Where do billionaires stay when they go skiing in Europe? They rent a chalet for a week (or two or three) in some of the poshest resorts in the Alps. Now, while the word “chalet” may suggest a quaint and cozy mountain hut with all the trappings that a latter-day Heidi might like, these properties are anything but quaint. As a rule, they blend traces of rustic charm with high-tech amenities and over-the-top luxury.
The best and the biggest of them are veritable winter palaces with walls of glass, vast gathering spaces, expansive decks, indoor swimming pools, and multiple ensuite bedrooms. The kitchen will be outfitted for a professional cook because the hired staff will do virtually all of the cooking (unless you choose to dine out). Do you need a screening room, a wine cellar, and a ski room with lockers and boot heaters? You’re in luck because they are de rigeur at the top Alpine chalets, which put a premium on privacy, comfort, and luxury.
The costs are commensurate, of course, but nothing that will make those who fly private blink twice. Here are five over-the-top chalets from The Luxury Chalet Company. Black Lodge: When Only a New Chalet Will Do Black Lodge is located in Courchevel 1850, where the crème de la crème of Courchevel scene makers come to roost.
This 9,418 square-foot symphony of stone and glass has a prime position, seven bedrooms, and the requisite sauna, hammam, hot tub, and swimming pool. Thanks to designer Nancy Geeneart of Just’in Design in Pa.