A very early start in a dark and rainy UK, but with excitement building we head to the airport to meet our fantastic hosts for the weekend, Alice and Katherine from Virgin Limited Edition. The snow-capped mountains of Verbier are beckoning - our base for the weekend? Richard Branson's fabulous chalet, The Lodge.
Bolstered by breakfast and caffeine we start our journey to the Alps, flying to Geneva followed swiftly by catching the train to Le Châble. By all accounts the views over the scenic Lake Geneva are beautiful, but after our early start the mist had yet to lift, adding to the suspense as you saw the outlines of mountains through the low lying cloud.
Once we reached Le Châble we were met by the two luxury Mercedes Viano's that are at guests disposal 24 hours a day for trips within Verbier. This was also our first introduction to two of the lovely staff who would be looking after us during our stay, and what a warm welcome we received!
We eagerly arrived at our final destination full of anticipation to see this incredible chalet we had heard and read so much about. We were met by the fantastic Ashley, The Lodge Manager, who welcomed us into the breathtaking property and gave us a fabulous tour of our home for the next two days.
'Home' is the perfect word to describe the feeling when staying at The Lodge, albeit a very luxurious home! Instantly you feel relaxed, greeted by a smiling, welcoming team and the warmth of an open fire whose chimney rises through the center of the chalet, keeping it wonderfully cosy throughout.
Another fantastic and unique idea is that the 'do not disturb sign' is a cuddly toy! If you don't want to be disturbed simply pop it outside your door and the staff will 'let sleeping dogs lie'! For any children staying at the chalet they are given their very own to take home with them which offers a lovely personal touch.
Having had the grand tour of the chalet we soon realised this magnificent chalet offered guests everything they would want to make their stay luxurious. With an indoor pool, sauna, gym, treatment room, indoor and outdoor hot tub, 'playroom' with bar, pool table, giant comfy sofas and a huge TV there is as much fun to be had off the slopes as there is whilst on the mountain!
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| Rare pan fried duck breast with pear velouté, and a ball of deep fried shredded confit duck |
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| Pan fried monk fish loin with butternut squash puree and roasted butternut squash, wilted spinach and caramelised cauliflower |
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| Apple soufflé with cinnamon ice cream and butterscotch sauce - heaven! |
The quality and standard of the food as well as the service was outstanding. After such a fantastic, indulgent evening we already knew our salopettes would be that much snugger by the end of the stay!
After a long yet very enjoyable day we retired to bed in preparation for a day on the pistes with a beautiful sunset to wish us a beautiful welcome to Verbier and a perfect finish to our fantastic first day.
