Hôtel Les Fermes de Marie

The story begins in 1981, when Jocelyne and Jean-Louis Sibuet took on a small hotel in Megève. Eight years later, in 1989, they laid the first stone of Les Fermes de Marie, which the MICHELIN Guide now calls Megève's most classic hotel. It holds One MICHELIN Key, the guide's mark for a very special stay. The hotel has stayed in the family: it names Jocelyne Sibuet as its founder and owner, and since 2011 the second generation, Marie and Nicolas Sibuet, has been developing the family's presence in Megève, Ménerbes, Saint-Tropez and Saint-Barth, carrying on the philosophy of Maisons & Hôtels Sibuet.

By the hotel's account, Les Fermes de Marie laid the groundwork for the first mountain spa in 1989, and its beauty farm, La Ferme de Beauté, has been running since 1990. The rooms follow an Alpine cabin style, each fitted, as the MICHELIN Guide notes, with its own collection of Savoy antiques.

Among the chalets, Le Chalet du Skieur follows the Megevan tradition of the 1930s and takes its inspiration from the architect Henri-Jacques le Même. Its living room pays tribute to the codes of that decade: slate floors, wool fabrics with geometric patterns in natural tones, large hazelnut jacquard cushions, oak friezes and wooden sconces.

The hotel stands in a 2-hectare park in Megève, 350 metres from the heart of the village and a five-minute walk from its shops, and 1 km from the ski slopes of the Évasion Mont-Blanc area; a shuttle takes guests around Megève and, on request, to the ski lifts and back. An Alpine Garden links the main hotel to Le Chalet du Skieur, so guests staying there cross it to reach the restaurants, concierge, Pure Altitude Spa, kids' club, boutique and Ski Shop. From its terrace or balcony, a Club room looks out to the surrounding ranges, among them Mont-Blanc, Mont d'Arbois, Rochebrune and Mont Joly.

Megève itself sits 30 minutes from Chamonix and 40 minutes from Annecy, with Geneva and Italy close by. From the hotel, Geneva is a one-hour drive of 70 km, Lyon two hours and 180 km, and Paris five hours and 600 km. By rail, Sallanches station is 12 km away and Annecy station 76 km.

The Classic room, suited to one adult or two children, measures 16m², with woven fabrics in warm tones and a bathroom with bath or shower. The Club room steps up to 25m² for up to two people, adding a terrace or balcony, a bathroom with bath and, on request, a connecting room. The Room with Lounge Area, at 32m², faces south and south-east, with a terrace or balcony, an open-plan lounge that can take a child, a sandstone or slate bathroom and a separate toilet.

The 45m² Prestige room is dressed in wood and soft fabrics, with a terrace or balcony facing the French Alps and a sandstone or slate bathtub. Junior suites use parquet flooring and noble materials, face south and south-east, and have mountain views. The 40m² Prestige Suite adds a separate living room, a stone bathroom and a fireplace lounge. The 60m² Mont-Blanc Suite pairs a bedroom with a large bed and an adjoining living room, a bathroom with bath and shower, and air conditioning. The Rochebrune Suite is set in the hotel's stone tower, with rounded architecture and a stone bathroom.

Family rooms reach up to 90 m² and suit families of three to five, with interconnecting rooms, bathrooms with bathtubs and baby cots on request. The Suite with 1 child bedroom adds a small single-bed room beside the double, while the Suite with room for 2 or 3 children pairs a double with a twin bedroom. The Duplex Family has a balcony facing Rochebrune, Mont-Joux and Mont d'Arbois. The 70m² Rochebrune Chalet, a semi-detached chalet within the compound, has a fireplace living room, a children's bedroom, a first-floor master bedroom with a dressing room and a terrace, but no kitchen.

The larger chalets are rented with hotel services. Le Chalet du Skieur, 140m² for six, has three en-suite bedrooms, an equipped kitchen, a sauna and a terrace over the Alpine Garden and the Rochebrune massif. Le Chalet des Fermes de Marie, 400m² for ten, has a 50 m² master bedroom filling the first floor and underground access to the hotel. Le Molitor, 330m², sleeps ten adults and one child and lies a 10-minute walk from the church square and the ski lifts. Le Chalet Chatel, 250m² in the hamlet of Les Choseaux, has five double bedrooms and a private garage.

Le Restaurant des Fermes, which the hotel also calls Le Restaurant Traditionnel, sits at the centre of the main chalet and works with simple, authentic products cooked according to the market. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, and outside diners can book a table. The menu is updated with the seasons around a few signatures: truffle pasta shells, the Pâté Bourgeois 'tradition des Fermes de Marie', grilled meats, fresh fish from the region and a dessert buffet. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are offered à la carte, and a children's menu is available all year, in the restaurant and through room service.

Le Carnotzet, decorated in wood with red and white tiles, is the address for cheese lovers; it opens only in winter, for dinner every day, with fondue and raclette among its mountain specialities. In summer and autumn, L'Alpage des Fermes serves meals as a table d'hôte in the mountain pastures, and Le Relais des Fermes, the new high-altitude address, serves lunch at 1,300 m on the Rochebrune slopes. Children have La Table des Enfants, a table reserved for them alone.

In the village, a few minutes from the hotel, Le Vieux Megève serves Savoyard specialities. Le Relais Mont-Blanc, on the Place du Clocher, offers traditional mountain cooking where Italy, Savoy and Switzerland meet. Le Beef Lodge, a steakhouse in the village centre hung with trophies and skins, presents a butcher's menu. Open in winter and summer, it is closed for the autumn season, and in summer it serves lunch and dinner from 10 July.

The bar opens daily from 10:00 to midnight for cocktails, wine, champagne and slates of regional cheeses and charcuterie. Between 15:30 and 18:00, the Gourmet Snack brings homemade pastries and signature hot chocolates to the lounges or library. In summer, afternoon tea runs at the same hours, with iced tea and fresh fruit cocktails served in the gardens, where an ice cream cart offers homemade ice cream and sorbets.

The hotel describes the spa at La Ferme de Beauté as a space where five natural elements come together: wood, water, fire, stone and plants. The Pure Altitude Spa offers signature massages and facial treatments using mountain plants, as well as multi-day treatment programmes, a Leonor Greyl hair salon and manicures by Manucurist.

The facilities include an indoor pool with a swimming lane, sauna, steam room, hot and cold Japanese baths, indoor and outdoor jacuzzis, an outdoor sauna, a relaxation room and a gym. The indoor pool is full of natural light, decorated with old wood and granite, and suitable for children. Guests of Le Chalet des Fermes de Marie reach the spa by an underground passage, and guests of the chalets may also use the Pure Altitude spas at Lodge Park and Hôtel Mont-Blanc.

Le Hameau des Enfants is a kids' club designed entirely for children, given over to games, discoveries and seasonal activities. It opens daily from 16:30 to 22:00 for children aged five and over, with a programme of activities from 20 December in winter. During school holidays, a Kid's Concierge works Monday to Saturday over the same hours.

For family walks, the Calvary path is easy and accessible from age four, with a view of the village; the Planay trail runs between trees and mountain pastures, and a forest walk leads to the Belle au Bois waterfall. For chalet guests, the concierge arranges ski instructors, ski passes delivered to the chalet, sled dogs and helicopter flights over Mont Blanc.

Chalet guests can order dishes from the catering service or delicatessen from L'Épicerie des Fermes, including Kaviari caviar and seafood. A Chef at Home cooks for up to 12, a Maître d'Hôtel advises on food and wine pairings from the cellar, and a private butler is available around the clock.