TIGNES, FRANCE: The frigid –9°C temperature on one bluebird day in December both knocks the dizzying jetlag out of me and magnifies the majesty of the slopes in my sight. Even just the view from the breakfast buffet looks like a romantic scene from a movie: chair lifts ascending those soaring icy giants, veteran skiers slaloming in and out of those lesser-experienced red-runners.

I’ll be really honest. The thought of careening down a powdery piste in a puffed-up, padded fit was never a holiday I’d choose in lieu of living in a Hunza G one-piece by the cerulean waters of the Mediterranean. But when the chance to experience a different type of “Med” shot across my desk one afternoon last November – an opportunity to visit Club Med’s new, all-inclusive AUD$200 million luxury ski resort in the French Alps – I accepted it in the spirit of “revenge travel”.

A buzz-term born from the burning desire to see the world and make up for the lost time the pandemic took away from us all, three weeks later I took my vacation vengeance to the timbered town of Tignes (pronounced Tin-Ya). Unbeknown to me in this moment, it would be the trip of a lifetime.

Jessica Bailey and the view from Le Solstice Gourmet Lounge at Club Med Tignes. Credit: Jessica Bailey on Apple iPhone.  

A History of Happiness

Like much of the tourism industry, Club Med are taking full advantage of Travel’s Great Return. But this isn’t the first time the company has risen from the ashes post a global, life-changing crisis. Founded in the years after World War II by Belgian entrepreneur and inventor of the all-inclusive holiday Gérard Blitz, Club Med was born into the understanding that people in post-war Europe longed for relaxation and sunshine – a counter-urban utopia designed to absorb everyday stresses. For the past 72 years, Club Med has applied this same understanding to changing trends and global shifts, and thus adapted its offerings accordingly while never wavering from its core values of freedom, happiness and kindness. It’s with this formula that the brand is emerging as one of the big winners of the pandemic.

Tignes is Club Med’s 21^st alpine resort to open as part of their already impressive line-up across the world’s best ski domains; Val d’Isere, La Rosiére, Alpe d’Huez, Québec Charlevoix, Kiroro Peak, the list goes on.

“The purpose of life is to be happy,” a famous quote from Blitz reads. “The time to be happy is now. And the place to be happy is here.

After the three years that were, it’s a manifesto I can get on board with – and one I thought about a lot during my time in Tignes.

Everything Is Taken Care Of For You

Primely located in the heart of the Val Claret and 2100 metres above sea level, Club Med Tignes has thought of everything possible to alleviate the stresses that can be associated with mountain holidays. For starters, a Club Med desk is situated at the arrivals gate in Geneva (the best and closest airport to enter the French Alps) with drivers ready to chauffeur you the three hours to Tignes. (Once you cross the border from Switzerland into France, ask your driver for a pitstop. Because your first taste of France should always be a buttery croissant.)

When booking your premium all-inclusive package, you will be asked if you need to borrow top-of-the-range equipment, and if so, your measurements. Upon arrival, your skis, poles, boots and helmets will be waiting for you in a dedicated locker in the ski room (accessible with your room key).

The resort itself is located at the foot of the slopes thus providing direct access to the ski fields – yes, it’s ski in, ski out – and a wide variety of disciplines, including alpine skiing, snowboarding and freestyle. Classes with an ESF-certified instructor (ESF, Ecole du Ski Francais, is the largest ski school in France) and a lift pass are included in your Club Med package. Ski lessons are included for children as young at four years old. For those who need lessons, beginner, intermediate and advanced classes run from 9am–12 noon and again from 2pm–4.15pm daily, and when you ski back into the ski room, hot drinks, juices, pastries and a glove drier await as you step foot inside.

Everything is prepared and ready for you. In fact, the hardest part of each day will be deciding whether or not to give-in to the cauldron of molten cheese with croutons and a three-pronged fork during après ski hour. 

You’re New To Alpine Skiing? Here’s What To Expect

The morning of my first ski lesson in years is daunting. The blinding glare of the crisp white snow is punctuated by 10, 20 – maybe even 30 – ski instructors in red Rossignol suits all awaiting their students for the day. Most are French. All have a sense of humour and a lot of patience. I tip my beanie to the instructors looking after the beginners class (this was my group). How they keep their cool with mere amateurs piling up and toppling over one another on the travelator is beyond my comprehension.

I was, admittedly, apprehensive. What if I couldn’t do it? What if I hated it? What if I was too cold? My biggest revelation after skiing five hours a day, for as many days, was just how much I improved in the space of four lessons. This is not because I’m particularly good at picking up new tricks, but rather the measured, incremented exercises the ski instructors would have me practising before advancing to the chair lift, then to the green run, and so on. I went from not knowing how to click my skis onto my boots on the first morning, to comfortably skiing down a green run by the second afternoon. Once I was able to perform the latter without crashing (and, believe me, there were definitely out of control moments which had me snow ploughing for my life!), it was really freeing.

“I felt this incredible wave of both euphoria and peacefulness as my skis quietly glided and zigzagged atop the sheets of ice. Was this the sense of freedom that Blitz was talking about?”

Aprés-Ski 

So, I wasn’t a world-class skier. But if you can’t be the best on the field, at least look the best in the bar. At 4.15pm, when all the skiers return to the resort, it’s time to remove the heavy boots, pull down the straps of your salopettes and enjoy the hors d’oeuvres and French rosé. You’ve sure earned it. (At Tignes, live music begins early – as does the pre-dinner crepe station. Don’t miss it.)

Packing for the European ski season is very different to packing for a season in Thredbo. Here are a few pieces I added to my suitcase – snuggly fashionable fits that can easily transition from an alpine setting to the lodge’s fireplace.

Perfect Moment Houndstooth ski suit, $1673 SHOP NOW
Perfect Moment Houndstooth merino wool turtleneck, $477 SHOP NOW|
Goldbergh Women’s high end salopettes, $800 SHOP NOW
Moncler Grenoble Teche Ski Jacket, $1675 SHOP NOW
Gucci GG Matelassé ankle boots, $1350 SHOP NOW
Luv Lou X Renee Bargh The Goldie, $150 SHOP NOW
Moncler white wool logo headband, $500 SHOP NOW

Visit The Glacier – and its Michelin-Starred Panoramic Restaurant

The Grande Motte Glacier stands at 3656 metres above sea level and is a must-visit when staying at Club Med Tignes. Easily accessible via the transformer-looking Perce-Neige funicular which will take you from 2100 metres to 3032 metres in just seven minutes, the scenery at the top will take your breath away. (For some, I mean this quite literally. Breathe deeply and calmly to avoid altitude sickness.)

Blue, red and black runs await – and if you visit during the European Autumn, you’ll likely be skiing next to national alpine and freestyle ski teams training for the coming season. Our group went snow-shoeing with an instructor who took us inside a crevasse. Take a look:

Inside the Grande Motte Glacier in Tignes and the view from the gondola. Credit: Jessica Bailey on Apple iPhone. 

There is a magnificent Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant here as well (accessible via the funicular) called Le Panoramic. At 3032 metres above sea level, it is the highest-situated starred restaurant in the world.

With shearlings draped across mahogany seats and tiny windows which look out onto the glacier, if you ever had a vision of what dining in the French Alps would look like, it’s this. Be sure to book ahead – and be triple sure to visit the dessert buffet. (At this altitude, water boils at 90°C, caramel takes longer to colour, and the air is very dry, so cooking techniques need to be adapted. It’s truly remarkable.)

If you’re not visiting the restaurant, a self-service and a take-away snack area with a large sunny terrace (and ski rack) are the perfect pit-stops for a hot chocolate before catching the gondola up the glacier – and skiing down it.

For extreme sport lovers, Club Med Tignes also offers paragliding where you ski off a mountain top and parachute over the large-scale gingerbread village below. There’s fat biking (an off-road bicycle built with larger tyres and rims), bungee jumping on skis, ice diving and sledging.

The Buffet Situation

Back at the resort, there are two really great restaurants to dine in. Le Val Claret is the resort’s main restaurant. With four huge areas dedicated to different flavours from around the world, the space has panoramic views of the mountains outside. Stroll in at breakfast, lunch or dinner and head straight to the buffet to fill up your plate. May I suggest visiting the “l’Atelier (the Workplace)” station which is basically where all the French cheeses are. These come from the nearby mountain dairy farms where milk is transformed into butter and cheese. It’s devilishly good!)

There is also a booking-only specialty restaurant located upstairs with a beautiful grand piano and interesting light fixture. Le Solstice Gourmet Lounge offers a fine selection of wines comprising of great vintages and must-try regional drops. A babysitting service is available if you want to enjoy this dinner date child-free.

With an expansive deck, Le Solstice Gourmet Lounge is a wonderful spot for photos. Here’s a few dinner-appropriate pieces from the latest luxury winter collections.

Max Mara Teddy Bear Icon Coat, $5475 SHOP NOW
Max Mara Teddy Fabric Bag, $2223 SHOP NOW
Coach Shearling Earmuffs, $275 SHOP NOW
Gucci Elastic Gucci headband, $460 SHOP NOW
TOD’s embellished shearling loafers, $1230 SHOP NOW
Loro Piana Lexington wide-leg cashmere pants, $4020 SHOP NOW
Loro Piana Grassmoor cashmere polo sweater, $2650 SHOP NOW

A Focus On Wellness

Club Med has a renewed focus on wellbeing and it begins with the resort pool at Tignes, the largest of the company’s alpine resorts. With panoramic views of the mountains, it’s unlike any pool I’ve ever seen. Visit during an off-peak time and lay pool-side on a day bed – an excellent spot for meditation – or float in the water as you marvel at the mountains outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. (Remember this resort is situated at the bottom of the slopes and the magnitude of the mountains outside is truly awesome.)

After a day of skiing, book yourself into the Club Med Spa by Sothys. It’s soft, simple décor invites you to unwind and enjoy the recuperative benefits of a treatment with the French luxuriate’s products or in the spa’s open-air whirlpool bath. The freely available hammam and sauna complete these invaluable moments of recovery. And if you can’t make an appointment during your visit, be sure to stop by and pick up a Sothy’s Hydra-Smoothing Mask, which will deliver instant hydration to your skin post long days in arctic temperatures. (Truly, I wish I discovered this sooner!)

Vibhava Yoga is also available most mornings at Club Med Tignes with a special program developed by yoga master Herberson Oliveira. Its aim is to regulate breathing at higher altitudes which will in turn inspire relaxation and good sleep.

It’s clear that Blitz’s pioneering spirit continues to evolve at Club Med. A big yoga fan himself, he trumped the “holiday for the mind, an inner state of freedom” notion. For me, choosing a holiday in the French Alps wasn’t top of mind, but after this experience, I genuinely look forward to doing it all over again. In the end, this vacation became more than just a “revenge travel” trip – I’ll indeed look back on those quiet moments on the snow as hallmarks of happiness. Blitz was really onto something.