Welcome to Out of Office…,Best Knockoff Luxury Clothing
UK's chic travel guide that provides you with the most stylish take on any given destination by tapping creatives who know where to stay, what to eat and, more importantly, which items to pack. This month,Best Knockoff Luxury Clothing
UK editor Rebecca Rhys-Evans shares her tips for a memorable trip to Val d'Isère in the French Alps.
I’m lucky enough to have been one of those children taken on ski holidays by their eager parents in the nineties. We didn’t do the Louvre or the Empire State, but Dick's Tea Bar and La Folie Douce? We were there. But as I got older and ski holidays got more expensive (read: when I started having to pay for myself), I lost touch with my love of the mountains in winter and wanted to see more of the world outside Europe.
This was all until a few weeks ago when I put my ski legs to the test once more to experience Wholesale Replica Bag opening from hotel group Experimental: a chalet-hotel in Val d’Isère. Let's just say this: it delivered. If you're like me and struggle with the winter blues, take this as a sign, because I've found my cure and it doesn't require a SAD lamp or a desperate countdown to spring. It's simply a trip to the mountains, where winter weather isn't hated but rather embraced and enjoyed to the max. Sounds cheesy, doesn't it? But trust me: nothing makes you more glad to welcome January than the promise of a ski trip.
Picture this: you wake up (if you’re a really passionate skier, then to the sound of your alarm for the first lift), get yourself a hot breakfast and hit the slopes, where you spend a few hours improving your snow plough or parallel turns. Maybe you’ll stop for a spot of lunch. Hot chocolate? Oh, go on! Maybe a beer? How about two? Then, you do an extra couple of runs for good measure, because there’s nothing like a bit of Dutch courage to get you down La Face.
After skiing down the mountain (or some cases, sliding down the mountain), you retire to the spa for a swim, steam, sauna and cold plunge, and maybe even treat yourself to a massage. You meander back to your room before heading out for a bit of fondue and après ski, and end it all with a fantastic night’s sleep in your gigantic bed. Can life get any better than this?
If you're wondering about the hottest spots in The Alps, Val d'Isère (or Val, as it's affectionately known by regular visitors), is up there. And if you're not sure where to stay (spoiler: I recommend Experimental Chalet), where to eat and of course, what to wear on and off the slopes, you've come to the right place.
To enjoy a ski holiday is to enjoy a stay at one of Experimental Group's chalets. Its original outpost is in Verbier, Switzerland, but its latest venture is where I stayed, in Val d'Isère. With interiors by the group's lead interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon, it's an eclectic mix of mid-century style furniture and fabrics with a colour palette that echoes the seventies (and reminded me so much of The Standard in London), along with finishes that allude to its alpine location—think branch-like door handles, side tables made from logs and the pièce de résistance; the rounded stonework fireplace in the lobby. There are two restaurants, a bar and a large spa (all of which I'll get to below), and the rooms are well-equipped, beautifully-designed with Savoyard touches and have picturesque views from every angle.
For me, the best thing about Experimental Chalet Val d'Isère is that whilst it has just over 100 rooms and has all the offerings of a larger hotel, it has the feel of one on a smaller scale. There's so much attention to detail and service that it feels luxury yet unpretentious, and it's clear the team behind the hotel thought hard about the grievances that often accompany a ski holiday. Take the basement boot and ski room, for example, where not only do you store your equipment, but you can hire it from here too—everything including skis, snowboards, boots, poles, helmets and the like—and purchase all the necessary accessories, saving you an excursion to a ski shop.
Whilst you’d be forgiven for thinking fondue had its moment back home decades ago, leaving the Alps without experiencing it is a sin. Experimental Val d'Isère's restaurant, L'Aiglon, is dedicated to fondue, tartiflette and raclette, which is another must. Its second restaurant, L'Aiglon D'or, is a stylish brasserie option that offers both French classics and international favourites, so whether you need to carb-load with a burger and fries after a day of skiing, or if you’re celebrating with champagne and oysters, this menu will match your vibe.
But it's perhaps the hotel’s bar, the Experimental Cocktail Club, that I have the fondest memories of after my recent stay. With its swanky seventies-inspired interiors, top-notch playlist (with a live DJ playing on the weekends) and a bar full of almost annoyingly good-looking, charismatic and well-dressed staff, it's ideal for pre-dinner drinks or post-dinner parties, depending on how dedicated you are to catching that first lift the next morning.
Other eating and drinking options in Val d'Isere:
L'Apin Val d'Isère: A sensational rustic restaurant offering signature French dishes with a modern twist.
Atelier d’Edmond: If you're splurging, then a reservation at this two-Michelin-star French restaurant is worth it.
La Folie Douce: Perhaps the most famous mountain-side club group in the Alps, and the one you've likely seen on TikTok, La Folie Douce plays host to many DJs and performers.
Arctic Juice
Cafe:
A cute café that offers probably the best barista coffee in town, as well as pastries, and as the name suggests, juices.
Naturally, we can't talk about a trip to the mountains during winter without talking about skiing (or snowboarding). What makes Val d'Isère so popular is the range of slopes and the conditions. A fellow journalist and expert skier told me, "If there's snow in France, there's snow in Val." On this trip I was lucky enough to have perfect conditions: ample snow with blue skies and sun every day. If you're a beginner, Les Trois Vallées is a perfect region, with plenty of nursery slopes as well as blue and green runs for once you've perfected your snow plough. And if you're advanced like me (I'm lying), then you can conquer La Face de Bellevarde; the infamous black that has hosted the World Cup and Winter Olympics.
For those visiting the area who are less interested in winter sports and really looking for R&R, then Spa by Experimental is going to be your main hang-out spot. With an indoor pool, sauna, steam room and Nordic ice bath, relaxation is easy. What's more, there's a menu of Dr Barbara Sturm facials and massages, some of which have been created specially for those who have exhausted themselves on the slopes.
Because ski gear is designed to protect you from the elements, it’s always been notoriously expensive. Nowadays, however, there are brilliant rental platforms and affordable brands offering options that make dressing for the slopes much more accessible. If you want to go designer, my suggestion is to rent. There are a few places to do this, but, in my humble opinion, Blanqo is the best. It specialises in ski wear and has what I think is the best selection of brands. Not only can you find chic skiing staples such as Goldbergh, Perfect Moment and Poivre Blanc, but Blanqo also stocks a range of cool-girl favourites like Shoreditch Ski Club and Snowroller.
When I'm off the slopes, I like to stay on theme. If you’re more of a classic dresser, seek inspiration from pre-millennium Sloane Ranger style, when yuppie types in the eighties and nineties would adopt accessories like sleek tortoiseshell sunglasses and headbands that should be worn with cashmere après jumpers and neat puffer jackets that cinch in the waist. If, like me, you lean towards a more streetwear vibe, go for loose-fitting silhouettes like cargo trousers and oversized, pull-over jackets most commonly adopted by snowboarders; and style them with sportier sunglasses and chunky, rounded snow boots.
