Three luxury ski lodges

published 16 December 2016

Les Neiges, Courchevel, France

Today heralds the opening of Courchevel's newest luxury chalet hotel Les Neiges. "The Savoyard resort is one of the most exclusive in the skiing world," says Annie Barbaccia in Le Figaro. It sits in one of the most chic spots in the Trois-Valles, at 1,850 metres in altitude, and the interior is just what you might expect: Canadian designer Natalie Ryan was clearly in her element. "Snow she knows," says Barbaccia, so think floor-to-ceiling wood and stone, a touch of leather, and the "inevitable" fur coverings dotted around the place. The whole ensemble is best admired from the two restaurants, while in the spa, you will find a pool, sauna and steam room not forgetting, of course, the obligatory outside Jacuzzi.

"This is quite possibly the ultimate Alpine lodge," say Gabriella Le Breton and Peter Hardy in The Daily Telegraph. Adler Mountain Lodge, near Ortisei, is the "perfect icon of scented pale wood and glass, situated in solitary splendour in the middle of the Alpe di Suisi, the highest-altitude alpine meadow in Europe". The lodge is "best reached by gondola and horse-drawn sled, or by a longer, surreal taxi ride that involves crossing a couple of busy pistes". Recover in the infinity pool or indulge yourself with a "spoiling" treatment in the spa, which uses "natural alpine ingredients such as edelweiss, arnica and mountain hay". In the restaurant, chef Hannes Pignater serves up trout fillet with sweet and sour pumpkin, and giant spinach and cheese ravioli. Wash that down with a glass of local Prosecco, naturally.

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This alpine-style lodge in Vermont, New England, capitalises on Stowe's reputation for being a "world-class destination for winter sports enthusiasts", says Katie Chang on Forbes.com. It boasts ski-in, ski-out access to Mount Mansfield, the state's highest peak, along with 39 miles of skiable terrain. You could, however, be forgiven for hiding out in the lodge's "legendary" spa. It's "seriously spacious" with 18 treatment rooms. There's also a heated outdoor pool, and "a unique self-guided spa ritual in the healing lodge, where guests can indulge in exfoliation (with a Himalayan salt scrub) and temperature therapy (with a cooling rainfall shower and hot tub)".

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

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