St. Martin de Bellville in France’s Savoie region could very aptly be described as a friendly luxury ski experience. Friendly luxury maybe not be a phrase you have heard much though according to Google it is trending. Well, this is exactly what a stay at the super chic and very friendly M Lodge & Spa in St. Martin de Belleville is. In the beautiful Savoie region St. Martin de Bellville is part of the famous Les Trois Vallees ski region and so you have access to miles of slopes and interconnected resorts. Courchevel maybe for the famous, Meribel for the youngsters but St. Martin is happy to do its own thing and it does this very well.
This is what The Times said about staying at the M Lodge The Times said is one of the three of the best new luxury ski hotels in the French Alps
Greetings from St. Martin de Bellville
Even the name I feel gives you a good feeling of a place that is quieter, charming, friendly and I suppose in essence is a good description of friendly luxury. Think of it as a distinguished family inviting you to spend a few days with them and that’s pretty much how I felt.
40 years of Saint Martin de Bellville
There are some places where time stands still, hectic everyday life is put on hold and we can finally appreciate the joy of a moment of tranquillity. Nestled in the heart of the 3 Vallées, the largest ski area in the world, the village of Saint Martin de Belleville.
The village is unlike any other place in the 3 Vallées, extending way beyond the borders of the main village and revealing itself to guests in a way nowhere else does.
M Lodge & Spa – Saint Martin de Belleville
You have to start with the hotel and the M Lodge is absolutely the epitome of the friendly luxury ski hotel.
Opening earlier in 2023 it’s the young Turk but it will soon morph into the go to place and become the Princess.
Think of a feeling that is a mix of its Latino funky luxe bar, meets chic contemporary bedrooms, with one of the friendliest bunch of predominately young people I have met in a long time.
I visited in March 2023, a few months after opening so the hotel was settling in but truly it was really heartwarming the way the team gelled and seeing their friendly smile was hearetning. You can tell if the smile is real or forced. Yes, working in a hotel is long hours but as a guest you pick up fairly quickly if people care or its just a job. To me I felt the team were really proud and so should they be. I say Latino as when you go up into the bar area it’s filled with glowing bronze colours and with a mix of cool vibes playing, I felt it had a fresh and original feeling.
Savoie Cuisine – Friendly luxury style
Dinner at “Le Montagnard ” was a lovely introduction to village life. Le Montagnard, legendary chalet at the foot of the slopes. This restaurant, with a reputation that goes way beyond the Valley of Belleville, is a heart-warming story of family and expertise. Lucie and Valentin Suchet are the great-grandchildren of Nicolas Jay, an iconic figure in the history of the Vallée des Belleville, mayor in the 60s and one of the pioneers of the creation of France’s ski resorts. In 1999, his son Eric Suchet decided to transform the old stables into a restaurant with his brother and cousin.
A few years and two generations later, Valentin then Lucie, Eric’s children, are skilfully running the place. As for the food, it remains just like the passion exuding from this place – dynamic and authentic. Short supply chains are favoured for the most part, as the team works hand in hand with local producers. The signature dishes have always been the Paillasse Bellevilloise, a potato gratin with bacon, mushrooms and goat’s cheese from their farm, and the apple tart for dessert.
Hate to sound like a broken record but this is a classic example of friendly luxury. Cosy, chic, refined but friendly with a story. You can chat or do your own thing. Scrummy food and loved the intimacy of inside. Parfait.
Breakfast
Whichever country its the reason to get up. Breakfast is just a must.
St. Martin de Bellville – The Skiing
Not quite ski in, ski out, but not far from it.
It’s a large village. You walk a few minutes (or hotel can arrange transfers) to get on the bubble lift up the mountain then a chair lift and you are at the Maya Altitude restaurant where you have options in all directions.
Intersport www.intersportrent.com have a great shop just a few minutes walk away but they also have a link with the hotel so you can access their team in the hotel’s ski room.
I was picked up at my hotel by my friendly dude Clairmont from the ski school. Well he was a really charmer. He listened to my list of concerns, was caring but not worried and we just got on with things gently gently. I adore the mountains and skiing but as you get older your body starts to niggle so I admit I am always a little apprehensive just as I start of getting on snow, sort of like the first day of school. This soon eased and I must praise his patience and understanding that I settled in so well.
I did smile to myself when I met my ski instructor. To give you the setting I had literally just finished a relationship and I later joked my ex would have had a bigger smile.
Happily, in a relationship he was I believe probably the very best ski instructor I have had and I have had good ones but because I have some specific ski issues in that my left ankle is slightly more restricted than my right from an old injury and I have 2 artificial hips so though I ski quite happily I need a little guidance with really more to do with my ankle to compensate when turning.
Life is funny and we must not take ourselves too seriously but remember its important to smile and laugh. We had excellent chats and personally and professionally that’s one of the great things about one to one ski instruction is you get to spend time with a person that adores the mountains.
I have often found they have a spiritual connection and in the same way sailors have a massive respect for the sea, ski instructors adore the mountains but also respect its power and pay attention to possible danger.
I have skied for years but I ski to enjoy the mountains and its very rewarding when you get better and make ones skiing easier.
He was super kind, we had great conversations about the environment and off pisting and his love of climbing and when we reached La Mass an unexpected surprise was in store.
Whilst at the relatively new La Pointe de la Masse the ski patrol guys and gals invited us in for a glass of wine and a natter. This was totally unplanned but super cool.
Seeing all the ski patrol have their lunch and getting an inside scoop was a real privilege.
Access to unique experiences is also a big part of what luxury is. A classic example was the time I was filming in Egypt and bumped into the head of antiquities at The Pyramids and so after lots of mint tea and chit chat, we had unique access as gates inside The Pyramids not for tourists, were opened and we saw amazing treasures. These kinds of things are about access and knowing the right people to give you an insight into something special which can be antiquities or equally seeing the working of a team that very few see.
I was fascinated by seeing how the systems and technology works but also knowing very well though they were relaxing having their dejeuner I knew how seriously they took their job which was very rewarding to see.
Ski Instructor experiences and ski lessons offered by the ESF’s in Saint-Martin-de-Belleville.
A Luxury Ski Day in Les Trois Vallees
If you ski for a week there is normally at least 1 or 2 days when everything seems perfect. You have energy, the skies are blue, the snow soft, and one’s skiing is clicking. I spent such a day skiing with Sebastien from the tourism office. In other words, it was a day of Ski Freedom. We took the lofts up to near Maya Altitude where we had lunch later.
And had several hours of beautiful skiing down into Meribel.
These days where the joy of skiing is abundant is not only about the skiing but for me it’s the joy, I feel being in the mountains looking at the scenery, people and after lunch sitting back closing one’s eyes and taking in the rays. The power on goodness on our wellbeing of being in the mountains is very special.
Then back into St. Martin de Bellville and to the M Lodge hotel.
As a person I enjoy many of the simple things about a ski holiday and a post ski sleep is one of these special things.
Please do not ignore how powerful and wonderful they are. The 2 places I sleep so beautifully is after a day up the mountains and a day on the beach. Just perfect.
Spend a relaxing time at M Lodge after your ski
After my long post ski nap I had the pleasure of spending some downtime having a gentle swim in the pool and a wonderful massage.
The hotel has a boutique sized spa area where you can spend a very happy hour or so which is exactly what I did and the massages were all booked so others felt the same.
Up to my room a change for dinner then down ro meet Marlène GIACOMETTI, St. Martin de Bellville’s head of tourism to discuss the environment, the meaning of luxury, family, working hours whilst enjoying some proper local cuisine.
This might sound an obvious thing to say but finding the right hotel is not just about your personal wishes for service, style and gastronomy but its also about hopefully having a good chat with a guest. Meeting people and sharing stories is one of the wonders of travel.
I for example am a massive fan of afternoon tea and a nibble after skiing as it’s a time to just let go but also meet some new people and hear about their discoveries and adventures on the mountains.
‘SIMPLE & MEILLEUR’ wine bar and bistro
It’s a place for a quite evening surrounded by obvious French gastronomic excellence. Food is served with an artistic, organic chic from people who just know about food. You can just tell.
I enjoyed Tapas and wine tasting at the Simple & Meilleur with Mappy and Sebastien downstairs. Its like being in a wine cellar surrounded by boxes with ski history on the walls.
I enjoyed some good times with my friends from The Savoie and then as they had to head off to dance the night away. I joke, work was calling.
I headed upstairs to the bistro Simple & Meilleur. The second restaurant by René and Maxime Meilleur to be awarded a Bib Gourmand award from the Michelin Guide, has added a new string to its bow by putting its wines in the spotlight.
The space under the bistro, over two floors, has been transformed to offer a warm and friendly experience for wine lovers. The new wine bar is in keeping with the Meilleur family spirit, the passion for grand crus that has driven René since the beginning. Over 80 varieties are available on the menu, which changes to include the sommelier’s latest favourites. Behind each wine lies a person who chose it, loved it, told it their story. Around 50 people can enjoy this traditional setting, tastefully reworked, to sample the current selection of wines and the tapas served to accompany them. Cheeses and charcuterie from the valley, freshly made pâté, trout and oysters – an exquisite way to satisfy your apres-ski appetite.
Travelling to St. Martin de Bellville
Regardless of the changes to the world’s climate there are certain things that will be a constant. One of them is that we will all need transfers from our pickup to our hotel or chalet. For the first time we used www.3vt.co.uk/ from Geneva directly to the M lodge hotel. Simple, very comfortable and rather lovely in that you could very well end up having a good chat along the way with similarly minded people, as I found. Its about 2.5 hours door to door and we stopped at Annecy to have a look over the lake and a proper little French coffee spot.
Regardless of your pocket size for many destinations easyJet is probably the largest airline to the slopes for people from the UK and methinks that they are very much the upper tier of the low cost carriers.
If you are looking for a touch of friendly luxury for your ski holiday, then I have a feeling you will agree this may be just the ticket. A village with a touch of je ne sais quoi with people who come back year after a year, friendly faces. A suitable amount of luxury, tasty food, a village atmosphere and a couple of short ski lifts and you are in the middle of one the world’s largest ski areas.
Mmmm sounds good, that’s what I thought.
Merci beaucoup to my St. Martin amigos.
Take care, be safe and smile.
Ciao, ciao from The Butler.
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