The Best Hotels In Val DIsre For Every Traveller

With its superb slopes, animated nightlife and spectacular views, Val d’Isère is one of the top ski resorts in France. It’s well-loved for its high altitude, offering snow-sure conditions and a vast off-piste playground. Joined with neighbouring Tignes, there are 300km – 186mi – of pistes to explore, ideal for intermediate to advanced skiers. The downside? It’s one of the most expensive ski resorts in France. Aside from the town centre, Le Daille is a popular base for access to the slopes and neighbouring bars, restaurants and shops. Le Fornet and Le Laisinant offer a better price, but you’ll need to get a taxi home at night. Read on to discover our pick of thebest hotels in Val d’Isère.

Le Refuge de Solaise

Boutique Hotel, Spa Hotel, Luxury

This humbling refuge, only accessible via the Solaise gondola, looks out over the French Alps from 2,550m (8,370ft) above sea level. Watch the sunrise and sunset from your bedroom – above the clouds – or on a clear night, trace out the constellations in the night sky. Inside the building, you’ll find luxury and modern style mixed with the traditional trappings of an alpine hut. Don’t worry about being beaten to the slopes in the morning – you’re already there.

Hôtel Kandahar

Boutique Hotel

Hôtel Kandahar was built in 1960 in a traditional Savoyard style of architecture, with wood and stone dominating the exterior look. The on-site restaurant, Taverne d’Alsace, has been headed by chef Michel Wehrung for more than 25 years, and it’s where French classics meet Alsatian (dishes from the Alsace region in France). Try the tarte flambée, Alsatian-style snails, home-made meatloaf or baeckeoffe (a hearty potato-and-beef casserole dish).

Le Yule Hotel and Spa

Luxury, Boutique Hotel, Spa Hotel

The contemporary rustic lobby at Le Yule Hotel & Spa, with tree-stump seating, a plush banquette and lots of wood

Slide down the Bellevarde and Solaise slopes and you’ll arrive at Le Yule, a few steps from the lifts and shops in the area. The five-star hotel in Val d’Isère is fantastically warm and comfy with considered, stylish lighting, cosy-as-it-gets rugs, wooden decor and big windows. The on-site Nuxe spa covers 400sqm (4,306sqft) dedicated to wellness. Meanwhile, Le Solstice restaurant is a bubbly place to try creative, unusual meals.

Le Tsanteleina

Hotel

Right in the centre of the town, and only a short walk from the slopes and lifts, Le Tsanteleina really could not be much better located. The fabulous decor of this luxurious establishment, with impressive interlaced wooden beams on the ceilings, will transport you to a real mountain world. The on-site spa is especially welcome after a long day of skiing, and the food at La Table des Neiges reaches for gastronomic perfection. Many of the rooms also offer spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

La Tovière

Hotel

Right in front of the chair lift and cable car, the Funival, and only a short walk from the town centre, La Tovière is conveniently located. This quiet, cosy establishment is tranquil and caters for passionate skiers. With a ski room that includes personal heated ski lockers, it is possible to walk straight from the hotel to the slopes while keeping your boots on. You’ll also have free access to a steam room and a sauna – especially welcome after a long day on the slopes.

Chalet Hotel du Fornet

Hotel

A couple of kilometres from the centre of Val d’Isère, Chalet Hotel du Fornet is a great spot for those who wish to escape the hustle and bustle of the town centre. In the idyllic little Fornet hamlet, this renovated hotel has retained its quaint stonework and authentic wooden beams. With only 12 rooms, this friendly establishment offers a personal welcome, alongside a sauna, a hammam and a jacuzzi. Despite not being in Val d’Isère village centre, the Fornet gondola is only a 200m (656ft) ski-boot-stomp away.

Hôtel les Barmes de l’Ours

Hotel

For an authentic chalet experience, the five-star Hôtel Les Barmes de l’Ours has been specially designed to embrace all the luxurious aspects of mountain living. Its four floors are each interestingly themed, with different takes on mountain-style accommodation – from the bright, elegant Scandinavian floor to the cosy, dark-wood of the American Great White North floor. Inside this hotel in Val d’Isère, you’ll also find four restaurants and one of the most opulent spas in the French Alps.

Avancher Hôtel

Hotel, Lodge

A small, tranquil hotel just a bit out of the town centre and an easy bus ride from the slopes – on some days guests can even ski right back to the hotel – Avancher Hôtel is a cosy and personal establishment. Built in 1949, it’s one of the oldest hotels in Val d’Isère. With its sauna and ski workshop, as well as a large wooden terrace, garden and mountain bike rentals, it caters well to its guests all year round. Especially noteworthy is the restaurant that uses great quality, fresh, local produce to provide truly superb meals each day.

L’Aigle des Neiges

Hotel, Spa Hotel

In a great location right in the centre of Val d’Isère, just a stone’s throw from the ski lifts and the best bars and restaurants, the stylish L’Aigle des Neiges caters to all of your skiing needs. The lounge bar is an especially lovely place to relax after a long day on the mountain, with a fireplace and regular live music. On top of this, the hotel has two restaurants that allow you to choose which kind of ambience you are seeking each night: one modern and family-friendly, the other refined and up-market.

Hôtel Altitude

Hotel

Just a few metres from the lifts and at the foot of the famous Bellevarde run, Hôtel Altitude is in a great location for avid skiers. A perfect spot all year round, it has convenient ski lockers and boot warmers as well as breathtaking mountain views from its many balconies. During the summer, the on-site pool is especially welcome, as is the large outdoor terrace. The lounge bar is especially charming, and the restaurant provides traditional food, with a substantial, typically French breakfast and dinner to boot.

Le Kern

Hotel

Le Kern is an intimate, cosy hotel in Val d’Isère that immediately makes guests feel at home with its welcoming atmosphere. Rooms are simple and traditional, and the price reflects this. Start with breakfast in the traditional dining room, styled in classic alpine decor, before grabbing your skis from the on-site boot room. A welcome change from the bigger, more imposing hotels, Le Kern is a lovely little gem of comfort.

Hôtel Avenue Lodge

Hotel, Lodge

On one of the most picturesque roads in town, Hôtel Avenue Lodge is a luxurious five-star establishment with a stylish, refined decor that tastefully marries tradition with modernity. The large, funky bar is a great place in which to relax after a long day of skiing, as is the on-site spa, complete with a swimming pool, a jacuzzi and saunas. Expect gourmet food in the restaurant – from succulent steak and truffle-topped pasta dishes to traditional Savoyard raclette.

Stuart Kenny contributed additional reporting to this article.

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