Cocooning in the mountains, an idea of happiness in the Nice Côte d’Azur ski resorts

7 December 2023

Quietness, cosy comfort… the mountain atmosphere makes you want to let go and take care of yourself.

A soft blanket, a hot chocolate indoors while admiring the grandiose landscapes, the beginning of happiness. The rest of the program is body care, pleasure of the taste buds and absolute relaxation.

Cocooning en montagne Nice Côte d'Azur
@Le Courtier / Pure Montagne

1 – Rest in a spa and wellness hotel in the resort

Opt for a stay in a ski resort with the absolute comfort and services of a luxury hotel, nothing better to relax.

When you return from skiing or from your day’s activities, take a short break in the lounge or the lounge-bar while admiring the warmth of the snowy landscape. Afterwards you can choose a session at the spa and finish with a body treatment or massage. The goal: total relaxation and bonus, everything is on the spot!

Isola 2000 – Chalet Marano : The hotel**** is ideally located above the resort with direct access to the slopes. Panoramic view from the terrace. In the hotel, the Eskimo Spa is dedicated to well-being with hammam, sauna and cabin treatments.

Auron – Chalet d’Auron : Hotel **** in the resort. Its spa area has a heated outdoor swimming pool, a sauna and a hammam. You can enjoy massages by appointment.

Saint Martin de Vésubie – Hôtel Pure Montagne Resort : This hotel residence **** is located 5 minutes walk from the village centre. The residence’s Espace Nordique offers a range of massages and treatments that you can book before your stay.

Isola 2000 Chalets Plein Sud : for an exceptional stay in luxurious chalets with personalised services. The chalets overlook the slopes, for a VIP stay in the mountains.

(picture below: instagram@leschaletspleinsud)

2 – Rejuvenate in idyllic mountain accommodation

How about a weekend or a week in a cosy little nest? Just an hour’s drive away, our resorts offer you the possibility of a cocooning stay close to nature. The sound of the torrent, the snow crunching under our feet, as soon as we arrive we are in the mood… Inside, woodwork in the warm colours of larch, softness of the fabrics a blanket carelessly thrown on the sofa, the warmth of the fireplace, you have arrived, let yourself go…

Let’s go to Roubion, and discover l’auberge Quintessence at the Col de la Couillole, above the resort. The address is worth keeping, the rooms comfortable and the hosts are very attentive. You will discover the delicious dishes concocted by its chef Christophe Billau in an idyllic setting. Very relaxing, the place is also the starting point for snowshoeing excursions to enjoy the surrounding nature.

Another venue, another atmosphere, you will feel like you’re in a cocoon in l’auberge de la Roche in La Roche de Valdeblore near the resort of La Colmiane. In the Achillée suite, you can enjoy a relaxing bath for two in the Celtic stone bath. The inn’s restaurant was awarded the Grand Prix Fooding 2022. The house is made of stone and the décor of each room has been thoughtfully designed in a vintage style. The magnificent view invites contemplation.

For those who like to retreat to the woods, I recommend the cabane des pins sylvestres at the Boréon, in Saint Martin Vésubie. An ideal place to rest, you are in the middle of the trees and the songs of the birds. In winter, the snow covers everything with its white coat, your cabins are heated, each cabin accommodates 2 people, it is ideal for a romantic stay…

Les Ecrins de Belvédère : A timeless place with love nests, a hobbit’s hut, fully equipped shepherd’s huts. We feel like staying inside and enjoying the comfort of our love’nid. Don’t hesitate, the address is well known and the booking register is quite full!

3 – Forget your worries for a while in one of the many spas and wellness centres

During a stay in the mountains, it’s time to indulge and be pampered. Wellness centres offer packages for all budgets with access to the spa or personalised treatments.

Auron, Spa Lüvència @Palomba

Sauna, hammam or jacuzzi: several ways to relax.
The sauna is a hot and dry atmosphere, with a refreshing shower at the end for total muscle relaxation.
In a hammam, the air is humid and steamy. Finally, the jacuzzi is the pleasure of a bubble bath and whirlpool in a subdued light.

At Auron, the Spa Lüvència located on the central square is a treatment and massage area with sauna and hammam. The relaxing treatment, a pure moment of well-being of 60 minutes, is what you need to reach calm and appeasement. The muscle relaxing treatment is a deeper massage that is ideal after a day of skiing. A wellness café awaits you at the exit to take a moment and drink an herbal tea before returning to the activity of the resort.

For a complete offer, the spa du chalet d’Auron proposes two formulas: the relaxation formula (access to the spa, fitness and a drink) and the gourmet relaxation formula with lunch at the chalet table.

In the resort of Isola 2000, the Eskimo spa in the Chalet Marano has a hammam, a sauna and in winter, treatments and beauty care in its individual cabins. In the resort’s gallery, Beauty Flo has a hammam and offers face and body treatments and massages.

In the Vésubie region, you can relax in the magnificent alpine chalets of the Pure Montagne Resort, which is made up of luxurious suites. In the Spa, you will have the choice between the Nordic suite (2 to 4 people) which is private or the Hygge space (up to 8 people). Finally, if you want a solo or duo treatment, the Nordic cabin is perfect.

The Vesubia Mountain Park, also in Saint-Martin-Vésubie, has a more sporty atmosphere and is also a place for relaxation, with its aquatic, balneo and fitness areas. After relaxing in the swimming pool with its massage benches and jets, you can enjoy total relaxation in the sauna and hammam.

4 – Refocus with zen activities in the forest

During a holiday at altitude, you can also find ways to learn to relax. Here, the wilderness invites you to recharge your batteries, why not take advantage of this to work on your breathing, take up yoga or meditation. Enjoy a stay that will allow you to recharge your batteries.

Auron@Les Plans sur la Comète

A walk in the snowy forests is a source of well-being, the noises are muffled, you move at your own pace, you learn to manage your breath. Sometimes, at the bend in the path, you meet a surprised chamois or stag, a mischievous fox…

In the resorts and villages of the Haut Pays, mountain guides offer guided outings adapted to all levels to discover the mountain in a different way and take the time to observe the traces of the life of the forest. They also give good advice on how to measure your efforts and take advantage of the sublime landscapes without exceeding your limits.

A word of advice: when you arrive, head for the tourist information office in the village or resort. The week’s programme awaits you with ideas for guided hikes, yoga classes or breath meditation sessions. The holiday advisors will also be able to introduce you to the mountain and sports professionals in the area.

Yoga discovery idea: Ma boite à outils zen (My Zen Toolbox) in the Tinée valley. Onil will accompany you on the path to well-being. Postural yoga, breath awareness, a reconnection with nature through sylvotherapy, she offers you a personalized accompaniment to allow you to become autonomous and to appropriate the tools that she will make you discover.  With her you will learn that hugging a tree can be a beneficial moment of relaxation.

5 – Bringing the mountain atmosphere home: shopping in concept stores

In recent years, the shops in our resorts have diversified and you can find small boutiques offering a warm atmosphere with furniture, decorative objects, small gifts, candles and home fragrances. These concept stores with a mountain atmosphere will give you ideas to bring the warmth of the high altitude evenings back home.


These pretty chalets have made you fall in love with their cosy decor and comfortable atmosphere. You can find plaids, lamps, crockery or candles to recreate a nice little cocoon at home, both warm and modern. As you stroll through the shops and explore the villages you will discover the mountain inspiration.

This is the principle that the Réserve de la grange in Auron, ethical and atypical arts and crafts shop. Near the chapel of Sainte Erige, behind the central square, you can find local products, art objects, gift ideas and advice from Hélène and Iratxe. A good way to find the perfect gift for your loved ones and why not for yourself..

The mountain atmosphere is the credo of Déc’Auron. From furniture to bed linen, from crockery to small objects, everything here is done to recreate the chalet spirit. The sweet smell of candles and home perfumes will accompany you throughout your visit to the shop.

In Saint-Martin-Vésubie, the Annexe is also part of this trend of small shops where you can find a special atmosphere, ideas and admire the decor created. Furniture, tableware, household linen, decorative objects, you will find what you are looking for at the Annexe.

Here are a lot of good ideas to have fun and relax in the closest to nature, in the resorts around Nice! Let yourself be tempted, the mountains are so beautiful in winter!


Experience more

Marie

Visitor advisor at the Saint-Dalmas Le Selvage Information Office, Nice Côte d'Azur Metropolitan CVB