The Albertville Winter Olympics 1992 marked the opening of a hotel residence in the Bellecôte neighbourhood: Les Deux Chalets. Seven luxurious apartments nestling in the mountains, with scenic views of the Cospillot ski-run. “It had been touched up since it opened, but needed a new lease of life”, admits Laure Crenon, Le Strato’s Assistant Manager. The challenge was entrusted to Pierre Dubois and Aimé Cécil, the two architects comprising Les Héritiers. ‘‘We wanted to introduce softness into a contemporary world.’’

After eight months of work, Les Deux Chalets have regained their splendour. Kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms... each nook has been meticulously redesigned, renovated, redecorated. Like wooden drawers inlaid with leather, or a modern sofa and an Indonesian weaving table that blend as if long together. French elegance is embodied in a perfect balance of spacious rooms, some designed exclusively for the residence. ‘‘To feel perfectly at home,’’ says Pierre, ‘‘in a place that is alive, with a soul, simple and sober features’’. Now in today’s taste while retaining their stylishness, Les Deux Chalets fulfil the desire of the Boix-Vives family: a snug, cosy winter in Les 3 Vallées.