Refuge du Montenvers

This is one of the most authentic hotels in the high Alps, with great style, killer views and an adventurous spirit.

Built in the 1880s to provide accommodation for mountaineers exploring Europe’s highest peaks, the building was recently modernized by high-end hotel company Maisons et Hotels Sibuet. Located at 1,913m, it’s tricky to reach – you have to go on foot (or skis), or catch a funicular railway from Chamonix (taking 20 minutes), which only runs in the daytime. This does mean, though, that guests have the refuge – and the breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks and glistening blue Mer du Glace glacier – to themselves at all other times.

East- and west-facing terraces catch the sun throughout the day, and the plain but comfortable rooms look out onto the Chamonix valley way below.