Escape the crowds: The secret to staying off grid in the world's biggest ski area

As the crow flies, Refuge de la Traye is not far from the madding pistes of Méribel, at the centre of the world’s biggest ski area, the Trois Vallees.

However, the hotel’s setting above Méribel’s satellite village of Les Allues puts it a world apart from the clanging lifts and après-ski hullabaloo of its neighbour. A sanctuary that accepts only 14 guests at a time, swathed in sheepskin throws and high-thread-count sheets, it promises seclusion in highly-luxurious alpine style, along with cutting-edge spa treatments.

The cluster of buildings that makes up this remote outpost once sheltered cows from cold mountain winds. After being fully transformed for last winter, Refuge de la Traye has this year become the latest addition to the Airelles collection of luxury hotels – it’s the brand’s second property in Les Trois Vallées ski area, joining the flagship Les Airelles in nearby Courchevel 1850.

Unlike its glitzy cousin, which is sandwiched between the rest of Courchevel’s luxury properties, the Refuge is certainly off the beaten track – as I discovered on my visit upon its grand opening last winter.

Getting there entails a 20-minute ride up through the pretty pine forest above Les Allues in the cabin of an all-terrain electric snowcat with panoramic windows. Then, as I alighted, a pair of white-gloved attendants stepped in sync towards me, bathed in silvery twilight against the marmalade-warmth of a crackling fire.

We stood beside its warmth in gently falling snow, accepting cups of steaming chocolate ladled from a copper cauldron, accompanied by traditional Savoie sugar cake. La Traye may carry the name ‘refuge’, but it was already a far cry from the remote eyries aimed at hardy types prepared to hike for their bed and their turns.

As I sipped, dusk shrouded the three large chalets, two cosy ‘mazots’ and doll-sized chapel that make up the Refuge in a rosy glow. Seven double rooms of various sizes include the two-storey mazots, which are inspired by traditional Savoyard dwellings and sleep two to four thanks to sofabeds downstairs; the other option is a private three-storey, two-bedroom chalet.

All is rendered in high-quality materials; reclaimed larch and slate roofs are complemented by soft woollen furnishings, marble bathrooms and flatscreen TVs. Proprietor Jean-Victor Pastor – a keen skier and one of the largest property holders in Monaco – reportedly spent €30 million to create this snowbound nest, complete with extensive spa and elegant dining room.

Getting to Refuge de la Traye is half the fun. I arrived on the snowcat, as do most overnight guests with baggage, from a tricky-to-find parking lot in Le Villard, on the edge of Les Allues. The more adventurous option for confident skiers and snowboarders is to hire a guide and take an off-piste route from the ski area – either for lunch or, for light travellers with a backpack, an overnight stay.

The route starts from the top of Méribel’s Olympic chairlift, and takes around an hour, normally including two short uphill hikes. However I’m assured by the staff that a knowledgeable guide could lead adventurers via the ridge of Dos de Crêt Voland without any uphill at all.

Sadly for me last January, come morning, the view from my deeply comfortable king-size bed revealed a swirling snow-globe of flakes flying hard and fast. Not only was the off-piste off the menu but Méribel’s lifts remained shut due to high wind.

Nonetheless, over a leisurely breakfast of smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and flaky croissants, a delicious plan was hatched for a day in splendid isolation. Through rising snowdrifts I made a quick dash to my room to change into snow gear before meeting Mathieu, who is both La Traye’s housekeeper and its snowshoe guide. Rather refreshingly for such a luxurious place, a handful of staff means few do the work of many – which included Mathieu both making my bed, and leading me on a snowshoe stroll through a powder-laden meadow.

“We are in the heart of the Three Valleys, but here,” he said, pointing to a weave of rabbit and deer tracks, “we’re also in the middle of nature.” Through deep fresh snow, we briskly ascended from the Refuge at 1,650m to an open clearing at Plan des Danses at 1,725m. My heart rate normalised as we looped back to base in a wide circle and, after a rewarding hour inhabiting the snowy wilderness, home comforts beckoned.

Lunch is served à la carte in the restaurant, where I chose aubergine parmigiana della Mamma (€22), courtesy of chef Marco Meloni, who dishes up a sophisticated Italian-influenced menu under the counsel of executive chef Christophe Dupuy – also at the helm of Jean-Victor Pastor’s Maya Bay restaurants in Monaco.

Rested and refuelled, there was a bevy of activities to sample. My stormy-day choice was biathlon target practice with Mathieu. He’s not only a crack shot but was a good enough sport to let me take the wheel of the piste-basher that doubles as an all-terrain runabout. Other options include electric snowmobiles for children and a winter-ready adventure park with zipline, tree swing and bridges among the pines  – although the wind that day was too strong for tree climbing.

Indoor indulgence came next, in La Traye’s extensive spa. First the steam room, then the panoramic sauna looking out onto the forest. And the outdoor hot tub invited a roll in the snow to cool down. Skilled in-house therapists provide beauty treatments and massages, and there’s also the option of a relaxing, detoxifying hay-bed session or moisturising milk bath.

And that is not all. Alongside the more familiar treatments is some seriously high-tech machinery, including an Iyashi Dôme sauna (said to be both rejuvenating and slimming), a circulation-stimulating Stendo massage device, and the most heavenly hands-free waterbed massage table. It’s called Wellsystem and has rocketed to the top of my Christmas list.

My short stay at La Traye was enough to load up my inner design-junkie wish list too. Floor to ceiling patina of reclaimed wood and heavy exposed beams. Headboards and sofas padded with rich hunter green woollens. Chaise-longue equipped balconies opening onto tree-topped views of Grande Casse, the highest peak in the area at 3,855m. Bathrooms clad in green swirls of polished marble (though the shower-no-bath arrangement was a personal disappointment). Even the lid of my Japanese toilet with its heat seat rose to attention if I so much as passed close to it.

As at all the best slopeside restaurants, supplies arrive fresh at La Traye each morning. During my two-night stay I also tucked into delectable herring decorated with edible pansies, tender organic chicken in a classic creamy sauce daubed with rich morels, and a suitably unctuous cheese board. And in addition to the usual à la carte menu, one evening fresh prawns were on offer.

A whiff of Fawlty Towers did waft across the rarified air when my waiter threatened to swipe the last of the wine, having mistakenly recommended and produced a bottle outside my price bracket. Tiny teething missteps in paradise.

With miscommunications repaired, dinner concluded and wine well drained, I retreated for a digestif by the crackling fire, and a toast – to Luxury and its new soulmate Lost, the trendiest couple in 21st century travel, united at Refuge de la Traye.

Essentials

For winter 2020/21, rates at Refuge de la Traye, Méribel start from €850 for a Deluxe Room (Half Board Basis), based on two people sharing (refugedelatraye.com; 0033 458 240404). Exclusive-use rates at Refuge de La Traye start from €65,000 per week on an all-inclusive basis including all food and beverage, ski hire and ski pass, snowmobile transfer to and from the slopes and a shuttle to Méribel.

Leslie Woit’s trip took place before the Covid-19 pandemic. While ski resorts in France are open, lifts remain closed until early-January 2021. The Foriegn Commonwealth and Development Office currently advises against all non-essential travel to France – arrivals into the UK, from France, must self isolate.