Le Portetta

The Portetta is actually that rather rare thing: an extraordinarily well-run hotel. Full disclosure here. We are regular guests and have been returning, as many, many others do, at least once, often twice, a season for the last seven or eight years, including, quite miraculously, during the pandemic. The reasons we keep going back are manifold but obvious. Superb location, metres away from the Ariondaz bubble in Courchevel 1650 Moriond. Friendly and very well-run ski room, with a wide range of the latest equipment for skiers of all levels. Super comfy and practical bedrooms, with plenty of often overlooked storage space. Top of the range linen, including high thread count bed sheets and luxurious towels. Plentiful hot water at key junctures of the day with excellent water pressure – not always a given in ski hotels! Faultless, and always friendly, housekeeping. These may be the basics but they are fundamental to the success of any such establishment and, in all our years of visiting, we have never known the Portetta to get them wrong. Unsurprisingly, the Portetta is a very popular Three Valleys location, with its buzzy outdoor terrace and justly renowned rustic Italian restaurant, ‘Cucina Angelina’ by Angela Hartnett. Even residents must ensure they reserve a table. The cosy, traditionally decorated, salon is, however, for hotel guests only and serves a huge range of drinks including well-executed cocktails and delicious hot chocolates all day. As with any great hotel, the backbone of its success is the staff. The Portetta runs on the infectious energy of a mainly very young team of bilingual 20-somethings, for whom nothing is too much trouble. The reception/front of house team are warm, welcoming, professional and somehow able to magically resolve any challenge, be it a complex room combination, a simple ski pass or a coveted terrace table at any number of Courchevel’s lauded mountain restaurants. This seamless hospitality is quietly and adroitly orchestrated by the always affable and accessible Portetta manager, Nicolas, who is frequently to be found making his rounds of the terrace and the salon in a rotating selection of very singular sweaters. The festive season at the Portetta is particularly special with the staff and the kitchen team pulling out all the stops to help the guests, and particularly the many young families, celebrate Xmas and New Year in style. Be warned: you need to book early! Very highly recommended!

Brilliant hotel, great service, delicious food We (a family with 3 children) stayed in the hotel for the first time at the half term week this year. The hotel is very conveniently located - next to ski schools meeting points and 1650 bubble lift, also walking distance to the 1650 centre. All staff in the hotel was amazing, they work really hard and do a great job. They knew our names from day one, every request (swopping rooms, getting more blankets, changing the meals times, arriving in the middle of the night, finding my son’s watch lost in the spa in another hotel in 1850 and delivering it etc etc) was fulfilled immediately and with a smile. And this was the busiest week of the year for them. We visit Courchevel for 16 years every year and prefer to go to different restaurants. The food in Portetta was so good, we did not want to go anywhere and ended up having lunches and dinners there every day. Our very picky kids loved it too. We are very grateful, booked next year trip and afraid we might become the regular clients!

I went to the portetta with my girlfriend and we had such a wonderful experience ! Just next to the slopes before or after skiing it’s just perfect ! The food is really tasty and flavourful and the service is perfect ! Special mention for the pizza of the day 🤤 and I can’t wait to taste the madeleines again ! Thank you for this amazing experience 🙏

Le portetta, a sister hotel to fantastic boutique hotels in the UK known as ‘the pig at...’ in Courchevel 1650, where you can ski in and out each day straight on to the ariondaz bubble. Angela Hartnett has set up an Italian Cucina and rooms come half board with the hearty piggy breakfast and a four course dinner that even the most active skiers will rarely manage to eat. In so many other ways it lives up to its reputation, it is cosy with a constantly stoked hearth central to the lounge, the fire and ice bar serves an excellent selection of apres ski cocktails, all the staff are attentive and drinks flow with far too much ease! The spa was also worth a visit, therapists were friendly and professional. One disappointment was the limited option available for vegetarians in the Cucina Angelina - with literally no veggie options all week for a main courses and whilst the wait staff were happy to put something together - the chef seemed less pleased and these dishes seemed to be similar to those offer children and were not at all well executed.