Alpaga

Class: First

Style: Alpine modern

Rooms: 22

It’s not exactly the skiing that draws holidaymakers in their hundreds of thousands to the French Alps. Or, at least, it’s not just the skiing. Fast lifts and steep slopes are hardly exclusive to Megève, and a faultless modern-rustic ski lodge like Alpaga would have little trouble packing them in, were it transplanted to somewhere like Jackson or Whistler. It’s the stunning view of the one-of-a-kind Mont Blanc that’s the unquantifiable key to this town’s appeal, and you couldn’t ask for a more striking backdrop to a stunningly conceived luxury mountain boutique.

The raw timber construction sets a certain rustic tone, but Alpaga’s owners, to their eternal credit, seem to have decided to stop there and consider the point perfectly well made. What follows inside is modern, crisp and clean, miles from the Alpine kitsch that’s native to the region.

Accommodations span a wide range, from double rooms to three-story chalets which sleep six. A certain mod-country luxury is the byword throughout. The best rooms are angled to take in extraordinary views of Mont Blanc, and all of them share access to Alpaga’s two secret strengths: there’s a spa that seems like something from a much bigger hotel — this is a compliment, not a criticism — and there’s a restaurant in the central hotel building which serves modern, cosmopolitan French fare, rather than heavy Alpine comfort food. A sublime setting, a memorable mountain, and an emphasis on the finer things in life — this is why you ski in France.