Izoard

Megève Masterpiece

Chalet Izoard deserves to be called a masterpiece. It takes the finest attributes of the quintessential ski holiday – chocolate box charm, elegantly understated luxury, a fabulously indulgent spa – then wraps them in beautiful reclaimed timber and places them in a sunny corner of south-east France. In a resort that has been popular among those in the know since the 1920s and yet still manages to have “hidden gem” status. AND it is ski-in/ski-out.

Chalet Izoard might look like a quaint mountain chalet from the outside – if a large one – with its picturesque wooden balconies and deep eaves. However, step inside to a world where all your senses are nurtured. Soothing plush greys in light-filled living rooms, sophistication that is also relaxed, divine dining and skillfully curated artwork. It is also joyful; it has a sense of fun.

Generous accommodation, more than 1000m2 over five floors, is connected by a lift. The main floor includes several salons with places to socialise and others to find peace, as well as the dining room and the large kitchen. The master bedroom on the top floor is a heaven of graceful furnishing under impressive wood beams. A private balcony embraces an alpine panorama that reaches to the summits of Mont d’Arbois and Mont Joux. It has a full bathroom, dressing area and office space. The other five gracious double bedrooms are on the level that gives out onto the gardens, each with its full bathroom and pretty view. On the floor below the children will find their piece of paradise where up to six young skiers can share a spacious “dormitory” – albeit one with sturdily constructed bunk beds and its own bathroom. Adjacent, there is staff accommodation in a room with two beds and an en-suite.  

This is also the level of the spa and the wine-cellar. An example of the superb attention to detail with which Chalet Izoard is so unobtrusively blessed is the 10x4m swimming pool with adjustable depth. The provision of a Hammam, a sauna, massage room and a large outside jacuzzi is like a tick-box list of the required features of the luxury chalet. But Izoard goes that step further. There is a harmony to the features and the facilities of this thoughtfully designed chalet that is almost a palace but subtly so.

The list goes on but extended by still more amusements on the lowest level. The gym is equipped with state-of-the-art Technogym installations. There is a billiard table and darts in the large bar area, a fireplace in the lounge, comfortable sofas for relaxed movie nights and a table-tennis table. Then there is the ski room with its boot heaters and the garage for four cars.

Service is attentive and discrete. As well as your private chef there is the butler, the chauffeur, and your chalet manager offering an extensive menu of concierge services. You can be carefree, as befits your ski holiday. Just focus on the delights of the attractive alpine town that is Megève, renowned for its shopping and its restaurants, and wander the cobbled streets of its medieval centre. Explore the vast ski area of the Domaine Evasion Mont-Blanc, with skiing for all levels and mostly blissfully uncrowded except some weekends when the Genevois come out to enjoy the slopes. And don’t forget to look up to the magnificence of Mont Blanc, the king of the Alps.