Crushing on Courchevel

We realised we weren’t in Kansas anymore when we skied to the door of Courchevel’s Annapurna Hôtel (annapurna-courchevel.com) for lunch. Instead of clumping through a crowded buffet leaving a trail of snow behind us, we were met by a lovely lady who explained we should take off our ski boots. We did. She then gave us slippers to put on and said she would heat up our boots while we ate. What? Really? We then quietly went through to the stylish restaurant, past the massive heated indoor pool, through the spectacular bar with coffee tables made of redwood slabs and a counter topped with gorgeous ice-like glass, and sat down at a table which had views looking up the impossibly pretty mountains. It was that easy. From the slope to fine dining – with accompanying wines – in minutes.