Mandala

More Than Lovely

Chalet Mandala, at first glance, is a pretty little chalet with a dose of traditional cute, nestling close to meadows and among trees. But take a look at the stylishness of the local stone and the grey wood work, at the glimmering glass of wide windows that open onto the balcony, and you know that there is more going on here. You would be right. Inside its traditional façade, you will find graceful rooms with space and light, gorgeous designer features that blend harmoniously with weathered timber and a vast and magnificently authentic wood burning stove. You will find discrete luxury and utter comfort.

With 500m2 to spread out across, there are opportunities for all twelve guests to socialise together, to separate out – sometimes a good option when there is a large group of children delighted to do their own thing while the grown-ups do theirs – and to find peace. The ground floor salon has architectural beauty and that fireplace; the mezzanine above is furnished to invite nonchalant sprawling with a large TV. For even greater seclusion (are your children especially noisy?), a large room on the lowest level that we shall have to call a playroom has a billiard table, lounge area with TV and a kitchenette.

But it is the spa that shows you that Chalet Mandala is so much more than a pretty little chalet. The swimming pool is a jewel that shimmers with mosaic and gold leaf and the gently opulent decoration continues into the Hammam. There is, of course, also a sauna. For the privileged occupants of the master bedroom there is easy access to this sybaritic pleasure dome through a “secret” door. The master itself is a high-ceilinged palace to itself, with a dressing-room and large bathroom with a jacuzzi bathtub. The other five double bedrooms are all on the next floor down on a level with the garden, each one a snug haven with a super smart bathroom. There is a further double bedroom with an en-suite on the same floor as the playroom which would make useful staff accommodation. Other features that seem requisite for a luxury chalet holiday are the small gym and the heated boot warmers; the garage with a rotative floor is a sign of making that extra effort, a bit like adding on that super-stylish carving turn that look like showing off but is actually very useful.

Chalet Mandala’s picturesque corner of gentle sloping hillside is close to the Mont d’Arbois ski area in a quiet area that is exclusive even by Megéve standards. The nearest ski lift is the Mont d’Arbois gondola about three minutes’ drive or, when snow conditions permit, a glide across meadows. Down-town Megève, the car-free cobbled streets of its medieval centre, the town square and the riches of its shopping and dining opportunities is about eight minutes’ drive. Or there is that traditional mode of transport in which Megève is a specialist - the horse drawn carriage.

Why, we wondered, is this very special chalet called Mandala? We have a theory. Used by monks as a form of prayer in times long gone, Mandalas were drawn in coloured sand. Once complete, often after a concentrated period of two months in utter silence, the picture was blown away. The whole point was in the process. A means of meditation, regaining inner harmony, a form of healthy relaxation. Rather like your holiday in the Alps, as you look from the balcony of Chalet Mandala and drink in the majesty to the Mont Blanc Massif and can total justify that bottle of champagne, on ice, on hand.