15 best hotels in Courchevel for a snowy mountain stay this ski season

Now the Saint Tropez of the slopes and home to some of best ski hotels in Europe, Courchevel’s groomed, cruisey pistes once attracted British and French old money, the sort who’d set alarms for fresh powder and trudge home through deep snow and sweats, skis over shoulders for fireside backgammon and forty winks. A few endure, devouring all 600km of Trois Valées slopes and Narnia-like off-piste, but a new, Fendi-clad tribe moved in and – amid the slope-side Louis Vuitton cafés and plateau de fruits de mer – are firmly holding court. Of Courchevel’s four varied-altitude villages, it’s the highest, 1850, they’re here for, with more luxury boutiques than boulangeries, Gucci gondolas whizzing skiers up-mountain, and an altiport poised for private jet arrivals.

At Courchevel 1850’s heart lies La Croisette (the main lifts), around which merry-go-rounds, hot chocolate stands and horse-drawn carriages coalesce in woolly hat-and-glove spirit. But it’s the curious abundance of Michelin-starred restaurants that sets this resort apart from its Alpine contemporaries, and amid their waiting lists and the Dom Perignon dramatics, it’s easy to forget the main event (you won’t be the first). Courchevel’s skiing is the gold standard, with a vast squiggle of cannon-lined, mainly north-facing runs (receiving a hefty annual investment) for all levels to whoosh down and thrilling off-piste for the advanced lot to explore. The former are, typically, conquered via vin chaud elevenses on sun-drenched terraces, then lobster-raclette-tartiflette lunches, with gentle blues carrying squiffy skiers home to afternoon teas and spa treatments. Courchevel first-timers snaking up the mountain in Bentleys will notice the heated driveways and coded boot room doors of the snow-laden chalets. Interspersed among these dacha-style lairs are the Alps’ swankiest hotels, ranging from contemporary Bond-villainesque marvels to dialled-up Habsburg-era hunting lodges, all riffing on the Savoie style to various degrees, all incredibly expensive. Slide down-mountain to Courchevel Moriond (1650) and the rates follow suit. This is our edit of the best hotels in Courchevel.