Le Mascara - Brunello Courchevel 1850

Slopeside Style

Fun fact – the epicentre of the Courchevel valley - the exclusive, the beautiful, the fabulous, Courchevel 1850 - is, in fact, situated at 1747 metres. We shall come back to this.

Les Tovets was the original name of the village that now, proudly if not entirely accurately, bears the name Courchevel 1850. It designates the area from where the main lifts soar towards higher places to connect to some of the best skiing in the Alps. Le Mascara is a new residence right beside the slopes, just 25m from the Tovets piste. Completed in 2023, its apartments are sleekly luxurious and eminently practical. As a guest, you are privileged. Le Mascara fuses the facilities of a hotel with the privacy and independence of your own apartment.

Apartment Brunello, on the 4th floor, accommodates four guests comfortably with the possibility to squeeze in two more in bunkbeds. Spread across 86sqm, it has two double bedrooms one of which has the double king size bed and the other a bed of 160 x 200 that can be separated into twins. They have en-suites with walk-in showers. There is also a small internal that is perfect for children, with bunkbeds of 80 x 200 each.

The open-plan living room is designed with a contemporary feel for space and light and there is a large balcony. Local materials such as exposed stonework and timber and a stylish wood-burning fireplace blend with the gently neutral colour scheme.

Like a hotel, there is a full concierge service with a Residence Manager available for advice and to arrange additional à la carte features such as a private chef, a personal trainer or massage therapist. Then there is the fabulous spa with its dream-scaped swimming pool, a jacuzzi, a Nordic bath, a hammam and sauna and its comfortable lounge. You also have your ski room with boot warmers and an indoor parking space.

And, of course, you have Courchevel 1850. Even missing a few metres of altitude, it still shines with its world-class skiing, its Michelin starred restaurants and its wealth of activities for pleasure seekers whether they ski or not.

However, not so very long ago, there was little here but a scattering of hamlets. Development began in the 1940s with the plan to name the whole area Courchevel. In fact, the first lift was installed by the hamlet of Les Tovets in 1946 and a sign went up by the original Courchevel, a hamlet down the road, with the words Courchevel Dessous (lower Courchevel). Locals were incensed. The solution was to name each section of the resort after its altitude. The highest village became 1850 – driven more by marketing than accurate measurement. It was not a coincidence that this placed it a little higher than its rival. Val d’Isère is at 1800m. But just take a wander to over the Jardin Alpin part of town. There you will find that 1850m.