They are united in their ability to offer exceptional villa and chalet rentals (interestingly, not always hotels), options for private aviation or yacht charter, a glamorous clientele, and utterly staggering prices. This way they manage to attract and retain a certain level of guest and keep out the “undesirables”.
I say that, of course, with some degree of irony. Experience tells us that often the most affluent travellers are also the most understated and prefer to avoid the high-season superfluousness of St Tropez, Mykonos, St Barths, Courchevel, et al.
So, what’s the Nota Bene verdict of Courchevel in 2022?
Is it chic and soigné, well-suited to the jet-set? Or passé, excessive and overpriced?
Well, for want of labouring too fine a point, this does ask us to zoom in once again on exactly who’s asking, when they plan to visit, and where they’ll stay and dine.
Choose the right weeks and it can be magical. The ski-in/ski-out access is unsurpassed, especially from your own private chalet, with skis set out on the piste and boots warmed. Powder-white snow, crisp blue-sky days, fun après-ski, top-level service, and you have all the ingredients for a premier ski destination.
We’re here right now, in glorious, unseasonably warm end-of-January sunshine, and have covered a lot of ground, narrowing down seven luxury hotels to a shortlist of three. Well, perhaps only two if we are being more brutally objective.
Money no object, we’ve also identified two world-class chalets, currently being completed for the 2022/23 season. These are well-positioned for the title of finest accommodations to be found anywhere in the French Alps.
We know Courchevel intricately and are well-placed to advise and offer the best of our impartial advice.
When a hotel junior suite in February costs 4,700 euros per night; 6,500 euros for a one-bedroom suite; a top hotel penthouse at a stratospheric nightly 40,000 euros; there simply isn’t room for error. A top chalet rents well over 220,000 euros per week. The price of a Nota Bene membership suddenly puts this in its context.
How much is the right advice worth?
Or perhaps more pertinent a question, how much are you willing to lose from the wrong recommendations and outdated opinions?
We visit these destinations every year, making sure our information is relevant and on the mark.
A Nota Bene membership is less than half of what you might pay an Executive Assistant to arrange your travel diary. Someone who hasn’t been to most of the places you visit and cannot provide you with the knowledge you need.
If you travel frequently and don’t want to risk any waste of time (or money) making the wrong decisions, joining our service might be the best decision you make this year.