Chalet Ptarmigan

If you have noticed the beautiful building on the main street, between the hotels Savoie and Kandahar, and thought what a fabulous place it would be to buy a flat, but then decided that £2m was possibly a bit much for a holiday home, you will be delighted to hear that YSE runs the whole third floor, with three magnificent apartments. Ptarmigan is one of them, with four bedrooms and four bathrooms (one with bath and shower, three with showers), and a sauna. For six to eight guests there is nowhere better to stay in Val d’Isère.

The architect of this building was internationally renowned Michel Covarel, and true to form Chalet Ptarmigan is beautifully finished and fitted with lots of old wood and granite, but also every conceivable mod con.

Unlike most apartments Ptarmigan actually has an entrance hall with room for coats and outdoor shoes. This leads to the spacious and bright sitting-dining room with huge sliding windows onto a vast balcony. The chalet faces south, and the views of the mountains across the roofs of the village are quite fantastic, as shown in our photos above. There are plenty of sofas and armchairs for up to 8 guests and a light and welcoming dining area which is separate from the kitchen.

The bedrooms all open to the left of the corridor meaning they all face the mountains behind and not the road at the front. They are beautiful, with parquet floors and lots of cupboards, good lighting and lovely bathrooms. All can have two good-sized single beds or one six-foot double (please specify which you prefer when booking).

Three of the bedrooms have windows with the views across the silent snow and trees of a garden, some rather attractive buildings, and the Dôme and Signal mountains. If you like opening your window at night you don’t need to worry about noise.

The fourth bedrooom can also be made up as a twin or double and has its own shower and wc but no window. Or, if you have anyone who doesn’t want to share, this room is perfect.

The location of Chalet Ptarmigan could scarcely be better. It is in the middle of the main street, a four-minute walk to the lifts and slopes and just a few paces from all of the action. However, being on the third floor, it’s high enough above it all never to be disturbed when in the sitting room (being the only room facing that direction) and in any case the soundproofing is eerily good.