Inaugurated in the 1900s, this prestigious refuge was restored just ten years ago by decorator Sybille de Margerie, who gave it a new lease of life. Without ever betraying the Belle Époque spirit of this exceptional address.
Aristocrats from all over Europe swore by it... Set opposite Mont Blanc, for decades this palace was THE must-see refuge in Chamonix. 120 years and one restoration later, the Hôtel Mont-Blanc (a member of the H8 Collection) is more than ever in the big league, competing effortlessly with the new generation of 5-star hotels with their often standardized luxury that are flourishing in the chicest resorts. This longevity is due first and foremost to its geography - breathtakingly beautiful views of snow-covered forests, the Aiguille du Midi and the towering silhouette of Mont Blanc. It also owes a great deal to its restoration, carried out in 2013 by decorator Sybille de Margerie, who has rejuvenated and metamorphosed the premises without erasing anything of the past .
Black-and-white checkerboard floors, stuccowork and moldings, a staircase flanked by a spectacular wrought-iron banister now stand side by side with beautiful contemporary lighting, sofas and coffee tables with pure lines, in the lobby or the grand salon warmed by its historic white marble fireplace. This fluidity between history and modernity is reflected in the 23 rooms and 18 suites (including a spectacular penthouse) with generous surface areas, decorated with timeless Alpine charm - soft colors, noble materials and large black-and-white mountain photographs, enhanced by the best in high-tech. And always the same 180° panoramic view of the high peaks .
Fancy a massage after skiing?
This modernity is tempered by the Matafan, the restaurant room designed as a chic cocoon where Sybille de Margerie has mixed traditional mountain codes - wooden logs and a large fireplace - with a modern touch. logs and a large fireplace - with garnet-red velvet armchairs and black-and-red hanging lights that give the whole a beautiful energy. It's the ideal place to savour the market cuisine of chef Mickey Bourdillat, who jumps between France and Italy to magnify dishes and exceptional products, such as gnocchi from the Dolomites, potimarrons in giant ravioli or (sublime) cheeses from the Vallorcine farm.
This natural fusion with the local heritage also governed the design of the spa, where regional woods mingle with the golden mosaics adorning the hammam.hammam, sauna and Clarins-branded treatment rooms (with a special mention for the "Haute Montagne, spécial ski" massage, ideal after a day on the slopes). And the best is yet to come with the discovery of the large outdoor swimming pool, heated to 29°C all winter long, offering guests the rare experience of a swimming session.guests the rare experience of swimming at dusk, facing the mountains covered in immaculate snow that sparkles under the stars. It's a wonderful sight that adds to the charm of a place that combines refinement, a sense of service and a warm welcome... All at a very reasonable price, considering the excellence of the services on offer .
Three questions for Hervé Hochet, hotel manager
The hotel has long been a Chamonix institution. What kind of clientele did it cater for? What is the situation today?
Hervé Hochet: Our first customers were the English, who came in the summer. It wasn't until 1924, when the first Winter Olympics were held, that the resort became known for its skiing. And the popularity has never waned! Today, we welcome Americans, English, Scandinavians, Brazilians and, of course, the French! Every language is spoken in the salon, and our guests love this cosmopolitan spirit. Nationalities united around the same passion for the mountains. Our hotel is also the traditional meeting place for the resort's guides and instructors, making it a real meeting place.
A place where people can meet and share a common passion . ..
H.H.Absolutely! Our guests share the same desire. To discover or rediscover Chamonix, which remains THE absolute reference point for mountains and mountaineering, with the highest peak in the Alps. And our hotel offers them a unique privilege - a view of Mont Blanc that feels like you're touching it! The resort has a distinctive architecture, with a mix of Belle Époque style and large wooden Savoyard chalets. It also evokes the spirit of the great ascents and the heroism of the guides. The hotel is a piece of this history, but it hasn't allowed itself to be trapped in the past. It's a living, contemporary place; a place where you feel good. That's why our guests are loyal, some of them for several generations. They used to come here with their parents or grandparents, now they come back with their children .
Ten years after the restoration of Sibylle de Margerie, what are your plans for thefuture?
H.H.We work hard to personalize our services: preparing our customers' stay, advising them on the best type of skiing, booking guides. This made-to-measure service is our way of thinking about hospitality, that of a family home where we know our guests, their habits and their desires. Some have become friends!
There are villages that you can only reach by slowing down. Listed, yes, but above all, they've remained intact, clinging to the hillside, curled up in a river bend or set at the end of a path that nobody takes by chance. You often arrive at the end of the day, when the light is catching on the tiles, the shutters are slamming gently and the smell of wet wood is wafting up from the alleyways. And there, behind a wrought-iron gate or a monumental portal, is a hotel. Sometimes it's a three-bedroom attic hotel, sometimes it's a five-star hotel in a lovingly restored former maison de maître. Marble has replaced cob, swimming pools have taken the place of former orchards, but the soul has remained. You'll sleep in the folds of the landscape, between centuries-old stone and precise service, in a rare luxury that doesn't seek to outshine the place.
Les Bories & Spa in Gordes
Here, ancient bories still dot the fields, as if the shepherds had just left. Some have been discreetly integrated into Les Bories & Spa, without breaking the line of the dry stonework. The farmhouse extends over eight hectares of olive and cypress trees, and under the roof tiles are 34 light-filled rooms, some of them in an old farmhouse. Luxury is discreet: plant-covered terraces, an enveloping spa and a glazed pool overlooking the Luberon. A peaceful address, just a few bends from the ochre silhouettes of Gordes and Roussillon.
Price: €342 per night
Where? 9 Route de Senanque, 84220 Gordes. Tel. 04 90 72 00 51See Gault&Millau's review of Les Bories & Spa
Le Bailliage in Salers
at the entrance to Salers, a listed village with gray lava houses and sculpted balconies, Le Bailliage has been perpetuating a sincere art of living for three generations. Since 2020, Antoine and Marion Bancarel, heirs to the house, have taken over the reins with discreet elegance. In this 23-room hotel, everything has been thoughtfully redesigned: intimate spa, homemade cuisine, no-frills welcome. The meat comes from the family's own farm, the rooms overlook the old gardens, and the air, at an altitude of a thousand metres, has that taste of meadows that you never forget. A warm and welcoming address, in the image of the village.
Price: €124 per night
31 Rue Notre Dame, 15140 Salers. Tel : 04 71 40 71 95See Gault&Millau's review of Les Baillages
La Capitelle in Mirmande
Behind the light-colored walls of a house once inhabited by painter André Lhote, La Capitelle watches over the rooftops of this Drôme village with its Provencal palette. Eight sober, peaceful rooms, with views of the Ardèche mountains or the Rhône valley, extend the discreet charm of the sloping streets. Just eleven simple, bright rooms, a restaurant with slates that change according to the season, and the quiet attention of Ludivine and Sylvain Croce, who run the house with constancy.
Price: €102 per night
1 rue du Boulanger- 26270, Mirmande. Tel : 04 75 63 02 72See Gault&Millau's review of La Capitelle
Coquillade Provence Resort & Spa in Bonnieux
Set in the heart of a 30-hectare vineyard, this hamlet unfurls its 63 rooms and suites, with their sober, mineral lines, over the landscapes of the Luberon. The Tata Harper spa, 2,000 m² of calm and light, offers lavender and grape treatments in a plant-based atmosphere. In the kitchen, Pierre Marty, a Ducasse disciple with Monaco and Macao experience, orchestrates the Avelan gastronomic table: five-course menu, raw-marinated sea bream from Grau du Roi, poultry Pithiviers... Patisserie by Aurélien Trousse, medallist at the French Dessert Championships. Here, Provence is expressed with precision, right down to the plate.
Price: €497 per night
Route du Perrotet, 84400 Gargas. Tel. : 04 90 74 71 71
See Gault&Millau's review of Coquillade Provence Resort & Spa
Château de Troplong Mondot in Saint-Émilion
Restored in 2019, Troplong Mondot cultivates the art of entertaining as an extension of the land. The main building, with its sober, warm lines, houses a communal lounge where the fire crackles on winter evenings. Here you can read, chat or simply watch the day fall over the rows of vines. In summer, the private terrace of each house opens onto the paths lined with low walls, typical of the local landscape. The rooms, divided between several of the estate's buildings, combine blond wood, deep fabrics and unobstructed views as far as the Saint-Émilion bell tower. In the morning, chef David Charrier serves a generous breakfast of seasonal fruit, homemade jams and warm pastries. Nothing ostentatious, but attention to every gesture, in a place that invites you to retreat.
Price: €250 per night
Château Troplong, Mondot - 33330 Saint-Laurent-des-Combes. Tel : 05 57 55 32 05See Gault&Millau's review of Château de Troplong Mondot
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey in Sauternes
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey watches over the vines like a peaceful old soul. The estate, a famous premier grand cru classé, is now home to a hotel signed Lalique, thirteen rooms and suites subtly laid out in a 17thᵉ century château. Walls in reds and pinks evoking wine, antique beams and chiseled crystal faucets: every detail is a delicate nuance. Settle into the small lounge to enjoy a drink before joining, under the luminous glass roof, chef Jérôme Schilling's gastronomic table. A rare place of discreet elegance.
Price: €504 per night
1707 Route des Gourgues, Lieu-dit Peyraguey- 33210 Bommes. Tel : 05 24 22 80 11See Gault&Millau's review of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
Les Sources de Cheverny in Cheverny
Les Sources de Cheverny is a gentle hamlet designed for sharing, in the wine-growing lands of the Loire Valley. at reception, the lacquered green box recalls the forest rangers' kiosks. The 49 rooms and suites, designed by Alice Tourbier and studio be-pôles, feature antiques, a bohemian atmosphere and lush natural views. The Caudalie spa, with its sober lines and recycled materials, has slipped into the old building, like a contemporary echo of the neighboring château's beams. On the terrace, sip a wine from the estate, the prelude to a Michelin-starred dinner in the Favori dining room. An elegant address, anchored in this Sologne village with its rich Loire heritage.
Price: €279 per night
23 route de Fougère- 41700 Cheverny. Tel : 02 54 44 20 20See Gault&Millau's review of Les Sources de Cheverny
Royal Champagne Hôtel & Spa in Champillon
Behind the walls of a former coaching inn lies another world: a vast 10,000 m² contemporary hotel, designed by architect Giovanni Pace, where champagne flows more often than coffee. The 49 rooms, suspended between vineyards and classified forest, offer the luxury of not rushing into anything. at the table, Christophe Raoux, Meilleur Ouvrier de France, orchestrates gourmet cuisine served on a terrace bordered by rose bushes and a very real kitchen garden. The spa, immense and hushed, is as much for guests as for curious neighbors. And if you listen carefully, you can still hear Dom Pérignon whispering from the bell tower of Hautvillers.
Price: €1,041 per night
9 rue de la République- 51160 Champillon. Tel : 03 26 52 87 11See Gault&Millau's review of Royal Champagne Hôtel & Spa
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