Apartment Angelina

Chamonix has been a popular Alpine destination for centuries and its historic streets have far more charm and character than many of the modern, purpose-built resorts found elsewhere in the Alps. The town is also surrounded by dramatic peaks which make it the undisputed capital of extreme sports, too. Apartment Angelina’s location at the bottom of the Aiguille du Midi cable car and on the edge of Chamonix’s town centre means you can sample both aspects of this sophisticated year-round resort to your heart’s content.

The apartment sleeps six guests in three warm, wood-panelled bedrooms; one is en suite and the other two share a bathroom. Its location and its cosy but spacious size means that Apartment Angelina is ideal either for families or for a small group of friends. With the mountains towering over the town and the main cable car only yards away, extreme skiers will be in Seventh Heaven, too. The apartment has many features of a traditional chalet – light pine panelling, a large wooden balcony and rustic, decorative details – but it also incorporates contemporary style.

There’s extensive use of natural materials throughout. The kitchen is fully equipped and features an unusual, rough-hewn granite sink, while the stone fireplace next to the dining area adds a traditional sense of warmth to the property. Even in the sitting area, where a plasma screen TV, DVD library and CD player provide the modern entertainments you’d expect, soft, deep leather sofas maintain the sense of Alpine elegance. Although the resort’s excellent restaurants are only a short stroll away, there’s plenty to entertain you if you’d prefer an evening in.

There’s a great deal of choice on offer when hiring Apartment Angelina. You can take the property for a week on a self-catering basis and still benefit from the expertise of a resort concierge. They will book and organise any of Chamonix’s huge range of winter and summer activities on request. They will also arrange spa and beauty treatments if you wish to enjoy the mountains at a more leisurely pace and can even provide a shopping service to prepare the apartment in advance so you can simply focus on the Champagne reception.

If your stay is fully catered then the apartment can be hired for long weekends – very convenient with Geneva airport less than one hour away. Fully-catered guests have private airport transfers, a chauffeur, the resort concierge and a chalet chef. Daily breakfast, afternoon tea and gourmet six-course meals will make you feel thoroughly pampered. Carefully selected wines and an open bar are included but the apartment also has a rather irresistible wine cellar with some fantastic a la carte wines to choose from.

Apartment Angelina’s staff can also cater for children and will provide all the necessary equipment so you don’t have to struggle through baggage reclaim with a buggy. Although it’s in the town centre, there’s a secure garden for kid’s to play in and the concierge can arrange ski school on request. Not that adults get left out; any activities, including paragliding, ice skating, mountain biking, rock climbing and white-water rafting are all popular in Chamonix. The staff’s years of experience means they can recommend the very best local experts and operators for you. Hand-picked mountain guides can help you ski some of the most challenging runs in the Alps such as the the Kandahar World Cup runs and the incomparable 23-kilometre-long Vallée Blanche.

This Chamonix chalet sleeping six guests was reviewed by Jim Whyte