If your catered ski chalet is located near the resort of Courchevel you could find yourself sharing the slopes with some "A list" celebrities. Courchevel is known as one of the most glamorous ski resorts in Europe and has all the facilities needed to attract the "In Crowd". With wonderful restaurants, great skiing and excellent après ski this resort has everything the discerning skier needs for the holiday of a lifetime.
Celebrity Spotting
The four villages in the Three Valleys ski area that make up Courchevel are named after their altitudes: 1350, 1550, 1650 and 1850. This resort has long been a haven for Russian billionaires who arrive in their private jets and stay in the most exclusive hotels and luxury catered ski chalets; in 2003 Roman Abramovich even tried to buy 1850.
Many of these billionaires fly into the Altiport, which is known as one of the most dangerous airport landings in the world - in fact the runway is famous, having been used in the opening scenes of the James Bond film 'Goldeneye'. The Beckham family have been spotted in the resort on several occasions and it's a favourite with many sports personalities. David Coulthard, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve are among the representatives of Formula One who have chosen Courchevel for their skiing, along with Olympians Steve Cram and Jonathan Edwards. The music business is also well represented with reported sightings of Robbie Williams and Elton John. Courchevel can count royalty among its fans as the King of Spain and Princes Harry and William along with Kate have been spotted in the area.
Skiing and Apres Ski
If you're staying in a catered ski chalet you may not make too much use of the local restaurants, but for a special night out Courchevel offers you plenty of choice. For gourmands there are plenty of Michelin stars floating around in Courchevel, and one of the most exclusive restaurants is the Hotel la Chabichou which, when covered in snow, looks just like a delicious iced cake! The hotel's chef, Michel Rochedy, has been awarded two stars. The food is exquisite and if you can bear to drag yourself away from the slopes you can also spend a day attending cookery classes.
For après ski drinks, the terrace at the La Dinali restaurant is a good place to wind down after a busy day on the slopes. Another great spot to catch the sun before it disappears for the night is the terrace at the Cap Horn Altitude restaurant.
For night owls there are plenty of nightclubs in the area, including the Moroccan themed La Grange. It has a relaxed ambience and over-sized sofas, which are great for lounging around on if there's no energy left for dancing. Another Courchevel favourite is the exclusive The Caves, where you can sip from your Nebuchadnezzars of Dom Perignon late into the night.
Wherever your catered ski chalet is in the Courchevel area you will find plenty of opportunity to celebrity spot whilst enjoying the wonderful après ski that is on offer.
Danielle Hodges is the Marketing Manager for Ski Amis, a specialist ski travel agency and booking service offering bonded holidays staying in a catered or self catered ski chalet in La Tania and other fantastic destinations. For a luxury or good-value skiing holiday and the best catered chalets call Ski Amis.
