Need to know
Rooms
Thirty-one, including seven suites.
Check–Out
Noon. Earliest check-in, 4pm. Late check-outs until 6pm can be arranged for half a night’s stay.
More details
Rates include an à la carte breakfast of hot drinks, fresh juices, yoghurt, fruit, pastries and cooked-to-order dishes, dinner or lunch at six different restaurants, both in and around the hotel, and a daily 1.4 per cent booking fee.
Also
Limber up with a free pre-ski yoga session at 9am every day; private tuition can also be arranged for a fee.
Hotel closed
The hotel is closed from mid April to mid December.
At the hotel
Lounge, library, gym, spa, yoga classes, ski room with valet service and direct access to Piste Bellecôte, kids club, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: flatscreen TV with multilingual VOD, DVD players are available on request, Bose bluetooth speaker, minibar, Nespresso coffee machine, kettle, free soft drinks and bottled water, Aman Spa toiletries.
Our favourite rooms
A world away from Aman’s trademark sun-kissed suites, the rooms here take inspiration from the Alpine setting with oak panelling, French furniture and floor-to-ceiling views of the snow-dusted larch trees (mélèzes) that give the hotel its name. Kitted out with a king-size bed and a private hot tub, Chambre Ski Piste rooms are our top pick. Smaller and less bright, Chambre Junior rooms are best for little Smiths. Sprawling suite La Vanoise has a cosy fireplace and spectacular views of the slopes from its south-facing balcony.
Poolside
Framed by Capri-stone-clad walls and seductively lit columns, the hotel’s heated indoor pool is sleek and serene. It’s flanked on either side by an inviting Jacuzzi – just the thing for a post-ski soak.
Spa
Aman’s promise (it means ‘peace’ in Sanskrit) is honoured in the hotel’s restorative two-floor spa, a holistic hideaway kitted out with a sauna, hammam, fitness and yoga studios, five treatment rooms, a 14m plunge pool, Jacuzzis and therapeutic showers. Much of the focus is on post-ski recovery; try the Thai massage to stretch and soothe tired muscles after a long day on the slopes. The hotel also runs wellness workshops throughout the season; book ahead for nutritional advice and personal-training sessions.
Packing tips
Light packers, rejoice: the hotel has travel essentials such as plug adaptors and hair straighteners for impeccable après-ski dos, as well as a ski room from which guests can hire everything they’ll need to hit the slopes.
Also
Smokers needn’t brave the elements thanks to the hotel’s cigar lounge. Two Chambre Junior have been adapted for disabled guests, who also have access to all public areas.
Children
Welcome. An extra bed (€225 a night for over-11s, €185 a night for children aged 5-11, free for under-5s) or baby cot (free) can be added to all rooms (except the Chambre Junior). A free kids club welcomes 3–12 year-olds from 9am to 10pm.
Best for
3–12 year-olds.
Recommended rooms
Book a Family Apartment if you’re travelling with the brood: the hotel will connect a Chambre Mélézin (king-size bed, slope-view balcony and large ensuite bathroom) with a Chambre Junior kitted out with twin beds, a dressing area and its own bathroom.
Crèche
3–12 year-olds can mingle and play at the kids’ club, a free supervised activity centre with toys, games an arcades, open from 9am to 10pm.
Activities
Gentle Bellecôte slope is ideal for hesitant first-time skiers. Nearby ESF 1850 is an international ski school offering individual and group lessons for over-4s in Alpine ski and snowboarding. Toddlers aren’t left out of fun in the snow: their children’s village has supervised play for tots as young as 18 months. Little ones will be well entertained with a range of daily activities run by an experienced children's host. From noon to 9pm, the Kid's Club at Aman Le Mélézin offers arts and crafts, puzzles, board and arcade games and interactive cooking sessions. For shy Smiths, the TV room also has a broad range of movies and documentaries.
Swimming pool
Aman Le Mélézin’s pool has a shallow end, but you’ll need to keep an eye on your little ones if they’re not confident swimmers.
Meals
Well-behaved children are welcome in the restaurant and bar at all times. There’s a kids’ menu for fussy eaters, and colouring books and crayons are provided for leisurely lunches, too.
No need to pack
The hotel is well equipped for family stays: leave changing mats, bottle sterilisers, potties and highchairs at home.