September 2024…// Purple Ski, the premier luxury chalet operator, is delighted to reveal its top chalets across the French Alps for the 2024/25 ski season. From Méribel’s Chalet Iona with its new refurbished bedrooms and chalet enhancements, the slope-side Chalet Lapin Blanc to the sprawling Chalet Machapuchare, Val d’Isére – recently named France’s best chalet – nowhere does snow in style quite like Purple Ski.
Offering an exceptional portfolio of the finest luxury catered ski chalets across Méribel, Courchevel and Val d’Isère, each chalet within the Purple Ski collection – sleeping from eight up to 15 people – has been carefully hand-picked and offers first-class facilities and a distinctive personality.
Guests of Purple Ski enjoy a freshly prepared breakfast and afternoon tea each day along with dinner six evenings out of seven, exquisitely prepared by a private chef. New for the upcoming ski season, Purple Ski will be offering guests an extravagant four-course dinner on five evenings and a homely style meal one evening during a 7-night stay. Fine chateau and domaine-bottled wines and unlimited champagne are also on offer to tantalize palettes.
All chalets have access to a full team of staff, daily housekeeping, an in-chalet ski and boot fitting service and a private chauffeured minibus, as well as a dedicated concierge service to cater to every guest’s wish. From organizing private airport and helicopter transfers to restaurant reservations, ski lessons to childcare and the unique experiences which make a holiday extra special.
Purple Ski’s picks of the 2024/25 season include:
REFURBISHED BEDROOMS FOR 2024: Chalet Iona, Le Villard, Les Allues, Méribel Valley
*Sleeps 10 + 5 (India) in five bedrooms and Chalet India on annex
Set in its own secluded orchards, Méribel’s Chalet Iona offers unparalleled views across 13 pretty villages and settlements – stretching towards the Vanoise National Park and the magnificent Grand Bec mountain. The chalet’s bedrooms have been remodeled for the winter season to provide three spacious master suites, ensuring every corner of the residence provides a never-ending wow factor with truly magnificent views. Combined with the spectacular art-deco dining and living area, which takes open-plan living to new heights, the recent renovations cement Chalet Iona’s reputation as the premier Méribel address this season.
The chalet now offers three sprawling master suites – one with an adjoining children’s bunk niche – and two further double rooms, including one with balcony access. The entrance of the property opens into a large, high ceilinged living dining area featuring a dramatic, suspended fireplace. Ideal for hosting large group celebrations, the space is kitted out with vintage Danish and a huge, hand-made oak dining table close to the large East-facing panoramic windows. A second spacious living room on the lower level with board games, large screen TV and an extensive selection of old-school vinyl records are on offer for guests to enjoy along with a sauna and outdoor hot tub.
With an open plan layout that is perfect for large groups and multi-generational families, Iona also has an annex property for use, the classically alpine Chalet India, offering an additional den for teens, an annex for friends and extended family or a secluded space for work.
Wonderfully private and secluded, Chalet Iona is found at the edge of the rustic mid-17th century hamlet of Le Villard, where the old chapel, bread oven and fresh water well are still very much in evidence. A mere 10-15 minute drive to the main lifts, ski school and après ski activities, it is a true hidden find and a blissful getaway from the crowds.
A seven-night stay at Chalet Iona, Méribel starts from €28,790 (£24,538*) on a catered basis. For more information and to book, please visit https://www.purpleski.com/chalets/iona/
UNBEATABLE SLOPE-SIDE LOCATION: Chalet Lapin Blanc, Méribel Chaudanne *Sleeps 14+1 in seven bedrooms
The perfect pick for groups of friends, multi-generational families and corporate getaways, the striking Chalet Lapin Blanc sleeps up to 15 guests across seven large ensuite bedrooms. Enjoying a prime location on the slopes of central Méribel, the property will delight serious skiers with its superb access to the resort’s pistes and wider three valleys – the biggest connected ski area in the world.
Complete with an enormous sitting and dining room with a central log fire, mezzanine study area, cinema room with bar (just the ticket for a post-piste movie marathon!), sauna and an outdoor hot tub on a secluded private south-facing balcony, this alpine bolthole will feel like the ultimate home-away-from-home. And with all bedrooms of a similar size, there’s no need to toss a coin for the best bed, ensuring plenty of room to spread out.
Enjoying a central location in the heart of Méribel, and boasting enviable views of the mountain and valley, this ski-in, ski-out chalet is one of the most luxurious and best located in the valley. Buzzing restaurants, bars, shops and more are available in Méribel Village so there’s plenty to explore – if guests can tear themselves away from their private winter wonderland.
A seven-night stay at Chalet Lapin Blanc starts from €42,990 (£36,623*) on a catered basis. For more information or to book visit https://www.purpleski.com/chalets/lapin_blanc/
VOTED FRANCE’S BEST CHALET: Chalet Machapuchare, Val d’Isère
*Sleeps up to 15 in seven bedrooms
Recently voted France’s Best Chalet in the World Ski Awards, Chalet Machapuchare is the brainchild of Val d’Isère local, ski instructor and design enthusiast Yoann Marchand. The chalet enjoys a privileged position nestled in the exclusive and wonderfully private area of Le Crêt, commanding uninterrupted views of the entire valley, from the rocky cliffs above La Daille across the two main ski areas and the pretty village of Val d’Isère to the glaciers and snowcapped peaks beyond. Sleeping up to 15 guests in seven luxurious bedrooms, it offers the very best of serene Alpine living, just a three-minute chauffeur ride away from the buzzing local nightlife, pistes, restaurants and shops.
The sprawling property features a large, open-plan living and dining area, paneled boot room and numerous balconies and terraces on which to soak in the splendid panoramic views. When it comes to relaxation and entertainment, guests are spoilt for choice with an indoor pool (incorporating a counter current for physical training), massage room, hammam, state-of-the-art gym, cinema and outdoor jacuzzi.
Born and raised in Val d’Isère, owner Yoann Marchand knows the slopes like the back of his hand. Chalet Machapuchare was born of a decades-long family history, with Yoann’s father and grandfather creating the original road to the property in the early nineties. The chalet itself was constructed from local larch pines, while Yoann and his father dug down two levels to create a 007-style parking lot that commands attention upon arrival. With meaningful details behind every corner of the luxurious property, the private garage has retained views of the natural rock of the earthwork along one wall, with all the stones excavated during the building process re-used in the chalet.
Meanwhile, Yoann’s wife, Charlotte Guilhamat, a trampolinist and personal trainer with a masterful creative eye, organized the whole interior design of the property with Yoann, with incredible attention to detail and subtle nods to the family’s history apparent throughout.
A seven-night stay at Chalet Machapuchare, Val d’Isère starts from €53,990 (£45,991*) on a catered basis. For more information and to book, please visit https://www.purpleski.com/chalets/machapuchare/
