Transfer to Alps: The Essential European Ski Resort Guide
Oct 12, 2026 · 24 min · 10 segments
Searching for the best places to stay in Europe's highest ski resort? In Episode 3 of Transfer to Alps, hosts Liam and Chloe deliver the definitive insider guide on Where to Stay in Val Thorens…
If you want pure, unadulterated indulgence with panoramic views across the whole valley, your first stop has to be Hotel Le Couinard.
It sits right at the summit of the resort in the exclusive Plain Sud district.
Architecturally, it is an absolute showstopper.
The entire front of the building is this massive diamond-shaped glass facade designed to catch every single ray of alpine sunshine.
Inside, it's all warm timber, plush leather and bespoke marble, but with this lovely light-filled modern feel.
And their wellness facilities are just jaw-dropping.
They have an 800-square-metre Valmont spa featuring two separate indoor heated pools, a sauna, a salt-wall relaxation room and a massive terrace where you can lie on heated loungers looking out over the entire Cirque of Peaks.
It is the ultimate spot to unwind with a glass of champagne after a hard day on the glaciers.
Their dining is world-class too.
They have two brilliant restaurants, L'Atelier des Riques, which serves fantastic high-end savoyard dishes, and their gourmet dining room, where the chefs focus on light, creative, modern cuisine.
You get five-star pampering, but with a direct ski-in, ski-out access gate onto the plein sud blue run.
You literally step out of the ski room, click into your bindings, and glide away.
It is magnificent.
But if you prefer a five-star hotel with a slightly more quirky, family-run boutique soul, then you have to look at Hotel Pashmina Le Refuge.
Ah, the Pashmina.
This was built by the Gorini family, who are proper Val Thorent pioneers.
What they've done is create this luxury mountain refuge that feels deeply personal.
It doesn't feel like a cold corporate hotel.
It feels like staying in the private lodge of an eccentric, wealthy alpine explorer.
It is a luxury heated geodesic dome perched right on the roof of the hotel surrounded by snow.
You have a proper plush double bed, a wood-burning stove, and a transparent ceiling so you can sleep directly under the stars at 2,300 meters.
It is one of the most romantic bucket list experiences you can book anywhere in the mountains.
It really is.
If you want pure, unadulterated indulgence with panoramic views across the whole valley, your first stop has to be Hotel Le Couinard.
It sits right at the summit of the resort in the exclusive Plain Sud district.
Architecturally, it is an absolute showstopper.
The entire front of the building is this massive diamond-shaped glass facade designed to catch every single ray of alpine sunshine.
Inside, it's all warm timber, plush leather and bespoke marble, but with this lovely light-filled modern feel.
And their wellness facilities are just jaw-dropping.
They have an 800-square-metre Valmont spa featuring two separate indoor heated pools, a sauna, a salt-wall relaxation room and a massive terrace where you can lie on heated loungers looking out over the entire Cirque of Peaks.
It is the ultimate spot to unwind with a glass of champagne after a hard day on the glaciers.
Their dining is world-class too.
They have two brilliant restaurants, L'Atelier des Riques, which serves fantastic high-end savoyard dishes, and their gourmet dining room, where the chefs focus on light, creative, modern cuisine.
You get five-star pampering, but with a direct ski-in, ski-out access gate onto the plein sud blue run.
You literally step out of the ski room, click into your bindings, and glide away.
It is magnificent.
But if you prefer a five-star hotel with a slightly more quirky, family-run boutique soul, then you have to look at Hotel Pashmina Le Refuge.
Ah, the Pashmina.
This was built by the Gorini family, who are proper Val Thorent pioneers.
What they've done is create this luxury mountain refuge that feels deeply personal.
It doesn't feel like a cold corporate hotel.
It feels like staying in the private lodge of an eccentric, wealthy alpine explorer.
It is a luxury heated geodesic dome perched right on the roof of the hotel surrounded by snow.
You have a proper plush double bed, a wood-burning stove, and a transparent ceiling so you can sleep directly under the stars at 2,300 meters.
It is one of the most romantic bucket list experiences you can book anywhere in the mountains.
It really is.
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