Etoile du Nord - East

There's a New Star in Town!

Romulus and Remus, Castor and Pollux, Etoile du Nord East and Etoile du Nord West. Like other famous sets of twins, these two apartments share a galaxy of traits and characteristics with a few subtle differences. As with siblings, you just couldn’t (and shouldn’t) choose between the two. Which is fine because they are both gorgeous.

They are two wings of a new chalet in the Petite Alaska area of Val d’Isère. They are almost the same size, around 700m2, sleeping and accommodating twelve (with space for a couple of little ones) in uncompromising comfort. All the pleasures that you have come to expect from a chalet holiday of a celestial standard are there: indulgent spa, cosy cinema room, delicious dining and meticulous service. Gorgeous décor is also a given and here Etoile du Nord sets out to excel. Both East and West are determinedly modernist without falling into the trap of trying too hard and ending up a little bit bleak. Both apartments carry off the same trick: they fuse contemporary style with warmth and beauty. They have personality, whimsical features that build a bond and add some sparkle to your stay in their orbit.

Take the lift and step out into the open plan living, dining and kitchen areas on the first floor. The clean lines and funky geometry are there but they make sense, echoing the jagged lines of the mountain peaks that are stunningly on display through vast windows. And yet the ambiance is also cosy and relaxing, the colour palette soothes, the timber is mellow. A long table invites sophisticated dining for twelve alongside a rather glamourous open kitchen, the stage on which your private chef will show off the skills and talent that led to this kitchen and your dining experience.

A master bedroom on the top floor takes you to somewhere quite heavenly, ‘on top of the world’, with spectacular mountain views and a hot tub on the balcony. In the East Wing, five further double bedrooms occupy lower floors, some of which can be converted to twins. They are all ensuite, some with large showers and some with bathtubs. They might be smaller than the master, but every fixture and fitting, every choice of fabric, every piece of designer furniture, has been carefully selected to create a harmonious luxury. The additional bunk-bed room also has its own bathroom.

Then those clever quirks take this chalet another step beyond the pedestrian. There is a cinema room that is far more than a place for movies. It is a games room, it is a bar and it has a Perspex window to the swimming pool, just for fun. There are doors to allow it to be shut off from or connected to the adjacent bunk-bed room. Quite a space for a party!

The spa is on the level above the cinema, hence the option to swim down and wave through the window. Its character confidently questions conventions. Why can a hammam not be serenely, brightly part of the room, with transparent walls rather than solid. Let’s put another hot tub outside. And surely an outside/inside pool where you swim to the icy alpine air is part of the magic of Val d’Isère.

So, there are a few defining characteristics between these twins, the east and the west faces of a brilliant North Star. Configurations, details, the hue of a fabric here, the placing of a feature there. But they are also both outstanding chalets as individuals.