Hotel Mont-Blanc

Megève

Facing the Mont-Blanc massif, Megève, along with Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, Combloux, La Giettaz, Cordon and Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce, form a skiable domain with 450 kilometers of trails. Located on a pass between the Arly and Arbon Rivers, Megève means “between two waters”, in reference to its geographical situation. Created in 1912 by the Baroness de Rothschild to compete with the Saint-Mortiz ski resort in Switzerland, Megève has become a chic ski station for the world’s rich and famous. The village however, has conserved its identity and the wealth of its historical heritage. Authentic chalets, wash houses, numerous chapels and oratories stand side by side with high fashion boutiques and discreetly luxurious hotels. Narrow, winding streets crisscrossing small plazas decorated with fountains, take strollers to the Grand Place and the St. John the Baptist church with its stunning bulb like bell. Visitors come here in winter for the ski slopes and trails as well as for ice polo and in summer for hiking, bicycling, paragliding or climbing…or simply to enjoy the view of mountains like Mont Joly, Jaillet and Arbois.

A hotel where charm is dominant

Located in the heart of the village, the Mont-Blanc is truly a mythical hotel. Nicknamed the “21^st arrondissement of Paris” by Jean Cocteau, Megève has an artist’s soul thanks to the many writers, painters, actors and singers who have stayed here. Brigitte Bardot, Charles Aznavour, Juliette Greco, Jean Marais, Josephine Baker, Pierre Mendès France, Henri Troyat and Françoise Sagan were frequent guests of the Mont-Blanc hotel which has maintained its artistic and new wave atmosphere. Avant-garde artist, poet and playwright Jean Cocteau is still present everywhere through photographs, drawings, paintings and the wall fresco in the restaurant.

Although the Mont-Blanc has been totally renovated, it has conserved its post-war ambience. With great refinement, the décor combines Austrian, English and typically Savoyard styles. Coordinated fabric prints in the classic rooms, dull tones and sparkling whites for a tea house atmosphere in the Club rooms, wood panelling in the Prestige rooms and plaid and embroidered cushions in an Alpine spirit in the “Coin Salon” room all pleasantly contribute to a warm atmosphere. In the suites, the wood carved objects and antique furniture are part of the typical feeling of a mountain chalet. English, Austrian and Savoyard trends are also found in the different salons. Before confronting the summits or after an exhausting day on the ski slopes, the Gérard Philippe salon is the ideal place for breakfast or an afternoon snack, or an aromatic tea while curled up in a deep red colored couch.

In the Le Georges salon, while comfortably ensconced in a wing chair, guests can enjoy a cocktail under the light of a Bohemian crystal chandelier. And in the Cocteau salon, designed for reading, an after dinner drink is the perfect way to end the day. Before however, and still in the company of Jean Cocteau, Les Enfants Terribles restaurant is the chic bistro where the modern genius reveals his fresco, and where even the table lamps indicate that this is no ordinary Megève restaurant. The menu however, consists of local cuisine and traditional recipes. The pepper steak, a favorite of Cocteau’s, is still highly recommended.

Finally, for total relaxation, the all white, icy spa offers treatments made to order for a mountain resort.

The Gérard Philippe salon was named after the celebrated French actor after the 1952 filming of Roger Vadim’s’ cult film, “Les Liaisons Dangereuses”. Several of the film’s scenes were shot at the Hotel Mont-Blanc.