Rosewood Courchevel Le Jardin Alpin: Understated Elegance Comes to the Slopes
There’s no shortage of luxury in Courchevel. With its perfectly groomed pistes, couture boutiques, and restaurants competing for Michelin stars, this corner of the French Alps has long been synonymous with the high life—albeit one that sometimes verges on caricature.
But Rosewood Courchevel Le Jardin Alpin, opening this December, suggests a different approach. Less performative, more personal. Less flash, more finesse. It’s a new build nestled discreetly into the Jardin Alpin enclave—one of the resort’s more serene and secluded pockets—and it’s Rosewood’s first alpine outpost, as well as its second property in France after the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris. The contrast between the two couldn’t be more telling: while Crillon dazzles with palace pomp, Courchevel’s Rosewood speaks in a quieter register.
A Chalet That Thinks Like a Home
Designed by Tristan Auer, the 51-room property—including three expansive “houses” for larger groups—draws on a tactile, natural palette: timber, stone, and soft textiles, all offset by polished touches like copper and glass. It feels modern but rooted, more like a well-travelled friend’s alpine home than a boutique hotel.
That’s deliberate. Auer has said he wanted to create “a private mansion chalet rather than a traditional hotel,” and it shows. Interiors are layered but not showy. Fireplaces and generous terraces provide views of La Saulire’s peak without feeling like they’re part of a brochure. Public spaces are elegant but relaxed, designed to be lived in rather than merely admired.
One of the more surprising moments—especially in a setting this classic—is the Olafur Eliasson installation suspended in mirrored space: a pair of crystalline sculptures that seem to float into infinity. It’s not just aesthetic punctuation, but a clear signal that this is a hotel willing to embrace something a little more cerebral.
The Luxury of Being Left Alone (But Looked After)
The service model here is also telling. A dedicated ski concierge doesn’t just hand out trail maps—they function more like lifestyle editors of the mountain, whether you’re seeking a first-tracks experience at dawn, or a private chalet dinner halfway up the slope, complete with fireworks. Yes, really.
The hotel benefits from a ski-in/ski-out position with direct access to Les Trois Vallées, but if you’d rather stay horizontal, the Asaya Spa offers an excellent counterbalance. The treatments are designed with the slopes in mind—like the “Ski Legs Revival,” which combines cryotherapy, compression boots, and a dose of aromatherapy—but also range into reiki and sound baths. Auer’s philosophy of “discovery beyond the expected” applies here too: there’s a welcome sense of thoughtfulness, not just luxury for its own sake.
Dining That Matches the Mood
The main restaurant operates with similar restraint. During the day, it’s a lively terrace affair, serving regional classics—fondue, grilled meats, slow-cooked dishes that nod to Savoyard tradition. At night, it becomes more introspective: the lights dim, the menu tightens, and a moodier, more refined kind of après-ski takes shape. It’s less about spectacle than it is about pacing—the understanding that mountain days unfold in chapters, and each should be approached on its own terms.
Who It’s For
Despite its polish, Rosewood Courchevel doesn’t feel exclusionary. The multi-room houses are clearly geared towards families or small groups, and the flexibility of connecting rooms and communal spaces makes it functional as well as aesthetically ambitious. This isn’t a party hotel, nor does it feel like it’s trying to compete with Courchevel’s louder neighbours. It’s for people who already know what they like—and prefer to let the surroundings do most of the talking.
Which, to be fair, they do. The Jardin Alpin area has long been a quiet favourite among insiders for its slightly removed location and its easy ski access, and Rosewood has slotted into this landscape with care rather than disruption. There are no gimmicks here, just a well-executed vision of contemporary alpine hospitality that’s confident enough to hold back.
Rooms from €2,300 per night. Reservations now open for the 2025/2026 ski season.