Hot hotels in Chamonix for winter

Chamonix has a great choice of five-star and four-star hotels offering plenty of grandiose glamour, palatial premises, beautiful bars and restaurants as well as sublime spas. From the newly refurbished Hotel Mont Blanc (owned by the Taittinger family) to the Hameau Albert Premier and its two Michelin star restaurant or the classically charming Grand Hotel des Alpes which has been welcoming discerning guests since 1840, you may find it hard to choose the right one at first.

As you'd expect, most of the luxury hotels in Chamonix have their own spa facilities and quite a few have their own ski hire shops in-house too, so you don't have to travel far to pick up your gear when you arrive. This also means that there's somewhere to store it at the end of the day.

Finding hotels to accommodate large groups isn't always that easy, especially in a busy ski resort where hotels tend to be smaller and more individual.

There is a good selection of hotels in Chamonix offering family rooms (which are great for friends sharing too) and boasting family-friendly facilities.

The Heliopic and the Hermitage Paccard sit at the higher end of the market and price range, whilst there is a good number of mid-range hotels to choose from too.

Try Hotel de l'Arve, Rocky Pop Hotel, Les Campanules, Le Faucigny Hotel or Les Lanchers.

If being based close to Chamonix's ski slopes is your priority, then finding a hotel within walking distance of the valley's lifts is a must.

The Brévent ski area offers some of the most easily accessible beginner and intermediate skiing in the Chamonix valley. Technically an aparthotel (apartments offering hotel services), the four-star Balcons du Savoy is situated right on the beginner pistes at the foot of the Brévent gondola.

On the other side of the Savoy pistes, Folie Douce also offers ski-in / ski-out hotel accommodation.

Heading up the valley, Hotel Les Lanchers in Les Praz provides accommodation near to the Flégère lift. This three-star hotel has ensuite facilities on all of its bedrooms.

Perhaps the most famous of all the ski areas in the Chamonix valley are the pistes of Les Grands Montets and, if you want to be as close as possible to some of the most challenging skiing in Europe, then booking in at Hôtel Le Montana would be a wise choice. It's only 100m from the bottom lift.

If part of the reason you chose Chamonix as your ski holiday destination is for its lively après ski or nightclubs, then you want to be close to the action. One of Chamonix's most popular après ski venues is the famous Chambre Neuf which is part of the three star Hotel Gustavia.

The UCPA hostel is just around the corner from the central square in Chamonix with all its bars and restaurants. The Faucigny and Hotel de l'Arve also have a great central location.

The Hotel Alpina is situated right next to Rue du Moulin, Chamonix's nightlife hotspot. It's the perfect place for aprés ski to turn into avant ski. The hotel itself is home to a couple bars including a lounge bar with panoramic windows on the seventh floor.

A little bit further afield is Le Vert Hotel which offers a shuttle service to get you into town and back in the evenings. They have a lively bar of their own and host some great parties over the winter, so you may be tempted just to stay put!