars, the Petit VIP kids’ club and The Teens Lab. Grown-ups can enjoy customised creative workshops on themes such as cookery or mocktails and savour original recipes.

Need to know

From £2,575 with Ski Solutions.

Best for elegance

Grand Hôtel Soleil d’Or, Mégeve

The Grand Hôtel Soleil d’Or first opened its doors in 1901. It’s now opening them again, reincarnated as a five-star lifestyle destination that pays tribute to the resort’s thermal history with a sumptuous spa in the middle of the mountains. Housed in the original historic building, accommodation comes in the form of 28 tastefully decorated rooms, suites and chalets, while a panoramic bar overlooks the slopes. The pièce de résistance is a chocolate shop in the lounge area, surrounded by two immense fireplaces. Here guests can indulge in exceptional chocolate – liquid, solid, hot or cold. Sledge-dogs and helicopter safaris are two of many activities on offer, and beginners will like the fact that the hotel is situated just 800m from the Mégeve Ski School.

Need to know

From €560 per night booked direct with Le Soleil D’Or, excludes travel.

Best for après

W Aspen, Colorado

This new luxury boutique hotel sits on the slopes of Aspen mountain and provides a chance to soak up the history of the former silver mining town. Choose from 88 chic rooms (some with bunk beds), suites and slope-side apartments with jaw-dropping views. The all-weather 8,000 sq ft Wet Deck has a heated pool, hot tub, DJ booth, cabanas, a U-shaped bar and stunning 360-degree views of Aspen. Those seeking a does-it-all après spot can head to the Living Room Lounge, which serves dinner and bespoke cocktails and has an outdoor terrace, and then later the hotel’s underground nightclub, 39°. With its European sister hotel, W Verbier, scooping the accolade of the world’s best ski hotel at the World Ski Awards, there’s certainly a lot to live up to.

Need to know

From $298 per night room-only with Marriott, excludes travel.

W Aspen, Colorado - Credit: @Jason Dewey 2018
W Aspen, Colorado Credit: @Jason Dewey 2018
Best for families

Écrin Blanc, Courchevel 1650

Based in the heart of Courchevel Village (1650), four-star Écrin Blanc has ski-in/ski-out access thanks to the Grandes Combes chairlift right on its doorstep. Chic, modern, spacious and comforting, the hotel has 127 bedrooms and suites decorated in a “mountain chalet” spirit. Guests can take their pick of three gourmet restaurants and two lounges. Children and teens are well catered for too, with a free kids’ club open seven days a week and a tunnel linking the hotel to the multi-million-Euro Aquamotion water sports complex featuring nine pools, indoor surfing, climbing wall and a wellness centre.

Need to know

From £1,125 with Crystal Ski.

Best for the budget

Base Camp Lodge, Bourg Saint Maurice

Eco-friendly Base Camp Lodge is just a short walk from the funicular connecting guests to Les Arcs/Paradiski ski area from the town of Bourg Saint Maurice. The hotel and hostel has 106 rooms suitable for all types of guests: singles, doubles, suites, family rooms and capsule pods, designed for low-budget solo travelers. There’s also five dormitories, with kitchenettes, suitable for large groups wishing to self cater. The modern reception, restaurant and bar are all combined and are decked out with an array of chic furnishings. The bar hosts music, concerts and festive events throughout the year and there’s an outdoor drinks terrace.

Need to know

From €67 per night booked direct with Base Camp Lodge, excludes travel.

Base Camp Lodge, Bourg Saint Maurice - Credit: Soumis a Copyright/Manu Reyboz
Base Camp Lodge, Bourg Saint Maurice Credit: Soumis a Copyright/Manu Reyboz
Best for off-grid

Refuge de la Traye, Méribel

Nestled between in the mountains, this boutique hamlet above Méribel reopens this winter following a complete renovation and expansion of the original hotel. Seven eco-luxury rooms and a private chalet blend have been designed to blend into the landscape and immerse guests in the natural setting. The restaurant specialises in hearty Savoyard fare, while the spa offers a wealth of restorative treatments including milk baths, hay bed and water massages. Access to 166 ski lifts and the Trois Vallées’ 600km of world-class slopes are there for the taking, and in the summer children can learn about rural traditions in the nearby farm.

Need to know

From €529 per night bed and breakfast booked direct with Refuge de la Traye, excludes travel.

Best for parties

Peakini Klubhaus, Obertauern

In one of Austria’s most snow-sure resorts the Hotel Frau Holle has relaunched as the Peakini Clubhouse this winter, after an extensive makeover. Basking in a cool, friendly atmosphere, the transformed hotel, close to the resort’s slopes, opens its doors as a party hotel this winter, with 26 rooms ranging from singles to suites. There’s set to be parties-a-plenty, including themed nights and live acts, in the ground floor bar, in close proximity to Obertauern’s lively bars and clubs. Those looking to rest will appreciate the hotel’s new wellness area, with finnish sauna, rainfall showers and relaxation room.

Need to know

From €115 per night bed and breakfast with J2ski, excludes travel.

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