The Tamesis
Winter in Megève always feels like a living snow globe, soft white powder swirling and falling over a village that looks almost too perfect to be true. The gentle crunch of ski boots on cobblestones, luxury shops and local snack bars beckon passers-by, while the aroma of spiced bread and pies wafts through the air. The church tower rises like something out of a postcard, flanked by a giant tree wrapped in Christmas lights until March. Everything feels suspended in an air of Alpine charm and nostalgia.
Photo: Stefan Giftaler
For many years, the family-run hotel Les Fermes de Marie, located just behind the village and reached along a tree-lined path beside the creek, has embodied the spirit of Megève better than anywhere else. Since it opened in the 1980s, it has defined a certain kind of hospitality here: the perfect Alpine ideal, where families return winter after winter, drawn to its warmth and familiarity, with the feeling of being welcomed into a historic chalet.
Days at Les Fermes are filled with a comfortable rhythm, starting with an unforgettable country-style breakfast with local cheeses such as Beaufort and Reblochon, homemade jams and baked goods, spending the afternoon on the slopes and enjoying a sumptuous dinner at one of the Sibuet family’s favorite tables – whether in the hotel, in town or on the mountain. Children walked through the hallways in their slippers, bodies recovered in the outdoor hot tub as the snow fell, and the evening ended with a glass of wine by the fire. In many ways, Les Fermes de Marie has long been the benchmark for hospitality in Megève, setting a standard of warmth and charm that has defined the village for generations.
But Megève, while deeply rooted in tradition, has always offered new spaces for expression of its magic. At the top of a fairytale pedestrian street, just a few steps away from the ski lifts and the bustle of the village, a new extension has arrived to extend the typical vision of Megève Alpine hospitality. This winter, the Hotel St. George reopens with a very different energy – that of a modern Alpine fairy tale.
Photo: Norvin Penning
