Chalet Verdet

Chalet Verdet is the latest addition to a fabulous portfolio of luxury ski chalets in St Martin de Belleville run by an English couple. It was built as a luxury private chalet and they have missed nothing – it is sublime, in a knock-out location, and has superb attention to detail.  A genuinely beautiful chalet.

This luxury ski chalet is modern in design, but with hints of traditional alpine architecture and furnishings. No expense has been spared in its interiors, with Venetian glass crystal chandeliers, designer furniture and sumptuous fabrics and textures used throughout. A modern palette of greys and metallics has been used in the living spaces, with softer neutrals and warm plaids in the bedrooms.

The large and airy living space with double height ceiling over the lounge area features a stunning 2000-crystal chandelier, huge bespoke L-shaped corner sofa, beautiful grey wooden furniture and lots of luxurious details to complement the space. A glass, three-sided fireplace joins the lounge area to the dining area and open plan kitchen, making it a dazzling place for entertaining and relaxing after a long day on the slopes.

Dining takes place on a large bespoke wooden table with gorgeous grey fabric chairs. The over-dining light is another modern chandelier with hundreds of crystals dripping above the centre of the table. The kitchen is modern and sleek with a big central island.

There are five en-suite bedrooms, each with its own lovely style ranging from warm navy and brown to cool cream or charcoal grey, but all including crisp Egyptian bed linen, sumptuous towels and super-comfy beds. Each also comes with its own iPod docking station and hairdryer, as well as The White Company toiletries plus bathrobes and slippers, even for little ones. Towels are changed mid-way through the week, which is a nice luxury touch. Only the master suite has a bath, the others have spacious walk-in showers.

Chalet Verdet is a luxury catered chalet and food is key to the whole experience here. Chefs are hired with Michelin star restaurant experience or an AA rosette background, so you can expect knock-out fine dining but with a nod towards the modern and healthy.

They love doing things a little differently too, so expect nutribullet smoothies on the menu as part of breakfast, homemade granola bars or protein balls waiting in the boot room to take on the mountain each day, and then an exquisite and tailor-made menu in the evening comprising canapes, starter, main and dessert, followed by cheese and then coffee with petit fours.

The chalet has an open bar which includes gin, vodka and whisky as well as prosecco, red, white and rose wine and also beer and soft drinks/mixers. Wines are carefully paired with dinner each evening to complement the menu. Champagne is offered on arrival day. They also have an à la carte wine menu if guests are looking for something a little more special.

The chalet can also be taken on a self catering basis if required.

Chalet Verdet has a large, state-of-the-art outside hot tub on the terrace with fabulous mountain views, as well as a wellness area on the ground floor with sauna, hammam, massage area and loungers for relaxing. This area has been interior designed with beautiful wooden cladding and soft lighting, making it a perfect spot to chill out after a hard day’s skiing.

Chalet Verdet is properly child-friendly and comes equipped with everything you might need for children, from newborns right through to teenagers. This includes highchairs, wooden cots with mattresses, changing mats, nappy bins etc for little ones, along with car seats and boosters for all ages. A nice touch is that all guests under 10 receive welcome packs on arrival featuring toys, games and crafty bits for them to take home with them.

The chalet also has a second living space in the snug which has a corner sofa and plenty of room for playing with toys/games or just curling up on the sofa and watching the 65 inch TV and DVD player, or playing on the PS4 games console with games. There are lots of age-appropriate toys, games, books and DVDs too, specially selected for each client’s stay.

A particularly good service is that the chalet also has its own in-house nanny service providing live-out English-speaking nannies for just a few hours or an entire week. They come fully armed with a host of fun games and activities up their sleeve and love playing in the chalets and taking the littlest of guests out on adventures in the snow.

The interiors, the food and service — oh, and the chandeliers. This chalet has it all.

If you are looking for rocking après-ski then St Martin de Belleville is not for you. It has its own muted bars and lovely local restaurants, but it is a quiet mountain village with a real Savoyard vibe.