Grandes Alpes Private Hotel ★★★★★

First stop, the shop! Our bags are taken care of as soon as we arrive so we laden ourselves down with new ski gear from the Lacroix ski boutique that’s on the premises. Satisfied we’ll be chic and comfortable as we whoosh down the slopes, we head to our suite.

If the hotel is a diamond, its nine suites are all precious stones. When booking, we had had a bit of a falling out over which to choose. There are nine amazing apartments in total, ranging from 150 m2 to 300 m2, and they are all named for precious stones. Garnet, Topaz, Emerald, Onyx … Ruby, a 216 m2 duplex, won out in the end and even though it wasn’t my first choice (I’m more of an onyx type of girl) I am not at all disappointed!

A large open-plan dining room and a gorgeous living room will be our indoor playground for the length of our stay. The fireplace is already lit and our beds are turned down (the perks of round the clock housekeeping). There are two bedrooms on the first floor and two more upstairs. More than enough space for the six of us. One of the bedrooms even has its own steam room! The décor is warm and earthy with flashes of ruby-red colour strategically placed by a renowned French interior designer. Fabulous sculptures and works of art adorn the living areas. The suite is so spacious there’s even room for a horse, yes – a horse in the dining room! The chandeliers are works of art unto themselves. Everything is so perfectly thought out from the shades of wood, to the textures and motifs. An iPad is at our disposal in the living room and from it we can control lights, heating, the TV … This is not your average 5-star hotel!

Two of us head off to the apartment’s smoking lounge while the rest of us nosy around the professional kitchen, relieved that we’re not going to have to either use it or clean it for the entirety of our stay! As if on cue, our private chef arrives. Friendly introductions are made and we gather round to watch, glass of wine from the personal wine cellar in hand, as he prepares us a fantastic meal.

The next day is spent on the slopes. At noon we ski back to the hotel for lunch. The sun may be at its pinnacle outside but we enjoy delights of the rising-sun kind at Bizan by Grandes Alpes, run by Toshiro Kuroda, a master of Japanese cuisine. It feels quite unusual to be eating sushi in the Alps but it’s actually the perfect fuel for an afternoon of skiing. Later on, we try out the Valmont Spa where we soothe, smooth and revitalise our bodies in a world made of bubbles, steam, fountains, jets and showers.

Polished and gleaming, we head to the Bellini’s Bar for a glass of champagne in celebration of a great day. We plan out our week, a day of cross-country skiing, a helicopter ride, a haircut in the hotel’s hair salon, taking care to leave a lot of time for skiing and relaxing. The hotel concierge will take care of all the details for us – he’s a gem! I look contentedly around at my friends, raise a glass to our friendship on this first night of what is sure to be an amazing week at the Grandes Alpes Private Hotel, and say:

Among life’s precious jewels, genuine and rare, the one that we call friendship has worth beyond compare ~ Anonymous