Hotel Bourbon

Courchevel 1850 is hardly short of extravagant hotels. The French Alpine resort has perfected a particular interpretation of mountain luxury, where grand chalets, designer boutiques and palace hotels compete for the attention of an exceptionally well-heeled international clientele. Bourbon Hotel, opening December 18, 2026, has rather different ideas. Instead of another lavish interpretation of Alpine tradition, this new address in the resort’s prestigious Golden Triangle takes its inspiration from somewhere considerably less mountainous: a private gentlemen’s club in London. The hotel is the latest addition to Chapitre Six, the independent French collection founded by Nicolas Saltiel, and occupies the former Hôtel des 3 Vallées on Rue Park City. With just 28 guestrooms and three suites, it offers a more intimate alternative to Courchevel’s increasingly extravagant hotel scene.

Forget the Chalet, Pass the Velvet

Parisian Studio Henry, working with artistic director Pierre-Alexis Guinet, has deliberately abandoned the familiar vocabulary of Alpine interiors. Forget pale timber, faux-fur throws and antler chandeliers. Bourbon is all about dark wood, deep velvets, low lighting and generously upholstered armchairs. The inspiration is an aristocrat’s private mountain retreat, although one with distinctly metropolitan tastes. Rich textures, moody colours and a touch of retro glamour create interiors that feel closer to an exclusive members’ club than a traditional ski hotel. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide the necessary reminder of where you are, framing the dramatic mountain scenery against the hotel’s deliberately cocooning interiors. The 31 rooms and suites continue the same aesthetic, offering a warm, intimate refuge from the snow outside. It is a clever contrast: the vast openness of the Alps by day, followed by the enveloping atmosphere of a London club after dark.

Vinyl, Cocktails and Italian Comfort

A hotel with this much personality deserves a bar to match. Bourbon’s cocktail bar makes vinyl records part of its identity, adding an analogue soundtrack to an atmosphere designed for lingering rather than rushing off to the next après-ski party. There is something appealingly old-fashioned about the combination of good music, proper cocktails and deep armchairs, particularly in a resort where après-ski can sometimes feel like a competitive sport. For dinner, Simonetta introduces a distinctly Italian accent to the French Alps. Conceived by Michelin-starred chef Simone Zanoni, the restaurant promises the warmth and generosity of Italian cooking rather than the formality often associated with high-altitude fine dining. The combination of Italian food, cocktails and vinyl gives Bourbon a social identity that should appeal equally to dedicated skiers and those whose enthusiasm for the mountains begins and ends with the view.

Downstairs to Recover, Outside to Ski

Beneath the hotel, a subterranean spa provides a more contemporary interpretation of Alpine wellness. Natural stone and onyx create an atmospheric setting for an indoor swimming pool, sauna and hammam, with contrast therapy forming part of the recovery experience. For guests who actually intend to ski, Bourbon offers direct ski-in, ski-out access to Les Trois Vallées, one of the world’s largest interconnected ski areas. The boutiques, restaurants and lively social scene of Courchevel 1850 are also just outside the door.

A Different Kind of Courchevel

What makes Bourbon Hotel interesting is not simply its unusual interior design, but its willingness to challenge the visual conventions of luxury Alpine hospitality. Courchevel has plenty of spectacular chalets and grand hotels. What it has rather fewer of are intimate, personality-driven addresses that could just as easily belong in London, Paris or Milan, yet feel entirely appropriate once the snow starts falling. With its dark interiors, Italian restaurant, vinyl bar and unapologetically clubby atmosphere, Bourbon brings a welcome dose of urban sophistication to the mountains. And perhaps the greatest luxury of all: somewhere you might genuinely prefer to stay inside, even when the skiing outside is excellent.