It is an experience to live.
A bit like entering an anthill.
Through the glass doors of the airlock, one enters a sort of cathedral of snows, where light irradiates a spectacular interior, teeming with people and activities.
On the right, a reception geared down into five small studs sets the tone.
That of a place where everything has been done to favor a part of intimacy.
Arrange the volumes (39,000 m2) to prevent them from crushing and intimidating you, will undoubtedly have been the greatest challenge to be taken up by Jean-Philippe Nuel, one of the most sought-after interior designers of the moment.
A titanic charge which, by his own admission, “
will have mobilized around ten employees for five years”
.
The challenge ahead is daunting.
Instead of a car park, a glass, wood and stone building has risen from the ground to house 430 rooms, two restaurants, a wellness area with swimming pool and a very successful Sothys spa.
A construction that has risen to the "
Very Good
" level of BREEAM certification, with, in particular, "
the installation of photovoltaic solar panels and the choice of innovative and responsible insulation".
This new flagship of the brand with the tridents must meet expectations.
“…
A clientele that wants to be free, unconstrained and carefree
,” insists Henri Giscard d'Estaing, president of Club Med.
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Deja vu, but well seen
On the ground floor, the XXL lobby is extended by a bar.
Philippe Viguié-Desplaces / Le Figaro
In an impressive logistics, it takes a day to tame this mastodon.
On the ground floor, the XXL lobby is extended by a bar, which itself includes a theater, with a real stage, occupied at nightfall, by DJs and glittering shows.
Seats of all colours, all shapes, poufs, benches and sofas, placed in all directions, occupy a messy space that is brought to life by the hundred people who, from après-ski, linger there with a glass of the hand.
On the floor, a carpet cut like lace and in a corner, a closed fireplace diffuses a fake fire with real flames!
To break the dizzying heights, Jean-Philippe Nuel has created high bookcases in blond wood, which lean against cylindrical concrete pillars.
Deja-vu but well seen.
white in winter and green in summer
”, according to Jean-Philippe Nuel, who gets up on one of the most beautiful shows that nature can offer.
This is the intelligence of this development, to have known never to deprive us of the mountain, whose play of shadow and light we follow, throughout the day, through high bay windows. .
Between swimming pool and spa
The swimming pool offers a 25 meter long swimming lane.
Philippe Viguié-Desplaces / Le Figaro
The swimming pool offers a 25-metre long swimming lane (not bad for the mountains) and is adjacent to a sauna (too violent lighting) and a hammam.
Lounge chairs and mixed changing rooms fail to make us forget the gigantic size of a space where a few abandoned towels always inevitably lie around.
The blue bear
, the work of Lucas Beaufort, a bit cubist, erected in the center of this space, is in danger of becoming the iconic figure of the club.
From most rooms, you have to walk through the lobby to get to the pool.
Which makes it risky to wander around in bathing suits or a bathrobe.
Rest cabin of the Sothys spa.
Philippe Viguié-Desplaces / Le Figaro
On this same ground floor, we find, in addition to a fashion boutique, focused on mountain outfits (with beautiful brands such as Bogner and Fusalp), the Sothys spa.
A long corridor leads to 11 superb cabins in brown tones, illuminated by a ceiling painted with a sort of electric blue sky.
The massage beds are heated, which is very pleasant and the rest room, just after an exclusive hammam, is very beautiful, with its herbal tea room organized around a samovar.
In terms of care, the Corrèze brand has developed a special "
Ski Recovery
", which is available in a two-day or three-day version.
“
It is a 50-minute body massage, combining maneuvers with a draining aim, to promote muscle recovery.
, explains the manager of Sothys, Christian Mas, who signs his first spa in the mountains.
A treatment that is particularly well suited to returning from the first descents (2-day pack: €180, 3-day pack: €270).
At table
Le Val Claret, one of the Club's two restaurants.
Club Med / Press Photo
On the third floor, accessible from the lobby, the Le Val Claret
restaurant
looks like a huge canteen, where again we did what we could to make it cozy.
Kinds of openwork shelters, where a few tables are housed, punctuate this huge dining room built in an arc of a circle with a few nooks.
It reminds us of our childhood, when we built a cabin in our room… And, Club Med tradition obliges, buffets of all kinds are spread out there.
That of pastries and cheese remains the most impressive for the variety and opulence of their content.
Everything is fairly good quality, but the queues at peak times make it difficult to access the buffets.
Some visitors walk around haggard with their plates at arm's length.
I finally had the chicken, because that's where there were the fewest people
”!
Shame.
There is a second restaurant, two floors above,
Le Solstice
.
This bistronomic table, in short circuit and on reservation, is included in the "all-inclusive" formula, therefore without supplement.
An efficient and smiling service allows you to reconnect with the pleasures of the restaurant, in a charming, very mountainous decor, which is made intimate by subtle lighting.
Rooms and suites
A bedroom with plenty of storage space.
Especially under the bed.
Club Med / Press photo
The rooms have balconies, for the most part, and a mountain view for all.
Comfortable and colorful, a mix of wood and warm fabrics, very classic, there is nothing on the decorative side that will give you a "
wow
".
The lack of bathrobes, coffee machines (there is still a kettle) and a real table is a bit noticeable.
Bravo for the very numerous storage spaces even under the bed.
More annoying, the air conditioning that we do not regulate, blows its little air (fresh and purring), throughout the night.
The designers of the room, however, had the good idea of providing it with a small individual heater, which works perfectly well and warms up the après-ski.
At the very top of the resort, on the 8th floor, 25 spacious suites (from 50m2 to 70m2) have been accommodated, benefiting from exclusive personalized services, such as a glass of champagne (at 6 p.m.) or the assistance of a dedicated concierge.
On track !
Whatever the level of accommodation, everything at Club Med is done to benefit the skier.
Club Med / Press photo
Whatever the level of accommodation, everything at Club Med is done to benefit the skier.
In the ski room, access to the snow front (by pushing a little on the poles anyway) and an exclusive collaboration with the Rossignol brand, guarantee of very high quality equipment.
Each room has a locker that opens with a single badge.
Skis and boots, pre-ordered upon booking, await customers.
An efficient and clever provision, which eliminates any waiting.
The bindings have already been adapted to the shoes.
Of course, a dedicated team is on site for any equipment changes.
A partnership with the ESF, finally allows the provision of ski instructors, for group or individual lessons.
More generally, this myriad of services and the
Club Med Tignes, avenue de la Grande Motte, Tignes-Val-Claret.
Such.
: 0810 810 810. Rates from €2,964 for two adults, for one week, all inclusive including ski passes and lessons with ESF instructors.