Chalet Makini

Chalet Makini sits at the quiet end of Verbier, in the Hameau, on the edge of a small pond where black swans come to the water in the morning. It is a five-bedroom chalet built in the old way, from weathered timber and local stone, then finished with chandeliers, oak floors, antique fireplaces and a collection of art that gives every room a sense of occasion. Across the garden, reached in a minute on foot, is the part that sets it apart: a private spa complex with an indoor pool, sauna, hammam, jacuzzi, gym and treatment room, among the largest private spas in Verbier and reserved for the chalet’s guests alone.

Where exactly is the chalet, and what is the Hameau like?

The Hameau is a small, low-density hamlet of traditional chalets on the eastern edge of Verbier, above the resort’s main road and away from the traffic of the centre. It is the address people choose when they want Verbier without the noise of it: silence at night, snow-covered pines outside the windows, and the Bagnes valley and the Grand Combin massif opening out below.

Chalet Makini takes one of the best positions in the hamlet, beside the pond that gives the Hameau its character. In winter the water freezes at the edges and the trees around it hold the snow; in summer the garden runs down to the water and the swans return. The chalet’s balconies and terraces face south and west, so the sun stays on them through the afternoon and the last light falls on the peaks across the valley.

How close is the skiing?

Very. The Le Rouge drag lift is under 200 metres from the door, snow permitting, and connects into the Verbier ski area, so on a good day you ski back to within a few steps of the chalet. The Les Esserts beginner slope, with its own lifts and ski school meeting point, is a short walk away, which makes the Hameau one of the easiest places in Verbier for families with children learning to ski.

For the main lifts, the Médran gondola base in the centre of the resort is five to seven minutes by car, and the concierge arranges the chalet’s driver or a taxi on demand. From Médran the whole of the 4 Vallées opens up: 410 kilometres of pistes across Verbier, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon and La Tzoumaz, the itinerary runs of Mont-Fort at 3,330 metres, and some of the most celebrated off-piste terrain in the Alps, with Verbier’s guides and heli-ski operators on call through the concierge.

How do I get there?

Geneva airport is about two hours by road, Zurich about three. Private jets land at Sion, roughly 45 minutes away, and the Verbier heliport is a short drive from the chalet for a transfer that turns two hours into twenty minutes. By train, the line from Geneva and Lausanne reaches Le Châble in the valley below, and from there the gondola or a ten-minute drive brings you up to the resort. Airport and heliport transfers are arranged by the concierge.

What is the chalet like inside?

Two living rooms, so a party of ten never has to share one sofa. The main lounge is built around an 18th-century stone fireplace, with deep seating, furs and velvet, and doors to a balcony with the full panorama across the valley. The second sitting room is smaller and calmer, the place for a book by the fire or a quiet drink before dinner.

The dining room rises through a double-height ceiling under a single dramatic chandelier, with a table for twelve beside an open fire, so long dinners feel like an event even when it is only the family. Behind it is a professional kitchen, fitted for a private chef, with a wine cellar holding a list that runs to serious vintages, Château Latour and Château Margaux among them, available to guests during the stay.

Old beams, natural stone and custom-made furniture give the house its warmth; high ceilings and large windows keep it full of light. The whole chalet is wired for audio and video, and the security system and 24-hour monitoring mean the doors can be left unlocked between spa and house.

How are the bedrooms arranged?

Five en-suite bedrooms, sleeping ten. The master suite has a king bed, its own bathroom and direct access to the terrace. Bedroom two has a double bed and en-suite bathroom. Bedrooms three and five can be made up as doubles or twins, each with its own bathroom, and bedroom four is a twin with en-suite. Every room is dressed in heavy fabrics and old wood, with generous storage and real privacy between rooms; most have television.

What is in the private spa?

A short covered walk from the chalet is a wellness building for the exclusive use of Makini’s guests. Inside: a heated indoor pool, a sauna, a hammam, an indoor jacuzzi, a fully equipped gym, a massage and treatment room, and a relaxation lounge. After a day on the mountain the sequence writes itself, from the hammam to a massage to the pool with a glass of something from the cellar. Therapists come to the chalet for treatments, arranged through the concierge.

Is the chalet staffed?

Yes. A chalet manager and concierge look after the stay, with daily housekeeping and 24-hour security monitoring included. A private chef and butler are available on request, along with in-house massage and wellness treatments, pre-arrival stocking of the kitchen and cellar, ski instruction and equipment delivered to the chalet, lift passes, and airport and heliport transfers. The concierge also handles restaurant reservations in the village and on the mountain, and transport to and from the centre at any hour.

What is Verbier like beyond the slopes?

The village centre, five to seven minutes away, has the Place Centrale, the boutiques of the Rue de Médran, Michelin-starred and mountain-hut dining, and the après-ski and nightlife that made Verbier’s name, from the Farinet terrace to the clubs that run past midnight. On the mountain, lunch at Le Rouge, La Marlenaz or Chez Dany is as much a part of the day as the skiing.

In summer the Hameau is a different place: hiking and trail running straight from the door, one of Europe’s best lift-served mountain-bike networks, golf at the Verbier course, and the Verbier Festival, which brings the world’s orchestras and soloists to the resort every July and August.

Who is Chalet Makini right for?

Families and small groups of friends who want the whole of Verbier within reach and none of it within earshot. It suits a multigenerational Christmas, a group of couples over New Year, or a spring week when the sun is high and the spa comes into its own after the last run of the day. Verbier’s finest address, the privacy of a hamlet, and a spa that would be the envy of any hotel in the resort.

A few days at Chalet Makini

Ski from the Le Rouge lift after breakfast, come back for lunch on the terrace, and spend the afternoon in the spa.

Take the Mont-Fort lifts to the top of the 4 Vallées for the view from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn.

Book a table at one of the mountain restaurants above the resort, and ski down in the last light.

Stay in: let the chef take over the kitchen, open a bottle from the cellar, and close the evening by the 18th-century fireplace.

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