Until its complete refurbishment from the owners of St. Tropez's Pandei Palais, this hotel's claim to fame was being home of the International Olympic Committee during the 1992 Winter Olympic Games in Albertville. The location couldn't be more ideal, located in the heart of the Jardin Alpin with skiing virtually at its front door. Visitors arrive to a typically Alpine façade with elaborate 6-story architecture of gabled roof with endless flumes and hand-painted porticos. Inside, however, the owners have maintained a typically regional vibe in the main lobby with its rounded wooden banquette and reception area contained under a pitched box-cutter ceiling. The hotel features three separate restaurants including "Pierre Gagnaire pour Les Airelles" where Chef Pierre Gagnaire pays tribute to the Empress Elisabeth of Austria in the hotel's formal restaurant offering regional Franco-Austrian cuisine. During the day skiers flock to the outdoor terrace of the building for causal lunches and lively apres-ski scene that shifts inside to the new Bar des Airelles after 3pm. 

The Room:

A total of 44 rooms and 15 suites offer a distinctively Alpine tone with luxurious touches you normally wouldn’t expect to find in a boutique hotel. Walls are lined in knotty wood paneling with box ceiling and occasional domed living area. No two rooms are alike, varying between cozy cabin-style doubles to lavish suites with private heated balconies and panoramic vistas. Savoyard artesian work is everywhere with hand-painted wood and rich brocade fabrics enveloping in—room seating areas. Beds are outfitted in high-thread count linens with silk coverlets conceal fluffy feather duvets. Bathrooms have been complete renovated, some startlingly modern with white tile and plastic whirlpool tubs and others lined in honey-colored marble with heavy mosaic detailing. Fitness lovers discover in-house “Valmont pour Les Airelles ” offering a full service day spa with massages, facials and personal training in the neighboring gym room. Afterward, you’ll find a teak-lined swimming pool as well as saunas, steam room, indoor and outdoor whirlpool baths overlooking the 3 Vallees Ski Area. There’s also a hair salon as well as an on-site retail store for ski rental and clothing purchases.