Description :
Chalet Himalaya is an idyllic haven located in ski heaven. An old soul, married sensitively to the most luxurious modern comforts imaginable. Himalaya is a former monastery dating from the 17th century. Situated on the piste, it is a landmark building in the hameau of La Daille in Val d’ Isere.
Original features such as the massive fireplace and the stunning window stone seats (where monks would have sat and read till daylight faded) are enhanced by modern ornamental features and state of the art facilities. There is the movie screen which appears at the touch of a button. Then there is the invisible swimming pool which can pop up between the dining area and the cigar room where guests can relax after sampling the delights prepared by their chef.
All bedroom suites have separate sleeping and relaxation areas. The marble walls of the bath are adorned with delicately engraved snowflakes, while the floor of each bath is subtly heated. The bath is of impressive proportions, each commands a rain shower and converts into a steam room, easily seating up to 4 or more persons, with remote-controlled lights.
Location :
In the hamlet of La Daille. Just at the foot of the pistes, the famous World Downhill black run on one side and the popular 'La Daille' green slope on the other. The helipad is just a minute away by car.
Accommodation :
Occupying a phenomenal position right in the heart of the magnificent Espace Killy on the slopes of the hameau of La Daille, Himalaya is a unique haven in arguably some of the best ski terrain in Europe. This former monastery, dating from the 17th century, has 4 sumptuous bedroom suites all of which have separate sleeping and relaxation areas and hand-made hardwood bespoke beds.
The suites are named after the Seven Summits of the Seven Continents and everything is thoughtfully put together to give each suite its own personality befitting the Summit and Continent it is named after. There are two en-suite standard luxury suites and two grand suites in the chalet all with the same facilities. The grand suites are larger in floor space, occupying two levels instead of one, with a sitting room on the lower level and the bedroom on the upper floor. The bath and twin vanities in each suite are hand-sculpted from individual slabs of marble, with the spacious bath carved out of a solid 800 kilo piece and flanked by marble walls and glass. The baths are of such impressive proportions that each is classified under French building rules as a ‘swimming pool’. They also boast a rain shower and convert into steam rooms easily seating up to 4 or more people. There is also the option to extend Himalaya by an additional 2 suites, to accommodate larger groups of up to 12.
Each suite gets even better with a fur or leather-covered day bed to lounge on, complete with built in sunken ice bucket and a stone-surround metal fireplace with real flames that can be modulated by remote control which adds to the sheer ‘Bond’ factor in each room. The suites also offer, among other things, an electronically-controlled heated lavatory seat, with sophisticated multiple hygiene functions..... All toiletries are organic and pillows, duvets and cushions are hypo-allergenic and natural, filled only with silk, organic buckwheat and silkworm extracts.
This chalet is approached through a beautiful dual level stone courtyard, with underfloor-heated walkways. An underground domed cubby hole, which could have been the monks’ cheese pantry, has given way to modernity and is now the part-indoor and part-outdoor swimming pool. All around the pool and the courtyard, original handmade rustic railings imported from the Steppes of Asia in Mongolia have been installed and adorn the sun-trapping terraces. Inside the chalet, original features such as the massive fireplace and the window stone seats (where monks would have sat and read till daylight faded) have been left intact but given the necessary modern twist - there is the movie screen which appears at the touch of a button; the invisible swimming pool which can pop up between the dining room and the cigar room; and 4 of the 5 fireplaces in this Chalet are remote-controlled. Every detail has been thought about, resulting in a chalet that will blow clients away.
The monastery itself has survived centuries of avalanches, tough weather conditions and heavy snow fall. No expense has been spared in the meticulous renovation programme which has taken the best part of 5 years and an incomparable degree of dedication from its owners, working hand-in-hand with their devoted team of advisers. A former Professor of Architecture at Grenoble University, who is a nationally revered scholar of Savoie architecture, was appointed as the supervising architect. Stone cutters, wood-carvers, carpenters, masons and glass colourists, were then assembled in small units, each excelling in a different calling. A project designer with unique experience of traditional building skills and cinema design was employed to oversee and co-ordinate the progress of the various units.
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