Chalet Hôtel Kaya ★★★★

Last winter, I took a trip to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado for my winter ski holiday. While I was there, I met a real ski enthusiast who couldn’t understand why I had come all this way when I had the Alps on my doorstep. It was one of his dreams to ski in Europe. The day we met, he guided me to some private powdery trails I never would have found on my own. It was a treat that I would never forget and I wondered how I could repay him. This year, I invited him to visit Les Ménuires, France, home to the largest ski area in the Alps. The hotel was on me, and I couldn’t help but go for the very best, the Chalet Hôtel Kaya in Reberty Village.

I couldn’t have chosen a better location than Reberty 2000, the most attractive of the Les Ménuires villages featuring out-of-this-world views of the slopes and super easy access to the Trois Vallées ski station. What a station it is! I could tell my friend was impressed and especially excited to hit the slopes. And who could blame him? With 600 km of trails and 200 ski lifts all at 1850 m of altitude, the sky’s the limit. I was thrilled to watch his face as we rode up the ski lift for the first time. He was like a child in a candy shop, and I was grateful for being the one to have brought him here.

I was also grateful to VeryChic for making booking our hotel so simple. The Chateau Hôtel Kaya is nestled cosily in the mountainside and perfect for skiing enthusiasts like us. The staff made us feel like royalty when we arrived, with a warm and friendly greeting and a champagne cocktail at the bar. The décor of the hotel is modern and features charming wood, stone, and slate for elegant and luxurious style. This lovely ambience continues into the rooms. There we found the ultimate in comfort with warm and inviting contemporary interior design, comfortable beds, a soothing bathtub, and a majestic balcony overlooking the slopes. We felt right at home with amenities such as an iPhone docking station, a tea and coffee station, and free designer toiletries. The best part of the room however is its southern exposure and panoramic views of the mountain peaks. Every day we woke up more enthusiastic than the day before to get out and try out new trails!

Because the Chateau Hôtel Kaya is a four-star hotel, we were not surprised to discover its perks. Free hot drinks and pastries were waiting for us in front of the fireplace in the bar, and Le K restaurant provides scrumptious regional Savoyard dishes in addition to a wine list that you could only find in France. The restaurant boasts 360° views of the mountain for moments of sweet reflection. At breakfast, we were treated to a quality buffet that had all we needed to charge our batteries for the day ahead. My American friend especially appreciated the massive size of the heated indoor pool, where he could do lengths without bumping into other guests. I found my joy in the organic spa, where a massage and skin treatment by the expert staff followed by a Turkish bath was just what the doctor ordered for my tight muscles. Could this be the perfect hotel for the perfect ski holiday? If my American friend’s experience is anything to go by, then I’d have to say yes…