This might look like an unassuming, traditional wooden chalet from the outside, but you step inside to an oasis of cool: designer interiors with industrial-chic lighting, oversized leather sofas, quirky coffee-table books and signature resin stags' heads adorning the walls.
A perfect antidote to Alpine chintz, Montana's 55 rooms are chic and spacious, with tree-trunk bedside tables, Cole & Son Woods wallpaper, glass paneling and contemporary Italian rocking chairs. Downstairs, waiters glide in the elegant Stars restaurant, and there's a sophisticated spa and heated indoor pool. Yet whilst it's an obvious choice for urbanites and couples, it's surprisingly good for style-conscious young families, too, who love the easy vibe, plus there's a playroom and pizzeria. La Thuile itself is a pretty Alpine resort, lively in the winter but never as crowded as other, bigger resorts. The slopes are never busy so queues for lifts are rare, and the hotel is 10 mins on foot from the centre of town, so it’s very quiet: just you and the mountains. A great base for snowsports in winter and climbing, walking and pony-treks in the warmer months.
Highs
- Skiing either side of the French and Italian borders, in the silent presence of Mont Blanc and Rutor glacier. There are 160km of slopes in the resort, a range of nursery, intermediate and advanced runs
- Staff are delightful, highly professional and genuinely charming; service is impeccable
- Inventive and elegantly presented food that blends the contemporary with the classics
- Swedish Haestens beds. Just dreamy
Lows
- A hell of a drive over the Petit St Bernard Pass (closed in winter) to get here! Or go via the Montblanc tunnel. Book a transfer and let someone else worry about it
- Bathrooms are mostly shower-only (the Deluxe Suites have in-room tubs), but there are several Jacuzzis and a sauna down in the spa
- The colour scheme is quite monochrome and a little gloomy - taupes, beiges, chocolates and creams
- Boutique Hotel
- 55 rooms
- Restaurant and bar open daily
- All ages welcome
- Closed: 15 September - 30 November
- Indoor Pool
- Spa
- Beach Nearby
- Babysitting
- Creche / Kids Club
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
Rooms
All 55 rooms feature variations on exactly the same décor - wood-themed wallpaper on a feature wall, snowflake-patterned cushions on the bed and white resin stags' heads. Thoughtful extras include mountain-themed coffee table books, His and Hers slippers, spa flip-flops, and plentiful Comfort Zone toiletries.
The Swedish Haestens beds are heavenly, consisting of a giant divan with a thin mattress on top, stuffed with horse hair (which makes your body breathe rather than sweat). Getting into bed has never felt so good.
We stayed in a Grand Deluxe on the first floor, which had a balcony (not all do) and heaps of space. This was the second smallest category: rooms start at Deluxe and work their way through Grand Deluxe to Lofts, which have a mezzanine for an extra guest, to Junior Suites, Suites and Deluxe Suites (which have living areas with sofabeds so are good family options). Note, all bathrooms are shower only, but the Deluxe Suites have an in-room tub.
Features include:
- Bathrobes
- Central heating
- Coffee / tea making
- Hairdryer
- Minibar
- Safe box
- Slippers
- TV
- WiFi
Eating
The Bistro Alpino restaurant is elegant and immaculately styled, decked out in chrome seats with dazzling white table linen and glittering glassware. Its fare is equally fancy, created and crafted by a talented team of chefs - mostly Italian dishes using products from the Aosta Valley with regional twists. We dined on seared prawns with yellow peaches, almonds and radicchio followed by a simple but sublimely executed bowl of spaghetti with pesto sauce and anchovies, then a frothily-light ricotta cheese mousse with Piedmontese hazelnuts.
For something more casual, there's a pizzeria in one corner serving less-expensive dishes such as wood-fired pizza, pasta, soups and comfort food. Perfect for eating with children. And when après calls, head to Ottavio's Lounge for signature cocktails and appetisers on the sunny terrace.
Breakfast is a lavish, work-of-art buffet featuring endless choices of cereals, cheeses, fruit, yogurts and pastries. We counted 6 different honeys alone.
Features include:
- Bar
- Coffee maker
- Restaurant
- Restaurants nearby
- Room service
Activities
- Skiing and snowboarding in the winter. La Thuile is a popular high resort, with 160km of nursery, intermediate and advanced runs. The hotel shuttles guests to the nearby slopes (5-7 mins)
- For something more unusual, enquire about husky sledding, heli-skiing or bobsleigh
- Climbing, hiking, rafting, horse riding and mountain biking are popular in the summer months
- Back at the hotel, bliss out in the spa. There are 4 private treatment rooms and a Rasoul (detox mud treatment experience in a sauna), ‘Scottish’ shower (bucketful of ice cold water with a pull cord) and a Vitarium. There's also a private spa downstairs, rentable by the hour
- Or just relax in the heated indoor pool with its Jacuzzi sections in winter, and out on the pretty sun terrace in the summer
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Climbing
- Hiking
- Horse riding
- Rafting
- Skiing
- Snowsports
- Well being
Best Time to go
The ski season, from December to April, avoiding busy peak weeks such as New Year and February half term if possible. July and August in the summer, when the weather is best, but avoiding the big August 15th Italian holiday period.
Our Top Tips
In summer, walk up the Colle San Carlo. The hotel’s shuttle bus will take you some of the way, then it's a 2.5-hour walk further, with breathtaking views down the valley.
Location
Montana Lodge & Spa is in La Thuile, a ski resort in the high Val d’Igne part of the Aosta Valley of Northern Italy, close to the French border.
By Air:
Fly into Geneva (130km; 2 hours' drive) or Milano Malpensa (218km; 2.5 hours' drive). Click on the links below for a list of airlines.
From the Airport
Ask for a transfer or hire a car. There’s parking on site (with a daily charge), or free parking nearby. Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.
Alternatively, take the train from Geneva to Pré-Saint-Didier Train Station (10km; 15 mins' drive) then a taxi.
More on getting to Italy and getting around
Airports:
- Geneva 130.0 km GVA
- Milano Malpensa 218.0 km MXP
Other:
- Beach 441.0 km
- Shops 1.0 km
- Restaurant 1.0 km