At 2,400 metres, most "infrastructure" on the mountain is built to move people through, not invite them to linger. A ski lift station is the purest example: functional, noisy, transitional. Once it stops running, it becomes an awkward relic, the kind of industrial afterthought that quietly fades into the landscape.
The new hotel is set in the center of Val d'Isère at the base of the slopes, which Airelles says makes it the only luxury hotel in the area with ski-in / ski-out access. Designed as a reinterpretation of a medieval-inspired castle, the hotel will have 41 keys, including nine suites and five private penthouses with their own dedicated butler. Each room will have a private balcony or terrace with views of the slopes or village and will be individually appointed with antique furniture and art.