Printable property details
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Chalets de Vanoise, Belvedere, 73120 Courchevel Saint Bon, France
73120
Chalet Marmotte
- Style
- Piste-side pizzazz
- Setting
- Belvédère bolthole
Chalet Marmotte’s slope-side setting in the peaceful hamlet of Belvédère is a stone's throw away from the Trois Vallées’ 400 miles of runs. The Vanoise National Park is pure heaven for dedicated skiers and a tonic for those wanting to get away from it all. If it’s Alpine glamour you crave then the Michelin-starred wonders of Courchevel 1850 are only a few minutes away.
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'Fabulous skiing – and right on our doorstep'
'Wonderful food, a fantastic chalet and perfect snow'
'A perfect chalet; everything was so effortless'
In the know
Sleeps
10 in five bedrooms including a mezzanine, which is ideal for children
Ideal for
The perfect mix of stunning scenery, unparalleled skiing and high-society partying
Rates
€10,000 to €20,500 including chalet staff, champagne and canapés on arrival, breakfast and afternoon tea, fresh flowers and daily newspapers.
Minimum hire
One week normally starting on Friday, although rental periods may vary slightly throughout the season.
Also
Smoking is not allowed in the chalet. A Sony Vaio laptop and PlayStation 2 with a selection of games can be pre-booked. There is WiFi access throughout the chalet and the TV has a full Sky package.
Eating & drinking
The dining table seats eight comfortably and has views of the piste. Fresh bread and croissants are delivered every morning and guests are welcomed with a champagne and canapé reception. A private chef or shopping service can be arranged and there is a chargeable chalet bar, a wine cellar and a shopping service on request. Supermarket: Casino supermarket is 100 metres downhill from the main Forum Centre in 1850 and has the widest choice of food and wine in Courchevel. The smaller Sherpa supermarket is in the Forum Centre itself.
Deli: Chez le Gaulois at Le Forum in Courchevel has a extensive selection of regional specialities, including hams and cheeses, and a superb range of cognac.
Off-licence: For first-rate French wine and champagne, head to Le Baricou on rue des Verdons (+33 (0)479 00 77 72).
Children
Welcome. The mezzanine bedroom with its beanbags and TV is ideal for kids. In-chalet child care can be organised and highchairs and cots are available. The chalet manager can arrange children’s ski lessons.
Music
There's a CD player in the main sitting room with a large selection of discs. It’s worth forking out for your own chef at Chalet Marmotte. He can expertly prepare French cuisine tailored to your requirements. Other in-chalet services include massage and beauty therapies.
Provided
Chalet staff, Egyptian cotton bed linen, towels, luxury toiletries and fresh flowers. Newspapers and firewood are delivered daily.
Packing tips
Keep up with the style-conscious Courchevel set and sport a Chanel ski suit and quilted leather skis.
Eco policy
The chalet is built to strict environmental codes to reduce carbon emissions and minimise its environmental impact.
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check availability
To check availability and book a ski chalet, please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rental rates on all ski chalets, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
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Chalet Marmotte has the same classic style as neighbouring Chalet Chamois, with pine panelling, vintage ski posters and warm, textured fabrics. It's slightly smaller than Chamois and has an intimate and cosy atmosphere. There are four double or twin rooms with en suite bathrooms and two additional beds on a mezzanine level on the top floor. The mezzanine is perfect for children due to the low, sloping roof under the eaves.
Interior
Bedrooms
Lac Bleu Bedroom: double bedroom on the lower floor with en suite bathroom and access to the balcony, right on the piste.
Jardin Alpin Bedroom: double bedroom with en suite bathroom on the lower floor with access to the balcony overlooking the piste.
Petites Bosses Bedroom: double room with en suite bathroom and private balcony at the back of the house, with a great view of the mountains.
Belvedere Bedroom: this double room with en suite bathroom is the master bedroom and is located at the back of the chalet on the same floor as the main living area. The private balcony has views of the mountains.
Mezzanine Bedroom: the mezzanine room is right under the eaves and sleeps two. The low ceiling makes it ideal for children. It has a TV and beanbags and makes a perfect snug.
Kitchen The open-plan kitchen has granite worktops and is fully equipped with a dishwasher, caterers’ fridge, microwave, cooker and all-important coffee machine.
Living room Large, comfortable sofas encircle the fireplace and the balcony has additional seating overlooking the slopes. There's a TV with full Sky package, DVD and CD player.
Dining room The dining table seats eight and is next to the sitting area and the kitchen. There are suberb views of the piste from the balcony.
Other Get ready to hit the slopes in the spacious boot room on the ground floor; it even has a heated boot rack. There is also a sauna in the chalet.
Outdoor
Gardens There’s no garden at Chalet Marmotte but the piste is right on your doorstep so you can ski in and ski out. The nearest ski lift is about 40 metres down the slope.
Parking There's a double garage and outside parking for at least two cars.
check availability
To check availability and book a ski chalet, please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rental rates on all ski chalets, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
Courchevel offers some of the finest restaurants in the Alps as well as the largest integrated ski area in Europe.
Activities
Activities
Courchevel is pure heaven for skiers of all levels and has an enormous ski area to explore. The high altitude guarantees excellent conditions, even when other areas have limited snow; some resorts have been know to bus people to Courchevel as an emergency measure. If the snow is really good you can ski all the way from Saulire to St Bon – a drop of 1,600 metres. Try to ski the black runs, such as the fantastic Les Suisses, at the beginning of the week as they become crowded towards the weekend. Courchevel has excellent facilities for snowboarders and you can also arrange heli-skiing trips over the border in Italy. Few places offer as many Alpine alternatives as the Trois Vallées. You can also try skidooing, hot-air ballooning, parapenting, ice-skating, tobogganing and snow shoeing. The adventurous can take a transfer to nearby La Plagne to shoot the bobsleigh run while the unhinged can head to Tignes to try some ice-diving. Contact Whitetracks on +33 (0)686 12 34 17, www.whitetracks.co.uk.
Smith tip
If you choose where you ski carefully, you can follow the sunshine as it travels across the valleys. Ski on the right-hand side of the valley in the morning and switch to the left-hand side after lunch. The higher slopes get the sun first. You should be able to ski home to the chalet in the late afternoon with the sun on your back.
Eating, drinking and dancing
Restaurants
The Bateau Ivre
(+33 (0)4 79 00 11 71)
Courchevel 1850 is the only place in the Alps where you’ll find a pair of two-Michelin-star restaurants right next to each other. This restaurant at the Pomme de Pin hotel has the best views of the slopes.
Le Bateau Ivre, La Pomme de Pin Hotel, Courchevel 1850
Chabichou
(+33 (0)4 79 08 00 55)
Right next to the Bateau Ivre is the gastronomically spectacular Chabichou, also with two Michelin stars. There’s no shortage of spectacular ways to blow your cash at 1850.
Chabichou, Rue des Chenus, 73121 Courchevel 1850
Le Farçon
(+33 (0)4 79 08 80 34)
This place in La Tania has a mere one Michelin star – oh dear. The nine-course tasting menu is excellent.
Le Farçon, La Tania, Courchevel
La Crêperie du Moulin
(+33 (0)4 79 08 10 90)
This informal and friendly restaurant is great for crêpes in the afternoon and fondue in the evening.
La Crêperie du Moulin, Place du Tremplin, Courchevel 1850
Le Genépi
(+33 (0)4 79 08 08 63)
The only thing this restaurant lacks is a terrace. All the same, they serve excellent, classic French food so it’s still a firm favourite.
Le Genépi, Rue Park City, Courchevel 1850
Le Petit Savoyard
(+33 (0)4 79 08 27 44)
For something relaxed and informal, this restaurant in Courchevel 1650 is the perfect place for inexpensive local dishes and wood-fired pizzas.
Le Petit Savoyard, Rue du Marquis, Courchevel 1650
check availability
To check availability and book a ski chalet, please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rental rates on all ski chalets, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
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Housekeeping
There is a housekeeping service each morning. If you have special requirements then, with a little advanced warning, the staff can make the necessary arrangements.
check availability
To check availability and book a ski chalet, please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rental rates on all ski chalets, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
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Getting there
Planes Chambéry airport is nearest and just under 90 minutes away. Flybe has winter services from Southampton, Norwich, Exeter, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle (www.flybe.com). It’s about three hours to Lyon and Geneva airports. Helicopter and private plane transfers to the Courchevel Altiport can be arranged by the chalet but you'll need steely nerves to handle the landing!
Trains Eurostar operates a very convenient overnight Ski Train service. It runs on Fridays and Saturdays, stopping at Moûtier, 30 minutes from Courchevel (www.eurostar.com).
Local taxi service Call +33 (0)4 7901 10 10 to pre-order a taxi. Chalet Marmotte can arrange transfers to the station or airport on request.
Directions by road Follow the E711 and E70 from Lyon or the E25 and E712 from Geneva to Chambéry. Take the péage to Albertville and then the N90 dual carriageway to Moûtier. Just beyond the town, the road to Courchevel climbs the mountainside in a series of tight hairpin bends. Take rue de Belvédère on the left at Courchevel 1650.
check availability
To check availability and book a ski chalet, please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rental rates on all ski chalets, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
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Local granite, aged timbers, luxurious furnishings and carefully considered details create an undeniably comfortable setting, while the chalet’s modest size guarantees an intimate atmosphere.
Review
If you want a bit of everything on your ski holiday then Chalet Marmotte will suit you down to the ground. Firstly, you get the run of a chic chalet with exceptional facilities and a wonderful personal service. Secondly, you have the largest ski area in Europe right on your doorstep so you can ski in and ski out with ease. Finally, the select restaurants of Courchevel, the Alps' most glamorous resort, are only a few minutes away. Although your energy levels won't be tested inside the chalet, you'll need to rev up a little in order to sample everything on offer outside.
Located in the secluded hamlet of Belvédère, five minutes drive from Courchevel 1650 and 10 minutes from 1850, the chalet has a splendid view of the Tarentaise Mountains and the Vanoise National Park. Like the neighbouring Chalet Chamois, which also belongs to Marmotte’s owners and is ideal for larger groups, the interior of this Swiss-style chalet is classically elegant. Local granite, aged timbers, luxurious furnishings and carefully considered details create a undeniably comfortable setting, while the chalet’s modest size guarantees an intimate atmosphere.
The four double bedrooms are warm and inviting, with views of the piste and the surrounding mountains. Egyptian cotton sheets, snug bathrobes and smart en suite bathrooms add to the air of tranquility. The mezzanine level has a low sloping ceiling under the eaves and two additional beds, which are ideal for children. Marmotte is perfect for families and the chalet staff can organise ski school and baby-sitters so that the parents can make the most of their holiday too.
Guests are welcomed with champagne and canapés and the staff produce fresh bread and croissants each morning, as well as afternoon tea. Evening meals are not included in the cost of the chalet but it's definitely worth the extra expense to have Chalet Marmotte’s expert chef prepare delicious French food served with fine wine from the cellar. The personalised service at the chalet allows you to request a whole range of added extras, including helicopter transfers and relaxing beauty treatments in the chalet’s sauna and spa room.
Of course there’s also the vast Trois Vallées ski area to enjoy. Chalet Marmotte uses their detailed knowledge of the mountains to recommend hand-picked guides. They are invaluable if you want to fully experience the 400 miles of ski runs. Courchevel also has a dazzling array of alternative Alpine sports including white-knuckle rides on the bobsleigh run in nearby La Plagne and ice-diving in the lake in Tignes. You'll no doubt be grateful for the peace and comfort of Chalet Marmotte at the end of an action-packed day.
This chalet in Courchevel sleeping ten guests was reviewed by Jim Whyte
check availability
To check availability and book a ski chalet, please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rental rates on all ski chalets, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
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