Chalet Sapphire

A Precious Alpine Jewel

The moon is rising. Its white light reflects on the snow making it glisten in a way you have not, until this moment, experienced. Steam is rising from the gurgling hot tub where fragrant water bathes your tired limbs, healing the aches that remind you of that glorious, if strenuous, last run back to the village. You chose Chalet Sapphire, and you congratulate yourself on your judgement. 

Chalet Sapphire is a meeting of the well-equipped elegance of a five-star hotel and the privileged seclusion of a private residence. You chose it because it would be a gated haven where you could enjoy your well-deserved holiday. It would also demand only a short, level walk to the village - certain members of your party have a strange compulsion for the après-ski mayhem at the Tremplin at the foot of Le Pleney.

And yet, even they have opted to linger, mostly, at the Chalet. Every evening here is magical. Generous space calms the mind with its soothing palette, lights the spirit with its massive windows, and nourishes the soul as its natural wood gleams as darkness falls.

The indoor pool with its massage and counter-current jets is enough exercise for most after a day on the slopes. Perhaps an excursion from its warm water to relax in the Hamman or invigorate in the ice-chamber. Or maybe to venture across the snowy terrace to the barrel shaped sauna from whose cosy interior you can watch the sun fade behind the mountains. Sometimes, pulling a few weights in the gym balances out that ache in the quads earned on the bump run above Avoriaz, but the attraction of a soothing massage in a calming treatment room often wins.

Thoroughly refreshed, how about a round of pool, while the bar-tender mixes a favourite cocktail? Pr that eternal question of what to select from an intriguing range of carefully chosen gins. With which specialty tonic? And don’t forget that visit to the wine cellar to ensure the perfect pairing for tonight’s feast.

Dinner! The handcrafted Balinese dining table is square, seating up to 16 guests who can all talk actually to each other. Today, you look froward to the Kaiseki fine Japanese dining experience, which will allow the chef to entertain the party with pyrotechnic wizardry from the open kitchen. All the sophisticated touches will have been meticulously worked upon behind the doors of the professional closed kitchen.

All your guests are delighted with their bedrooms, 6 en-suites distributed throughout the chalet. You even managed to find space for 4 extras in Little Gem, delightful self-contained accommodation set in the grounds. But wait, how about a night-cap! The kids are watching a movie in the cinema. The firepit beckons, where everyone snuggles under a velvet sky as the flames dance.

That conversation starts again – where should we ski tomorrow? With the vast expanse of the Portes de Soleil at your ski-tips, the debate goes on. But there is no need to decide tonight. Tomorrow morning, fortified by a lavish breakfast, everyone will congregate in the untypically comfortable boot-room. Sinking fingers and toes into welcoming warmth (your boots and gloves have spent a cosy night on the warmers), you glance at the screen on the wall. Live information on snow conditions and webcams of the slopes tells you exactly what you need to know. That settled, you all pile into the luxury vehicles and your chauffeur will transport you to the lift station of your choice.