Hôtel Taj-I Mah

In an Indian language, the name Taj-I Mah means 'crown of the moon'. The hotel belongs to Les Etincelles, a collection of hotels, residences and chalets, and the building is the work of the architect Marc Miginiac. Its architecture and decoration play up a perched, airy quality, and the roofs, shaped like commas, reinforce an impression of aerodynamics and lightness.

Its position makes the hotel a true receptacle for natural light; in the hotel's words, the sun literally invades the place. Aware of the well-being this light brings, Miginiac wanted to keep it present everywhere and designed the openings of the bay windows around the framing of the views.

The decoration is contemporary but also ethnic. In the common areas and the restaurants, elements of Indian and Tibetan inspiration bring a touch of serenity, and the materials were chosen with care, from wooden parquet to sculpted metal plates. The decor also relies on classic pieces of luxury hotel-keeping, a grand staircase and a masterful chandelier among them, while symmetry, colour and lighting effects were studied in detail to strike a balance between luxury, comfort and relaxation.

The hotel sits right in front of the Cabriolet gondola, and the centre of Arc 2000 around it is reserved entirely for pedestrians. From the hotel, the panorama takes in Mont Blanc, 4,809 metres high, to the north and the Aiguille Rouge to the east, along with Mont Pourri, the Col de la Chal and the summit of the Aiguille Grive: the great open spaces of Savoie, at the gates of the Vanoise park.

Arc 2000 offers immediate access to the pistes and to the Aiguille Rouge massif, whose summit is the starting point of what the hotel calls a legendary seven-kilometre descent to Villaroger, at 1,200 metres. The resort belongs to Paradiski, the ski area that brings together Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry and La Plagne, with 435 kilometres of slopes and 261 pistes, nearly half of them red or black.

The nearest railway station is Bourg-Saint-Maurice, 23 kilometres away below the resort, and the hotel can arrange taxi transfers. Of the nearby airports, Chambéry is the closest at 136 kilometres, followed by Geneva at 198 kilometres, Grenoble at 211 kilometres and Lyon Saint-Exupéry at 216 kilometres.

From the Classique to the Suite Mezzanine, every category has a private balcony and a desk, and double beds can be replaced by twin beds on request. The Classique measures 24 m² and sleeps two, with a bathroom with bathtub and a view over the village; some rooms in this category are accessible to guests with reduced mobility. The Club room has the same size and equipment but looks out to the mountains rather than the village.

The Suite Duplex, at 45 m², sleeps up to four, with a double sofa bed for children under 13 and a bathroom with both shower and bathtub. For larger parties there are connecting rooms. The Club Communicante covers 52 m² for up to four, with two double beds and two bathrooms with bathtub. The Club Supérieure Communicante has the same surface but takes five, adding a convertible armchair for a child under 13 and showers alongside the bathtubs.

For up to six guests, the Club Suite Duplex Communicante offers 69 m², two double beds, a double sofa bed for children under 13 and two bathrooms with shower and bathtub. The Suite Mezzanine, at 70 m², sleeps up to four in two double beds and also has two bathrooms with shower and bathtub. Both look out to the mountains, and room service runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

La Table du Taj-I Mah is the evening restaurant, open every night from 19:00 to 21:30. The decor is contemporary, large bay windows give the dining room a panoramic view, and the restaurant opens onto a south-facing terrace with a panoramic outlook of its own. The cellar holds more than 2,000 bottles and 300 references.

L'Atelier is the hotel's brasserie, set directly on the slopes and open daily from 12:00 to 14:30 and from 19:00 to 21:30, with a menu of salads, pizzas, burgers and Savoyard specialities. The Bar Lounge has a fireplace and a terrace that faces south and can be reached with skis on; furnished with sunbeds, it catches the sun and looks out over the resort and its surroundings. Lunch from L'Atelier is served on this terrace from 12:00 to 14:30, followed by a snacking menu, and the evening brings cocktails and tasting boards.

The spa covers 400 m², and its large bay windows look out over the pistes. It has a 15-metre pool, a sauna, a jacuzzi and a hammam, as well as experience showers, a relaxation area, a tisane room, a terrace and a solarium, and a relaxation room within the spa has a wall of Himalayan salt.

Treatments follow the protocols of the partner brands Valmont and Phytomer, in four treatment cabins. The spa is open daily from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 20:00, without a midday break in bad weather, and from 20:00 it can be privatised on request.

The ski shop sits at reception level: guests walk straight out onto the Place Olympique and put their skis on at the shop exit, and equipment is dried after use. Sledges can be hired there too, for an evening outing with children or friends.

For babies, the hotel provides a baby pack with a cot, a sleeping bag, a baby bath or support, a bath thermometer, a changing mat, a bottle warmer and a potty or seat reducer, and pushchairs suited to the snow are available at reception. Babysitting is available on request, and in the restaurant parents can have dishes cooked to order, including meals designed for babies that take allergies and specific diets into account. The children's garden and the beginners' area are both close to the hotel, handy for taking small children out to enjoy the mountain air and build snowmen.