Hotel Mont Blanc

THERE ARE FRENCH ALP RESORTS and then there's Megève: old money, quiet glamour and Le Mont Blanc. And this classy Alpine chalet hotel in the unspoilt town centre is now as much a landmark as the snow-covered mountain it was named after.

Owners Jean-Louis and Jocelyne Sibuet have made this once dilapidated village chalet drop-dead chic. Blond pine and oak panelling throughout glow invitingly. The confident mix of English country house, aristocratic Austrian and trad Haute Savoie styles works a treat. A charming interior courtyard where you can sit in the afternoon sun with home-made cakes and vin chaud and a tiny outdoor pool (only open in summer) complete the Mont Blanc's alpine idyll.

Numerous stars have stayed, and two of the frescoed suites are named after celebrated French writer Jean Cocteau, whose drawings and paintings adorn the walls. Old panelled walls, floors and ceilings imbue the place with all the feel of an old Alpine hunting lodge.

Perky Savoyard plaids

Cosy meets plush in Hôtel Mont Blanc's gorgeously appointed rooms, displaying a fabulous eye for detail. Honey-coloured panelling forms a warm backdrop to well-dressed beds, rich soft furnishings and furniture, fashionable fabrics and perky Savoyard plaids. It's all very pulled-together and deeply comfortable. Suites have the wickedest big baths, and ours had a balcony overlooking the village square.

A charming Tyrolean-style breakfast room kick starts the day (with style, naturellement). Traditional afternoon tea in the drawing room has become a social fixture, as are drinks on the terrace in fine weather. No question that après-ski and dining here are the smartest.

© Room for Romance