The Billionaire Guide to Courchevel 2026/27: Where to Stay, Eat and Ski
Courchevel was created in 1946, and eight decades later it remains the reference point for luxury skiing in the Alps. The 2026/27 season runs from 4 December 2026 to 18 April 2027, with Village, Moriond and La Tania following from 5 December. It is also one of the resort’s busiest years for new openings in recent memory, with new hotels in 1850, Moriond and La Tania. For most visitors, the essential decisions are which village to stay in, which hotel or chalet to choose and which tables to book before arriving. This guide covers each, from the Palaces of 1850 to the farming village of Le Praz.
One practical detail first. In 2011 the villages were officially renamed: 1850 became simply Courchevel, 1650 became Courchevel Moriond, 1550 became Courchevel Village and 1300 became Courchevel Le Praz. Almost everyone still uses the altitude names, so this guide uses both.
The Villages, Honestly Compared
Courchevel 1850 (Courchevel)
The highest and most expensive village is home to the Palace hotels, most of the starred restaurants and almost all of the late-night life. It has three distinct quarters. The Jardin Alpin is the quiet, wooded enclave of grand chalets and hotels on the slopes. La Croisette is the busy heart of the village and its main lift hub. Bellecôte is the ski-in, ski-out address of Aman Le Mélézin and the new Hôtel Saint Roch.
Courchevel Moriond (1650)
Moriond is sunnier, noticeably less expensive and blessed with wide, forgiving blue runs, and in peak weeks it is calmer than 1850. Beginners and young families are often happier here. This winter it gains two new five-star hotel-residences, Steamboat and Sundance, which combine private apartments with hotel service.
Courchevel Village (1550)
The quietest of the main villages is linked to 1850 by the Grangettes gondola. It suits families who want calm evenings and easy access to the slopes without the bustle of the Croisette.
Courchevel Le Praz (1300)
Le Praz is the original farming village, built around a small lake and the ski jumps from the 1992 Winter Olympics. It is linked to 1850 by gondola and keeps the character of a traditional Savoyard village, with a calmer pace than anywhere higher up.
La Tania
Set in the forest, La Tania has its own acclaimed restaurant, Le Farçon, and this winter welcomes Bârma, a new ski-in, ski-out hotel due to open on 4 December.
Le Praz and La Tania share one advantage that few visitors appreciate. Both sit among the trees, so on a whiteout day, when the open slopes above 1850 lose all definition, the tree-lined runs below remain skiable. For a family that values space and character, a chalet in Le Praz can be a better choice than a hotel room in 1850, with dinner up the mountain whenever they want it.
Where to Stay This Season
The Palaces
Courchevel counts five hotels holding France’s official Palace distinction, and its grand addresses include Les Airelles, Cheval Blanc, L’Apogée, Le K2 Palace and Aman Le Mélézin. The grand hotels reopen in stages across the first weeks of December rather than all on the opening day of the lifts. L’Apogée’s dining rooms were redesigned last season by Kelly Wearstler, her first hotel project in Europe, and Rosewood opened its first winter resort in the Jardin Alpin in December 2025.
New for 2026/27
Two new hotels are due to open in 1850 on 18 December. Hôtel Saint Roch, the fifth address from Maisons Pariente, transforms a long-established hotel on the Bellecôte piste into a 37-room retreat with a Tata Harper spa. Bourbon Hotel, a new five-star from the Chapitre Six collection, brings a design-led address of around 30 rooms that breaks deliberately with the traditional chalet style, with an Italian restaurant, Simonetta, featuring a menu by Simone Zanoni. In Moriond, Steamboat and Sundance open for the season as five-star hotel-residences. In La Tania, Bârma is due to open on 4 December directly on the slopes.
Private Chalets
For the quietest version of Courchevel, the finest private chalets in the Jardin Alpin and above Le Praz offer what no hotel can: complete privacy, a dedicated chef and staff, and space for several generations under one roof. Some of the Palace hotels also offer private chalets with full hotel service, combining the privacy of a home with the facilities of a hotel. The best of these are rarely advertised and are usually secured through long-standing relationships rather than listings. The VIP luxury skiing experiences page explains how chalet stays are arranged.
Courchevel is one of those destinations where knowing the right people makes all the difference. The finest chalets, the most sought-after tables and the best private instructors are often difficult to secure through conventional channels. Our role is to find solutions, particularly when clients are told there is no availability.
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Coming Later
For those planning ahead, three more openings are on the horizon, at different stages. Lily of the Valley, designed by Philippe Starck, is scheduled to open beside the Altiport in Courchevel 2000 in December 2027, with 30 suites. Raffles has announced its first Alpine resort in 1850, targeting the 2028 winter season. One&Only has announced plans for Courchevel, with an opening currently planned for 2030.
Where to Eat
The Starred Tables
Courchevel has the greatest concentration of Michelin-starred cooking of any ski resort. In the 2026 guide, Le 1947 at Cheval Blanc, with only a handful of tables, holds three stars. Baumanière 1850, Le Sarkara, the dessert-led restaurant at Le K2 Palace, and Sylvestre Wahid at Les Grandes Alpes each hold two. L’Altitude at Le K2 Altitude won its first star this year, while Alpage and Le Chabichou hold one each, Le Chabichou having lost its second star in 2026. Seasons and opening dates vary from one restaurant to the next, so reservations at the starred rooms are best confirmed well before arrival.
New Tables
The new hotels bring new restaurants with them, most notably Simonetta at Bourbon Hotel, with its menu by Simone Zanoni. In Moriond, the dining is increasingly worth the short journey from 1850, with a focus on traditional Savoyard cooking.
Mountain Lunches
Lunch on the mountain is as much a part of Courchevel as dinner. La Soucoupe is known for cooking over an open fire. La Cave des Creux, above the Altiport, is a former cheese cellar run by a local family of ski instructors. Cap Horn, near the Altiport, is one of the resort’s long-established names. In peak weeks, the best terraces are booked days in advance, often before guests have arrived in the resort.
Private Dinners
Some of the resort’s most memorable evenings take place away from the restaurants altogether: a private dinner in a mountain restaurant after the lifts have closed, or a chef cooking in the chalet. These arrangements depend on relationships with the owners and are rarely offered publicly.
Things Most Visitors Don’t Know
The Altiport does not take jets. Its short runway, just over 500 metres long with a gradient of more than 18 per cent, is restricted to certain propeller aircraft and helicopters, and operations depend on the aircraft type, the pilot’s specialist qualifications, the weather and the necessary permissions. It is a daylight operation. Private jets land at Chambéry or Geneva, and the helicopter transfer from Chambéry typically takes around 25 minutes, conditions permitting. Arranging the jet and the onward helicopter together through private aviation avoids losing half a day on the road.
La Folie Douce is not in Courchevel. It sits on the Méribel side of La Saulire, and anyone who misses the last lift back faces a long and expensive journey round by road.
On 22 December, the women’s World Cup returns to the Stade Émile Allais in 1850 for a night slalom, with the first run in the early evening and free entry. It makes a memorable start to an evening before dinner.
Below Moriond lies Lac de la Rosière, a turquoise lake in protected forest that few visitors ever find. L’Éclipse, the World Championship downhill, runs down towards Le Praz, where families can often watch ski jumpers training on the Olympic jumps.
The late-night scene is concentrated almost entirely in 1850, and the leading venues expect smart dress.
Common Mistakes
Booking early December for the full Courchevel experience is the most common error. The lifts open on 4 December, but the grand hotels reopen in stages over the following weeks, so the resort is not yet complete.
Leaving the landing slot until last is another. Slots at Chambéry and other Alpine airports are limited on peak winter weekends, and Saturdays are in heavy demand. They are best secured at the same time as the chalet.
Driving on changeover Saturday is a third. The road takes well over an hour from Chambéry and around two hours from Geneva in good conditions, and considerably longer on the busiest days.
Paying the 1850 premium for the wrong reasons is a fourth. For a family that plans to dine in and ski locally, a chalet in Le Praz or Moriond often offers more space and character for the same budget.
Choosing a table for the scene alone is a fifth. The most fashionable terraces are not always where the best food is, so a well-planned week includes both.
Finally, booking a hotel in its first season without checking what is fully open can disappoint. New properties often take a season to settle.
When to Book Courchevel
The festive weeks and February half-term are the most demanding of the season. The finest chalets for Christmas and New Year are often committed a year ahead, many by families who return to the same house every winter. For January and March, the choice is wider, although the best chalets and the most sought-after tables still go early. Ski instructors for peak weeks are often booked months in advance, particularly the most experienced.
Public availability is rarely the full picture. The resort’s most sought-after houses, tables and instructors change hands quietly and late more often than the listings suggest, and a well-connected request can often open options that appear to have closed. For families who want the chalet, the flights, the transfers and the tables arranged as one plan, a luxury travel concierge can pursue them together. For other resorts this season, see the guides to the best ski resorts and the best ski resorts in Europe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I stay in Courchevel 1850 or 1650?
Choose 1850 for the Palace hotels, the starred restaurants and the nightlife. Choose 1650 (Moriond) for sunnier slopes, wider beginner runs, a calmer atmosphere and better value, especially with young children.
Where is the best place to stay in Courchevel?
For hotels, 1850, particularly the Jardin Alpin and the Bellecôte piste. For privacy and character, a private chalet in the Jardin Alpin or in Le Praz.
What are the best restaurants in Courchevel?
Le 1947 at Cheval Blanc is the resort’s only three-star restaurant, followed by Baumanière 1850, Le Sarkara and Sylvestre Wahid with two stars each. For lunch on the mountain, La Soucoupe, La Cave des Creux and Cap Horn are among the best known.
How do you get to Courchevel by private jet?
Jets land at Chambéry or Geneva, as the Courchevel Altiport is restricted to certain propeller aircraft and helicopters. A helicopter from Chambéry typically takes around 25 minutes, depending on conditions.
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