Ultima Courchevel

My wife is a luxury travel consultant dealing with High Net worth clients so I have been fortunate enough to stay at some of the worlds finest hotels over the past two decades and this place was staggering. Firstly I’ve always found the whole butler thing a bit awkward but Daria was incredibly perceptive and could not have done anything more to make our stay perfect. Being situated at the side of the Belvedere run, with an exquisite ‘boot room’ where our gear awaited, with a team assembled to make getting into it and out of it again an effortless experience. Shortly after we were floating in the 37-38deg indoor/outdoor pool, while our muscles recovered. Next our superb chef was freestyling incredible international food fusions in our chalet. The concept is a hybrid between catered chalet and hotel and it is very, very clever. It’s essentially a long corridor. The front comprises the restaurant, bar and spa, while the rear contains the entrances to each detached chalet that rise out of the hidden lower building as individual chocolate-box chalets each with access to the piste behind via private decking areas that connect the upper floors to the slopes. On the upper floor is a large but cozy living area and kitchen dining area that are all beautifully finished. The overall theme of the hotel decor is a perfectly balanced blend of understated opulence. The place looks, smells, and feels perfect. I am a very fussy person but compared to many of the other ultra-luxury experiences we’ve had, this was impossible to fault. The transfers are in a brand new Mercedes people carrier with the usual bottled water provided and the driver was more than happy to drop us and collect us from the nightlife, so we got to experience the whole party scene without it being outside our balcony door. This last point is perhaps the most important - if you think you want 1850 - I don’t think you do… if you want the best of everything, you want the Ultima.

My family has just finished a wonderful week at Ultima Courcheval. I really can not praise this property highly enough. I have been lucky to stay at quite a few places in Courcheval over the years and this is by far the best. To start with, the concierge team was amazing in the build up to the vacation, helping us to book lunches on the slopes, and a couple of dinners out (although we didn't really want to leave as the private chef we had was so good). The property itself is extraordinary, a series of interlinked chalets, so you have that private family experience, but also all the facilities of an upscale hotel, but with less people. The location couldnt be better, literally in the Belvedere slope, you could ski directly from our bedroom down to 1650, then jump on the lift up to 1850. The ski boot room is always quiet, its lighting quick to hire equipment, and the attentive staff have your equipment ready and waiting each morning, and help you on with your boots :) We had our own butler and private chef, who were both sensational, the wonderful Svetlana and Gioele. I cant thank them enough. Every day we came upstairs to an amazing breakfast that had been laid out, then meals cooked in your room, or restaurant quality room service is included. Our chef cooked some wonderful meals, and can do Japanese, Fusion, Thai, amazing Lasagne and Tiramasu, and a top class fish and chips! The spa/gym/pool area is also the lap of luxury, the massage provided after a day on the slopes is world beating. They have a free shuttle service to 1850, and we didnt once have to wait for this it was always just there. I cant wait to return to this property, and i think that you should go too!