Little luxury is silly. The hotels Cheval Blancpart of the luxury conglomerate LVMH, are a world apart. The first, founded in 2006 in Courchevel 1850 (altitude), in Savoie, is one of the flagships of the group, which still maintains establishments in Paris, Saint-Tropez, Randheli (Maldive Islands) and Sain-Barth.
Now, Cheval Blanc Courchevel, which opens its doors four months a year (from December to April), is one of the few palaces in the region, in addition to having deserved three stars in the Michelin Guide with the 1947, a restaurant piloted by Yannick Alléno. Everything here is made and thought to welcome and pamper customers, among them countless Brazilians – regular guests of the place.
To get an idea of the presence of Brazilians in the most luxurious ski resort in Europe, it is the most received nationality here, behind only Americans and Russian oligarchs. Of course, after the beginning of the War in Ukraine, at the end of last month, the number of Russian customers dropped dramatically…But that’s another story.
Cheval Blanc Courchevel is located within the largest ski area in the world, the Trois Vallées, packed with designer stores such as Dior, Bulgari, Vuitton, Fendi, Hublot, Loro Piana, Cartier, Boucheron, Hermès, Chanel, Prada, as well as restaurants and clubs. spirits washed down with champagne until the wee hours of the morning.
For those who are attentive, many of the stores mentioned above belong to the French luxury group, which makes the region an LVMH stronghold. Bernard Arnault, CEO of the conglomerate, the third richest man in the world (after Tesla’s Elon Musk and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos), reigns supreme.
And the numbers don’t lie: the group’s turnover in 2021 was around 64.2 million euros, an increase of 44% compared to 2020 and 20% compared to 2019 – plenty of reasons to celebrate (with lots of Blanc de Blancs champagne from Ruinart, of course).
Luxury in the small details
Cheval Blanc Courchevel was thought of as a luxury chalet in the highest and most chic part of Courchevel. The 36 rooms and suites were decorated by Margerie’s SybilleFrench interior designer, as well as American architect Peter Marino.
With materials such as wood, leather, iron and steel, the space also features works by numerous artists such as Karl Lagerfeld, Zbigniew Libera, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Xavier Veilhan, Bruno Peinado and Mathias Kiss.
The tones are warm and cozy like ocher, brown, olive, pink and beige, as well as the red of the other local restaurant, Le Restaurant de Cheval Blanc Courchevel. The terrace, new this season, faces the slopes of the Jardin Alpin and the Louis Vuitton tent, the group’s mother house. Inside the giant igloo, pieces shown in fashion shows, objects and furniture from the Objets Nomades collection and luxury items such as 100% fox fur ski gloves (price €875).
Beauty, what do I want you for?
After a day of intense sport on the slopes of Courchevel, guests are invited to relax in the spa, designed by Guerlain, the younger sister of the group. With a multisensory pool, jacuzzi, hammam with chromotherapy, sauna, hot-tube and banya (Russian bath with hot steam), you can spend hours there before indulging in the delights of countless massages to fortify the muscles, beautify the skin of the face. or enjoy the benefits of winter cures proposed by in-house specialists.
John Nollet, French star hairdresser of movie celebrities, has a boudoir in the spa at the Cheval Blanc. The hair stylist of people like Mylène Farmer and Vanessa Paradis can comb or cut clients’ hair – by making an appointment well in advance – for 1,000 euros.
The pampering doesn’t stop there: spread throughout the hotel, the so-called butlers and alchemists develop experiences to surprise guests. The experiences are numerous, discreet, personal and memorable: how about flying around Mont-Blanc or leaving the first ski trails on the slopes before the opening and the other mere mortals? Or, cook with the best chefs in the country, or try the new bûche de Noël by Yannick Alléno?
starry food
When it comes to gastronomy, we are in the right place. The starry crew member 1947 is decorated in wood, stone, leather and porcelain, and receives few customers at its five tables. The team, made up of young people who come directly from hotel schools in Switzerland and France, follows a kind of orchestrated choreography to serve the lucky customers of the night.
The dishes? How about thinking big and starting with a scallop soup, celery brioche biscuit, pumpkin frangipane ravioli, honey and citrus butter, bitter almonds, pine extraction in coffee jelly, and ending with a simple hot chocolate cream? The experience is excellent, but prepare your pocket. The tasting menu, with all the above dishes and three with Poulet de Bresse (a type of chicken raised in the open air with the ultra-tender meat), does not cost less than 395 euros.
In the château bar, with the sound of the piano and heated by the fireplace, the cocktails made by the mixologist are accompanied by Savoie tartines with black truffles or aigrelette cream and smoked salmon. If you want to take a tour of the shop right next to the bar, you can taste Cuban cigars and Scotch whisky.
After this tour, there are still rooms and suites, complete with surprises in the bathroom with Cheval Blanc beauty products. All with the Mountain Chic perfume, created especially for the hotel, with notes of wood, orange, cardamom, amber and patchouli. In addition, bottles of champagne, sweets, cakes, chocolates, natural juices.
Want something more exclusive? L’appartement, a five-story chalet with lift and private ski room, three bedrooms, triple reception hall with grand piano, dining room, bar, private kitchen and terraces overlooking the chic Jardin Alpin. In addition, dressing, dressing table and space for yoga, private coach or massage. Did you need a glass of water? The butler is there for that.
Source: CNN Brasil
