Cheval Blanc Courchevel

Cheval Blanc began here: LVMH chose Courchevel 1850's forested Jardin Alpin for the first of its maisons in 2006, and the property still sets the tone for fashion-house hospitality in the Alps. The building reads as a contemporary chalet lined in blond wood, cashmere and commissioned art, with the pistes of the Trois Vallées—the world's largest linked ski area—running effectively past the ski room door.

Rooms and suites are couture in feel, all soft whites and precise detailing, many with balconies into the spruce forest; duplex apartments suit families travelling with staff-level expectations. Ski butlers handle boots and passes, and the maison's partnership culture brings LVMH polish to everything from the pâtisserie to the kids' club.

Gastronomy peaks at Le 1947, Yannick Alléno's intimate three-Michelin-starred restaurant, one of the very few tables of that rank in any ski resort worldwide, supported by more relaxed alpine dining and a glamorous après scene. The Guerlain spa with its indoor pool is among the mountains' most complete. For a no-compromise Courchevel week, this is the benchmark.