Hotel Mont-Blanc — Chamonix, France

Europe’s highest mountain, Mont-Blanc, has secured Chamonix’s status as one of the world’s most fabled ski resorts. Inspired by the immense peak, design doyenne Sybille de Margerie has created a calming interior of wispy whites and noble materials across the generous proportions of the Hotel Mont-Blanc. The Belle Époque building - acquired in 2010 and recently reopened by the Taittinger champagne family - features ornate stucco mouldings, marble fireplaces and elegant iron balustrades, which have been thoughtfully counterpoised by contemporary furnishings upholstered in warming tones of ochre and crimson and a chain-mail lamp by designer Christian Lava for Terzani. The two-year renovation has netted 40 rooms, including two suites, along with a spa that offers Tibetan-inspired treatments. The restaurant and bar, helmed by chef Guy Martin of the Grand Véfour in Paris, offers a menu of specialities from Martin’s hometown of Savoie. Gazing up at Mont-Blanc from the outdoor jacuzzi with a glass of Taittinger to hand is an unashamed luxury.