The Art Of Self-Catered Luxury Ski Holidays

Self-catered ski accommodation used to be for the budget-minded traveller looking to save a bit on the cost of travel. It offered a very basic sort of accommodation for groups and families for whom simply skiing was the main attraction.

Today, however, the market is changing and luxury self-catering is the hot new trend in the ski industry—completely redefining the art of luxury for a certain type of traveller.

A luxury self-catered ski holiday is not for everyone as many travellers prefer full service of a catered chalet, but it’s the perfect solution if you—

• Prefer to travel with your own staff.
• Enjoy sampling the local and regional Michelin-starred restaurants on offer in the French Alps —or simply want to immerse yourself in the apres-ski culture of the resort.
• Travelling in a small group and don’t need the space of a luxury chalet.
• Want more flexibility and spontaneity to make your own arrangements during your holiday.
• Appreciate a more understated level of service.

 We first offered self-catered ski apartments last season, initially focusing on the resort of Val d’Isère, but due to their popularity, we expanded our alpine apartment portfolio in Winter 2017/18 to include two additional penthouses in Les Gets, and a stunning 4 bedroom apartment in Val d’Isère, Tournesol.

We caught up with Urban Corniche owner, Martin Lightbody, to see what motivated his decision to venture into the self-catered luxury market. Martin and his wife Julie own the multi-award-winning chalet Grande Corniche. A glorious chalet located on a private estate in Les Gets in the Portes du Soleil, Grande Corniche recently won best Ski Chalet France 2017 at the World Ski Awards and received special recognition as one of the top 3 ski chalets in the world. An offshoot if it’s Grande parent chalet, Urban Corniche is a super suave self-catered residence in the heart Les Gets that styles sophistication and class. It shatters the benchmark of what luxury self-catered accommodation should be, demystifying any old-school connotations of self-catered travel.

Martin and Julie designed the apartment themselves, inspired by the idea of a New York style luxury penthouse relocated in the Alps. They identified a key niche in ski travel:

“ No one has created this level of luxury accommodation with these facilities in the location of the centre of the resort. No hotel, or apartment had done it before so we decided to create it ourselves. We wanted to experience a different type of holiday to the catered chalet, to give you the freedom to experience what the resort has to offer, by way of bars and restaurants….

Having built Grande Corniche as the ultimate luxury catered chalet we saw a gap in the market.  Too often you have apartments being built with the thought of more about how many beds you can create, rather than focusing on luxury entertaining and dining space. Here we wanted to include fun facilities such as a grand piano, sauna, swing, bar, pool table, Jacuzzi, along with space to relax. Being able to design the footplate floor plan with the developer enabled us to prioritise these items over the number of bedrooms”.

 

This restrained style of opulence is making waves in the luxury ski industry, appealing to a broader market. Ceri Tinley, our Managing director highlighted the decision to expand Consensio’s portfolio to include self-catered properties was driven by a desire to “offer a form of high-end luxury that was more affordable and accessible”. The über-luxe service of our catered and staffed chalets is an exclusive and immersive winter holiday experience. It is the peak of decadence and indulgence, featuring a variety of trimmings that include dedicated chauffeurs, Michelin-trained chefs, spa facilities and daily spa treatments, and some of the best chalet swimming pools to be found! However, the reality is a chalet with gold leaf swimming pool and a professional team of seven staff, is within the budget of a small group of HNWI. As Martin, Julie and the owners of our other self-catered apartments have recognised,  high-end self-catered luxury fills the gap between unobtainable luxury and affordability. In essence, it provides exceptional value for money!

View our self-catered ski apartment collection here>>

What our self-catered experience includes:

• Pre-arrival concierge services
• In-resort concierge services
• Welcome pack including a bottle of Perrier Jouët Champagne (because it wouldn’t be a Consensio ski holiday without a bottle of Perrier Jouët one ice!)
• Daily cleaning and mid-week linen change
• Luxury bath amenities, including robes, slippers, and towels
• A personal meet and greet from your resort representative with an introduction to the property

We’re also happy to handle other arrangements and details for our self-catered clients, such as a private taxi or helicopter transfer, pre-arrival grocery shopping, daily breakfast boulangerie delivery, restaurant bookings, massage and beauty treatments, and childcare.

As with any Consensio ski property, we are available to assist with lift passes, ski hire delivery, ski lessons, and ski guides when you book a self-catered apartment.