For skiers, snowboarders, and aprés-aficionados, there’s no shortage of snow-capped escapes. From Whistler to the Austrian village of St. Anton, park rats can chase powder from continent to continent. But what many of these rippers overlook is the secret tucked between seasons: The same towns that swell with visitors in December are just as breathtaking when the snow melts.
Take Chamonix, France, for example. Perched at the base of Mont Blanc, Western Europe’s highest peak, it’s a magnet for the world’s best skiers come wintertime. But in the summer, the mountains reveal a different kind of majesty: wildflower-adorned valleys, glacier-fed rivers, and trails that pull you skyward with every turn.
Eager to escape my landlocked Nashville home as August slipped into September, I booked a week in Chamonix and checked into Chalet Hôtel Le Prieuré & Spa, ready to see how this alpine town transforms once the skis are packed away.
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Checking In: First Impressions of Chalet Hôtel Le Prieuré & Spa
Walk up to the front of Chalet Hôtel Le Prieuré & Spa and it’s clear the place was built with skiers in mind. Out front sits a bench fashioned like a ski lift, a playful homage to the mountains and lifts looming above. Step inside and you’ll pass a ski gear room and adjoining shop, both waiting patiently for the first snow to fall.
The lobby is simple and welcoming, equipped with a small front desk and wire racks stacked with postcards and trail maps of the surrounding Alps. Upstairs, rooms range from spacious Mont-Blanc suites with jaw-dropping views of the peak, to the refuge suite at the very top of the hotel—a cozy cocoon with a fireplace, double bed, relaxation nook, and open-plan bathroom stocked with robes.
Wood-paneled walls are warmed by cool blues, soft grays, and earthy accents, striking a balance between rustic and refined. The design feels industrious without being stark, seamlessly echoing the town itself, one that seems built not around shops or nightlife, but around the sharp peaks and pillowy clouds hovering just above.
Each morning, we carried steaming mugs of coffee and tea onto our balcony, watching the town of Chamonix stir awake beneath Mont Blanc. The view alone felt worth the trip: jagged peaks catching the early sun, the valley below buzzing with the promise of another alpine day.
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Relax and Recharge: The Spa Experience
You can’t stay at Chalet Hôtel Le Prieuré without sampling the spa. Compact but inviting, it centers around a perfectly heated pool and an adjoining jacuzzi, both free to use for two hours each day. Step through the glass dome that shelters the jacuzzi and you’ll find a cedar sauna with a wide window, so you can sweat it out while soaking in the mountain views.
For those looking to go deeper, the spa also offers massages and facials for an additional charge, an indulgence that feels equally well-earned after a long day hiking the trails in summer or carving turns on the slopes in winter.
Fueling Up in Chamonix
Although the hotel’s restaurant does’t carry the Michelin-star pedigree, the hearty, all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet won us over each morning. Plates of pastries, fresh fruit, hot dishes and plenty of coffee were the perfect fuel before we set out to run (or in my case, hike) the trails. Guests can certainly return for dinner, but with the heart of Chamonix just steps away, we found ourselves wandering into town most evenings, chasing the hum of cafés and restaurants that spill onto the streets.
Madison Freeman
A Basecamp for Every Season
Whether the town is buzzing with trail runners during UTMB or settling into the quieter rhythm of summer, Chalet Hôtel Le Prieuré & Spa feels like the ideal basecamp. Just steps from Chamonix’s cafés, shops, and winding streets, it pairs alpine-inspired rooms and a restorative spa with front-row views of Mont Blanc to capture the essence of the town in every season, wether you’re wearing ski boots or hiking boots.
