In the Style of Wes Anderson

Its name says it all. Opened in 1919, this 300-room palace welcomed the crème de la crème of international chic. By day, tennis and golf were played in the summer, and horse-drawn sleighs in the winter. But, foremost, it was known for its nightlife. All of Chamonix came to hang out at the bar/dance hall for a magnificent evening, Great Gatsby in the Alps style: eccentric costumed balls, a tuxedoed orchestra, and champagne fountains... The golden age of a glamorous and effervescent mountain.
The 1950s and 1960s saw a slowdown in the party scene, and the suites were converted into private apartments and offices. But the building itself has lost none of its majesty. The monumental lines of its colossal façade and the impeccably preserved period decor of its ground floor still make it an icon of Chamonix of yesteryear.

241, allée du Majestic – Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

Rose du Pont's candy floss façade is every bit as impressive as that of the Grand Budapest Hotel. Formerly La Terrasse bar, it already stood out in Chamonix town centre with its sculpted balustrades and Art Nouveau columns dancing above the Arve River. But by becoming Rose du Pont in 2022, the establishment has undergone a spectacular and irresistibly Instagrammable renovation. Inside, architect and interior designer Christophe Bro has embraced the grand style of Parisian brasseries and department stores of the Belle Époque era: a cathedral-style library-bar, a backlit glass dome, a floor designed like a theatre arena...

It's dazzling, elegant, and a little decadent; Like a good cocktail served after midnight to the sound of jazz.

43, Place Balmat – Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

Once a very modest palace: The Savoy Hotel - today La Folie Douce.

It promises to live up to its name. Behind the pristine white façade, which has been carefully preserved, a demolition party paved the way, forming vast spaces and outrageous creativity before the opening ceremony in 2018. Everything at La Folie Douce unapologetically breaks the mould.

Raw materials blend with panache and the most delicate materials. The design is off the rails, but it's under control. The show isn't just in the decor; La Folie Douce also has its own in-house cabaret. A crazy setting for a lively celebration, "open to all those who are open-minded." Hybrid, stylish, and free, right in the spirit of the 1920s, but version 2020's.

You get there by cogwheel train, and that alone creates a slightly nostalgic atmosphere. Perched on the mountainside, facing the Mer de Glace, Le Grand Hôtel du Montenvers has all the hallmarks of an Andersonian setting. Understated, sturdy, carved from stone and melancholy: the kind of building that has already seen more than a century pass without flinching. Inside, the same poetic austerity of the dark wood paneling exudes simplicity and warmth. One can easily imagine Bill Murray reading a novel in a leather armchair by the fire… Above him, the ghost of a mountaineer who has taken refuge here for eternity.

Impasse du Montenvers – Chamonix-Mont-Blanc