winter hotels with the wow factor cheval blanc courchevel 1850 Hotel and Igloo village
CHEVAL�BLANC��
COURCHEVEL�
������FRANCE
WINTER HOTELS
WITH WOW FACTOR
THE HOTEL RANGA IN ICELAND IS THE
PERFECT LOCATION FROM WHICH
TO VIEW THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Forget chapped lips and hat
hair – the Cheval Blanc hotel
in Courchevel 1850, France,
is the epitome of luxurious
indulgence. Set amid the
tree-lined run of the Jardin
Alpin, this is the brainchild
of Bernard Arnault, owner
of LVMH Moët Hennessy
Louis Vuitton.
There’s no hoiking around
your own skis here; handsome
French staff are on hand to
tend to your every whim –
our skis were waiting beside
a flag each morning with our room
number on it.
Talking of rooms… ours was replete
with fur throws, a toasty fireplace and
Cristal-packed minibar, while our
ensuite had a Hammam shower that
emitted scented steam. There’s no
need to venture out for food, the
Our room was replete
with fur throws, a toasty
fireplace and a Cristalpacked
minibar
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Cashmere coat and Louis Vuitton case at the ready – here’s our pick
of the world’s most luxurious snow-capped bolt-holes
restaurant offers innovative dishes
from Michelin-starred chef Yannick
Alleno, along with a wine list that
boasts bottles of Bordeaux’s Cheval
Blanc vineyard.
If you’re planning to pop down
to Courchevel for some designer
shopping, a horse-drawn cart whisks
you there, complete with Louis Vuitton
luggage in which to stash your booty.
Finally, go to the Givenchy Spa for the
best après-ski massage ever.
Rooms from £1,200 per night
(chevalblanc.com)
CHEVAL BLANC HOTEL,
WHERE STAFF WILL SKI FOR
YOU, IF YOU SO WISH
HOTEL�AND�IGLOO�
VILLAGE��
KAKSLAUTTANEN��
FINLAND
If you’re looking for crisp winter air in
the middle of snow-cloaked forests,
look no further than Hotel and Igloo
Village in Kakslauttanen, slap bang in
the middle of the Finnish countryside.
Lying 300km north of the Arctic
Circle and 80km from the Russian
border, this picture-perfect holiday
village is a 30-minute transfer
from Ivalo airport (via
Helsinki) and is the perfect
Lapland retreat.
You can choose from
one of 31 toasty cabins –
complete with private
sauna and garden area in
which to make a snowman
or two. Or, even better,
there’s the option to bed
down in a glass igloo.
Made out of thermo-glass,
they’re not so great for
changing in but perfect
for seeing the northern
lights or watching a
snowstorm. Between
December and April, you
can even snuggle down in
a thermal sleeping bag inside one of
20 snow igloos, and eat in the snow
restaurant (where else?) with its
clear crystal ice tables.
There’s only five hours of daylight
from December to January but frankly,
when those five hours are packed full
of sledding, swimming in ice holes
and sampling local reindeer meat,
who’s counting?
From £948 for three nights based
on two sharing, including flights
(discover-the-world.co.uk/finland)
STAY IN A GLASS IGLOO AND
WATCH THE NORTHERN
LIGHTS FROM YOUR BED
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