A thrilling mountain getaway to hip design-led digs with spa on France's Grand Massif ski area - includes breakfast, optional dinner, and access to the fitness room
Accommodation
Located just an hour's drive from Geneva in the 1960s-style, purpose-built resort of Flaine, Terminal Neige Totem Flaine isn't your typical Alpine lodge. Set in the shadow of towering Mount Blanc, this Bauhaus, brutalist bolthole has been given a 21st-century facelift with interiors that perfectly marry cutting-edge decor with a cool skater vibe. Everything here screams boutique-chic, from the neon signs and reupholstered furnishings to the friendly logo tee-wearing staff.
Compact and cosy, rooms are reminiscent of a skier's cabin combining sleek dark-wood furniture with Native American-inspired soft furnishings. The vibrant murals on the wall give the space a modern edge, as do the cow-print box stools and stylish en-suite bathoom. While the bijou Classic Forum rooms overlook the resort's forum, the more spacious Club rooms with balcony offer sweeping panoramas over the slopes.
Amenities:
- Wi-Fi
- Flatscreen TV
- Tea and coffee facilities
- Safe
- Hairdryer
- Pure Altitude bathroom amenities
Dining
With its crushed velvet tub chairs, low-hanging lights and pop art adorning the walls, the restaurant boasts a distinctly laid-back feel and is the perfect hangout after a busy day on the slopes. Start your day in style with a bountiful breakfast of various hot and cold options, including bacon and eggs, platters of cold cuts and some delightful little mug cakes, and if you get peckish after a morning's skiing you can nip back and treat yourself to a meal throughout the day.
For dinner, you'll embark on a culinary adventure across the world thanks to the various stations offering different cuisines – tuck into mini tartiflettes and waistline-expanding fondues in the Alpine corner, while Little Italy serves up a range of hearty pizzas, pastas and grills to get your teeth into. Whether you fancy a mason-jar cocktail or a steaming mug of hot chocolate, the seriously refined lobby bar is the ideal setting for a spot of apres-ski.
Spa
At the Pure Altitude Spa, guests can indulge in a range of rejuvenating treatments dedicated to skier well-being, including Bol d'air pur body scrubs, Eclat de givre facials and Rituel des Alpes sports massages. With an outdoor Jacuzzi, sauna and well-equipped fitness centre, Terminal Neige Totem Flaine has your wellness needs well and truly covered.
Location
The largest of the five resorts on France's Grand Massif some 60 kilometres from Geneva, Flaine is one of the country's most impressive ski centres. Situated at an altitude between 1,600 and 2,500 metres and in the shadow of iconic Mont Blanc, it offers an exceptional variety of tree-lined runs – designed by legendary ski champion Emile Allais – that are suitable for all ages and abilities, plus plenty of opportunities for snowshoers, snowboarders and cross-country hikers alike. The wider area boasts a whopping 265 kilometres of pistes to enjoy, and the nearby mountain villages of Le Carroz, Samoëns and Morillon are all easily accessible from Flaine.
Away from the slopes, the village centre is a window into a bygone era, with a remarkable array of 1960s brutalist buildings, Picasso totem poles and Dubuffet statues. Behind the concrete facades, you'll find a variety of homely eateries, lively bars and upmarket aparthotels that ensure this resort retains a contemporary vibe. The hotel is an hour and 20 minutes' drive from Geneva International Airport.
I have been to quite a few French ski resorts in my former job and Flaine was by far the most architecturally significant. Ski area is amazing! For those who ski often and are used to the chalets nestled in woods, picturesque high streets with quaint shops, a choice of bars and boutique restaurants.. Flaine isn't this!
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