Caro Meribel

Home From Home

Completely comfortable and delightfully unpretentious, like being at home and yet with all your needs taken care of. Assuming that you have come to believe (like us) that an outdoor hot tub facing south to a beautiful alpine panorama is quite simply one of those essentials of ski chalet life. You also get spacious accommodation for eight guests in four double bedrooms, all ensuite and all of which convert between doubles and twins. Chalet Caro may be unpretentious - its luxury is understated; its ambiance is relaxed - but it understands a ski holiday.

And yes, Chalet Caro wears its relaxed approach well, its design is subtly stylish. Set at the top end of the Musillon area, it is about 450m away from the centre of town, 850m from the La Chaudanne lift station and 180m from the free resort bus stop. However, with a driver service on offer every day between 08:00 and 20:00 you will not find yourselves carrying skis around unless that is your choice. You will be looked after.

That care extends all parts of your holiday, with a personal chef and a chalet host dedicated to making every day shine (whatever the weather). Five days a week, breakfast will be copious with cooked options, afternoon tea will be luscious, and pre-dinner will involve drinks and canapés. Try to use up so much energy during the day that the three course carefully prepared repast that follows - accompanied of course by well-chosen wines - is still a treat. On the other days, continental breakfast is left out and cleared away for you and chalet cleaning is also daily.

It is a traditionally shaped chalet of stone and timber built into the hillside with an upside down layout. You enter the top floor, pass through a reception hall and enter the magnificently bright living room. Massive windows embrace the view of slopes dotted with pine trees wending their way towards the valley. There are welcoming sofas, a home cinema system and a log fire place. A staircase curves gracefully down to the next level with its smart, black open kitchen and large dining table. Glazed doors open on to a balcony where that hot tub is conveniently situated for soaking up the view while soaking in warming water and with proximity to the source of beverages. A double bedroom, also on this floor, has an en-suite with a walk-in shower and a small balcony.

Down again to another ground floor level of bedrooms two of which have direct access to the landscaped garden. Two have walk-in showers and the other a fabulous free-standing bath tub that almost hints at showing off and is yet so artfully positioned that it merges with the narrative of unaffected simplicity. It has its garage in case you arrive by car and it has its ski room with heated boot warmers. Like being at home, ski boots already to click into tomorrow morning – in your dreams.