LFahrenheit Seven

Let’s be honest: Val Thorens in France’s Three Valleys isn’t going to win too many prizes in the ‘cute mountain village’ beauty pageant. But, for once, this brutalist kind of architecture works. Sitting at 2,300m, it is well above the tree line and promises a snow-sure experience and an elongated season. The hotel, adorned with evocative black-and-white photos of the ski resort’s nascent days in the Seventies, reflects the retro-chic appeal of Fahrenheit. It was previously a rather run down Mercure but a wholesale refurbishment in 2016 by new owners – think bold colours and bright, spacious bedrooms – plus friendly staff are a winning combination in this love-it-or-hate-it resort. Its success has encouraged the owners to launch the vintage/modern concept in Courchevel 1650, too. With over 100 rooms this is not a small hotel but the clever layouts make it feel much more intimate and give it a modish air, but in an inclusive way. It also benefits from

being a genuine ski-in, ski-out hotel with a wide terrace which overlooks the main bowl, where the bulk of the resort’s lifts spread out like spiders’ legs taking skiers to different parts of the mountain – perfect for a post-piste beer or two. Menus in the main restaurant, La Rôtisserie, are deliberately brief, offering a range of European and Asian dishes with an emphasis on grills and roasts. The hotel’s second restaurant,dinner-only Le Zinc, attracts a good number of outside guests,
so booking is advised. Overall the hotel represents very good value, even more so when you compare it to other offerings in Val. Doubles from £188.