Raffles Courchevel and the new geography of Jardin Alpin
Raffles Courchevel is not arriving on the main Croisette-style promenade, but instead choosing the sheltered Jardin Alpin amphitheatre above Courchevel 1850. This alpine resort address places the new Raffles hotel directly on the higher slopes, wrapped by forest, private chalets and existing palace-level hotels that already define the most discreet pocket of the French Alps. For guests planning future travel, the location means ski-in/ski-out access, shorter transfers to the upper lifts and a quieter night scene than the Croisette while still remaining within a few minutes of the main resort and its designer boutiques.
The resort Courchevel project will be developed by Art de Vivre, with architecture by JMV and interiors by Humbert & Poyet, and the resort will offer 50 rooms and suites with two destination restaurants, winter gardens, a panoramic pool and a spa focused on thermal experiences. According to the official project outline and Accor’s Raffles development announcements, Raffles Courchevel is scheduled to open in winter 2028 in Jardin Alpin, Courchevel 1850, France, with 50 rooms and suites, dining venues, a spa and direct ski-in/ski-out access at around 1,850 metres. This positions the new alpine luxury property as a compact palace-style resort, closer in scale to Royal Monceau Raffles Paris than to the larger ski hotels and resorts that dominate lower down the Tarentaise Valley, and within roughly two and a half hours’ transfer of Geneva Airport in typical winter conditions.
Raffles Hotels & Resorts enters Courchevel as part of the wider Accor luxury hospitality strategy, which already includes Raffles Paris at Le Royal Monceau and Raffles Europejski Warsaw on key urban addresses. For couples comparing international resorts, the move signals that the Raffles brand now treats the French Alps with the same strategic weight as Lake Como or major capitals, and that Raffles hotels will increasingly link city stays with alpine experiences in one itinerary. The alpine resort opening also reinforces Courchevel as a reference point for high-end tourism in Europe, even as Italy and Switzerland compete aggressively for the same guests, and the Courchevel municipal planning documents confirm Jardin Alpin as a priority zone for future luxury development.
Why ultra discreet brands are clustering inside Jardin Alpin
Jardin Alpin is a cul-de-sac above Courchevel 1850, reached by a single winding road and a gondola, and lined with ski-in/ski-out hotels and private chalets that rarely advertise themselves loudly. Cheval Blanc Courchevel, Aman Le Mélézin and L’Apogée Courchevel already anchor this slope, creating a micro market where alpine luxury is measured in privacy rather than façade size. By choosing this enclave, Raffles Courchevel signals that the resort will prioritise low-key entrances, direct piste access and a residential feeling over the more performative luxury of the Croisette, and that guests will step almost directly from boot room to ski run.
The timing is not accidental, because One&Only Courchevel is scheduled to open on the former Courcheneige hotel site at the Jardin Alpin summit around 2030, with branded private homes and a strong wellness focus, according to current project statements. Within a few winters, Jardin Alpin hotels will include Raffles Courchevel, One&Only, Cheval Blanc, Aman and L’Apogée, turning one hillside into one of the densest clusters of luxury hotel resorts in the French Alps. For travellers used to Italy’s Dolomites, where properties like Cristallo and Aman Rosa Alpina are spread across valleys, this concentration in a single alpine resort feels almost urban in its intensity, and you can read a detailed comparison in our Cortina luxury hotel guide when weighing Courchevel against Cortina d’Ampezzo for a future ski holiday.
For existing incumbents, the arrival of Raffles in Courchevel will not simply add more rooms and suites, it will escalate expectations around service rituals, spa design and gastronomy. The brand is known for its butler-led art de vivre at properties like Royal Monceau and Raffles Europejski Warsaw, and that same DNA will now be translated into an alpine context with ski valets, in-suite check-in and more personalised dining. Cheval Blanc and Aman already operate at the very top of international hospitality, so the competitive pressure is likely to sharpen details such as ski concierge services, in-room wellness and curated off-piste experiences rather than trigger price wars, with guests benefiting from more tailored itineraries and higher staff-to-room ratios.
Peak Jardin Alpin or a new phase for the French and Italian Alps
For couples planning future winter travel, the practical question is whether to wait for Raffles Courchevel to open or to book existing alpine luxury now. Construction is scheduled through the next seasons, so Courchevel will remain dominated by current palace hotels while the resort Courchevel project rises quietly behind hoardings. During this period, booking patterns may shift slightly towards properties with the calm of Jardin Alpin, as travellers anticipate that this upper district will soon become the most coveted address in the Tarentaise Valley and start locking in suites earlier in peak weeks.
Across the border in Italy, the Dolomites are experiencing a parallel cycle, with brands like Mandarin Oriental and Aman consolidating their presence around Cortina and San Cassiano. The gap between French Alps and Italian luxury is narrowing in terms of design and wellness, yet Courchevel will still command higher average rates thanks to its dense cluster of international brands and guaranteed snow at 1850 metres. If you are weighing a family-friendly alpine resort in summer, our guide to what to do with kids in the Alps shows how both France and Italy now compete on year-round experiences rather than winter-only tourism, from high-altitude hiking and via ferrata to lakeside paddleboarding and mountain biking.
Looking beyond Raffles Courchevel, the wider portfolio creates interesting pairing options for future itineraries, such as combining a stay at Raffles Paris or Le Royal Monceau Raffles with a week in Jardin Alpin, or linking Lake Como and the French Alps in one extended trip. Raffles Europejski Warsaw adds another cultural stop for guests who like to string together several Raffles hotels and resorts across Europe, and Accor’s distribution power will make such multi-stop bookings easier through a single platform. For those who prefer lakeside luxury to snow, our in-depth review of Geneva’s grande dame in the Fairmont Grand Hotel Geneva feature shows how the same guests might alternate between city, lake and alpine luxury hospitality within a single season, using Courchevel as the winter anchor.
Sources
Accor and Raffles official development announcements for Raffles Courchevel; Courchevel municipal planning documents for Jardin Alpin projects; Art de Vivre and Humbert & Poyet project statements on the resort Courchevel development; current public timelines for One&Only Courchevel and related branded residences.