Cheval Blanc Courchevel Gets into the Skiing Spirit

Cheval Blanc's continued commitment to French “Art de Recevoir” has seen the team create a collection of new treats and surprises for guests. This year, these include:

- Pre-Ski Training – The Cheval Blanc Spa offers daily personal training sessions to strengthen the cardio-vascular system, hamstrings, quads and tendons, pre-ski. The programme combines cardio training, TRX (a suspension training system) and stretching in a series of movements that become as necessary as breakfast before a day on the slopes.

- Ski Touring Discovery Programme – Cheval Blanc Courchevel honors this intense form of Alpine discovery, which harks back to a golden age of skiing. This ultra-chic sport would have been all but forgotten were it not for a group of highly passionate cross-country skiers continuing to explore the great white on skins. For 2013, the Maison is re-introducing dedicated guides and the finest equipment to honor this art.

- 4 O'clock Fun - Every afternoon, as skiers return from a day on the slopes, the Cheval Blanc team will provide exciting activities to amuse guests. Little ones – and not so little ones – can head out into the forest on a journey by husky drawn polar sledge. Also on selected dates in the season, Hennessy will create a delicious punch from cognac and black tea which will be served either in the ski room or in the Maison's renowned Yurt. Every 15 days, a professional ice sculptor will take up residence to reveal the secrets of his profession, creating beautiful installations carved from an ice block – be it a horse's head or an igloo.

- Limited Editions Gifts – Each year, Cheval Blanc Courchevel creates a new collection of gifts for its guests. This season sees elegant cashmere pashminas, for both men and women, in either taupe and white or taupe and grey. To match, a taupe jacquard canvas travel bag with the Cheval Blanc logo, smart chrome finishes, and leather handles or fur chou-chous for little girls.

- Moynat's Malle Petit Déjeuner – This brand-new Malle Petit Déjeuner trunk, custom-made by Maison Moynat, allows guests to enjoy a delicious breakfast in the privacy of their suite. This mobile trunk is made of alcantara and contains twenty drawers and compartments comprising everything from cutlery and kitchen utensils, napkins and baskets of croissants, to a black granite slab equipped with a La Cornue hob. All components have been carefully selected by Cheval Blanc Courchevel's Executive Chef, Yannick Alléno.

- Slope-side BBQ – The White restaurant will complete its delicious Savoyard menu with grilled meats and vegetables, barbequed on the sunny slope-side terrace, where guests can relax as they enjoy the crisp Alpine air and warming sun.

- Yannick Alléno's Hot Chocolate – Return from the piste to taste Alléno's famous hot chocolate – rich and indulgent, flavored with vanilla or cinnamon, creamy tonka bean or orange, hazelnut or just chocolate, it arrives served in Cheval Blanc mugs, accompanied by warm waffles, churros or crêpes.

- Ice Fountain – This new spa area uses traditional mountain materials such as stone, wood and ice and subtle lighting to create a refuge from the piste. The journey through the spa begins with a scrub in the ice fountain, before plunging into a cold bath and then stepping into the neighboring hammam. Following this, a stop in the rustic, exposed stone and wood sauna, filled with the scents of sage and traditional medicinal herbs. The experience is complemented by kaleidoscopic lighting, giving a chromotherapeutic effect and is completed with a shower experience that explores the different seasons – be it a winter mist or a spring shower, these are accompanied by different light effects – a stormy night, a morning dawn or an afternoon of thunder and lightning.

- New Guerlain signature treatments - This season, The Cheval Blanc Spa invites guests to discover four new Guerlain massage rituals, available only at the legendary Guerlain Institute on the Champs Elysées in Paris and at Cheval Blanc Courchevel. Each treatment, tailored to every guests' expectations, is a fusion of traditional massage techniques from around the world and Guerlain science.

- Aesthetic Facial massage Beauty Pulp - An intense programme of stretching and dynamic muscle movement that targets wrinkles and activates microcirculation. The transformation is real and immediate – a radiant complexion, smoothed features, plumped cheeks, and eyebrows naturally lifted, all with the feeling of having been massaged from head to toe.

- A Deep Back Massage – This treatment is focused on easing the spine and peripheral muscles after hours spent on the slopes. Soft, circular movements gradually increase in speed and intensity to enable deep relaxation in the shoulders and back muscles.

- The Foot Ritual – For weary limbs, relaxation begins in the feet and enables the whole body to unwind and recuperate. Feet are carefully kneaded with nimble fingers, focusing on the sole's pressure points to ease stress and tension throughout the body. Toxins are eliminated and circulation is restored…

- The Muscle Ritual - Reshape and tone the body through deep relaxation. This is a powerful and sensory ritual where tired muscles are smoothed.

- The White Bar Hits the Next Level – Together with its neighbouring Savoyard brasserie, The White Restaurant, the White Bar is the social hub of the Maison, renowned for its cosy, laid-back atmosphere. This season, Frédéric Sanchez, the international composer who regularly rocks the fashion world's most anticipated shows, has created an exclusive soundtrack for the bar, creating a cosmopolitan vibe. To celebrate, floral art designer Geert Patyn is creating a striking pink installation for the bar that echoes the pink “Balloon Venus” Dom Perignon champagne bottles, a limited edition designed by contemporary artist Jeff Koons. Serving everything from the “Skiers Afternoon Tea”, a feast of mountain cakes and desserts, through to evening cocktails, The White is must-visit destination on the Courchevel scene. Outside, a Mongolian Yurt decorated with comfortable club chairs, fur rugs and oversized wooden coffee tables, has been transformed into a Cigar Lounge.

- Exclusive new suites – The Maison's eight news suites are pushing the boundaries of interior design thanks to celebrated designer Sybille de Margerie. Artfully combining authentic and natural materials with innovation and creativity, she has created individual suites for guests looking for the ultimate in mountain living. All the suites are individual in design and make use of Alpine materials such as wood, cashmere, fur, leather, bronze and brushed brass, alongside one-off sculptural and painted works of art.

- Silent night – At the end of it all - to drift into sweet dreams - a herbal infusion for the mind and body is placed in guests' rooms every evening. Served in fine Bernardaud cups, decorated in Cheval Blanc colours, eucalyptus and lemongrass will soothe and calm whilst fresh mint and ginger will refresh and invigorate for the following day.

Visit website: https://www.chevalblanc.com/