Le Marie

The last house on the lane in les Fermes de Val, Le Marie has nothing built beyond it and nothing looking onto it, and stays quiet even with a full group. The five bedrooms are all en-suite, most able to be set as a double or as twins for whoever is coming. They sit apart from the main living floor, an early night possible upstairs while the fire and the talk carry on below. The living room holds everyone at once, the dining table and open kitchen close by, meals and evenings kept to one place rather than scattered through the house.

Downstairs is the wellness floor, and it belongs to the house alone. The indoor pool sits beside a wood-clad spa and hammam, both sized for the whole group rather than a quick dip. You come off the slopes and into warm water without a coat or a car. Your skis are fitted in the chalet rather than in a shop queue, and the ski room by the entrance has boot warmers, gear dry and ready for the next morning. There is a garage and a car park with room for two cars, worth having when the lane fills with snow, and a safe inside for passports and documents.

Les Fermes de Val is a hamlet of a few houses set a little apart from Val d'Isère, quiet in a way the village is not, the centre still a short walk down for dinner or the shops. The slopes are close by, with 300 kilometres of the Espace Killy running through to Tignes and Bellevarde standing above. How much is taken care of is up to you: Premium brings a concierge, a butler who cooks breakfast and a driver around the village, while Prestige adds a private chef for five evenings and keeps the driver on later. Winter stays run Sunday to Sunday from late November to early May, and the chalet opens again in July and August.