The iconic Val d’Isère resort in the French alps is a sanctuary to the ski lifestyle lovers. With alpine sun and food. Traditional European architecture. A vast array of piste and off-piste slopes. Energetic après bars and late-night haunts for partygoers. The area is scattered with charming Austrian-style mountain hut ‘refuges’ above the valley and town, amid the emerald pines and snow-capped summits. Walkers and skiers alike stop to rest limbered limbs and ski-boot squished toes at giant altitudes. These huts are beacons to the curious and offer repose to the adventurous.

Le Refuge de Solaise offers a unique chalet-hotel experience in the Val d’Isère resort, a ‘refuge’ de luxe. It is not, however, hidden low down in the town. This hotel – the hotel with the highest altitude in France – rests 2551m above sea level. At one with the slopes and the crisp mountain air. The swanky massif haven was constructed from the frame of a dilapidated cable car station. Making use of its location now as a luxurious hub for affluent patrons and pursuers of heart-racing runs. Guests take advantage of the optimal sunshine and are the first to make tracks before even the lifties begin their day. This trendy summit hotel is a unique regeneration and recovery of French alpine heritage, with modern luxury in mind and a touch of quirky ingenuity in soul.

France’s oldest cable car station ran for over 70 years before getting a shiny and exclusive new upgrade in traditional alpine form. Mountain stone, slate, and local copse found wood replaced the old structure with the addition of 360-degree views via wide terraces and open glass perimeters. The hotel, despite its massive transformation, having forgone cable cars for travellers, remains a vital organ of the resort. Le Refuge de Solaise, positioned a short walk, ski, or skidoo from the new Solaise gondola, is an elevated ski-in ski-out sanctuary way above the status quo.

Swanky and secluded mountaintop lodging with a view

The majority of accommodations at Le Refuge are comprised of wooden and stone structures daubed in warm rustic tones and highlights of modern chic in the obscure woven and industrial wired light fixtures, textured rugs with geometric imprints and animal fur chairs. Augmented by stylish mezzanines, checkerboard marble tiled bathroom floors and stand-alone porcelain bathtubs next to expansive windows. The sunsets and mountain vistas readily available to guests in intimate seclusion.

Alongside the 16 classic rooms, le Refuge offers four different apartment chalets and even a traditional dormitory. The colossal Flat Charvez sleeps 18, with seven rooms, a massive kitchen and dining area complete with swanky Smeg appliances, coffee machine, and a private butler. The chalet is the perfect space for that blow-out holiday with all the family and friends. A comfortably stylish private space with all needs cared for and even the availability of a private chef for the full chalet experience.

Dining in the clouds

A gregarious and generous spirit drives the dining experience at the Refuge. With two restaurants, – Gigi and le Petit Refuge – modish bar, and even an outdoor oyster bank. Le Refuge, despite its altitudinal isolation, offers a multitude of gastronomic delights. Gigi, the chic Parisian society restaurant has found an elevated home at Solaise, serving elegant Italian cuisine with a lavish touch. Patrons can relax on the Petit Refuge’s sunny terrace or in Gigi’s glass fronted restaurant to indulge on black truffle pizza, oozing monte d’or, tartiflette, or extravagant lobster spaghetti to share. Serving a mixture between mountain classics, bold Italian generosity, and the most lavish seafood imaginable, Le Refuge de Solaise’s dining does it all. From tables perched in the clouds, right on top of the world.

Make the First Tracks

The glorious morning ski in solitude. Piste, groomed and crisp. Sun shining bright against the snow as it rises above the jutting peaks. Staying at Le Refuge guarantees you those perfect first tracks in the silence of an empty mountain. This trendy summit hotel is an elevated ski-in ski-out sanctuary. The sleek new Solaise gondola, with blacked-out windows, plush heated leather seats and free Wi-Fi presents the panoramic vistas of the Vanoise Natural Park in style. With jagged couloirs, sweeping bowls, and perfectly powdered slopes all in view, the gondola gives access to the best that Val has to offer. The entire resort – L’Espace Killy – including Tignes is home to 300 kilometres of piste, including the infamous black run ‘Le Face’ for thrill-seekers. Paired with the iconic Folie Douce and Cocorico’s après bars, the resort and location could not be more exhilarating, especially when staying at Le Refuge. The gondola has even been privatised to the hotel guests for three evenings a week, making a long après, meal, or adventure in the town a breeze.

Mountain Spa

The Refuge Spa’s pool and hot tubs face a bay window with another spectacular mountain view, lit softly by spotlights and scented with herbal alpine botany. The spa offers exclusive Exertier treatments and cosmetics. The brand was borne from traditional Savoyard herbalism using natural ingredients of honey and alpine orchids grown and produced in the mountains themselves.

Solaise is a mountain refuge with oodles of style and luxury. Flying high above the rest, and the renowned resort of Val d’Isère. This hotel is a haven for hardcore skiers, foodies, and après connoisseurs alike. Encompassing all the charm of the French Alpine experience alongside a unique modern opulence. Trendy summit hotel Le Refuge de Solaise remains a swanky cable car station at heart, with views to kill, slopes to thrill and exclusive access to flawless blue-bird days.

Article by Georgina Barrett