Historic mountain retreat 2000 m above sea level in classic Alpine town Chamonix

Refuge de Montenvers / Chamonix-Mont-Blanc / Haute-Savoie / France

Hotels that are a challenge to get to are fascinating. If a hotel is located in a remote location it is a true testament to its gravitas. Do people think it is worth driving those endless miles through empty desert landscape to the middle of nowhere to stay at El Cosmico? Is it worth to hike from the parking lot up a mountain to get to Briol? Or to drive along the twisting and turning white knuckle mountain roads to reach Juvet? Or indeed take a purpose built train from already fairly remote Chamonix to Mer du Glace and Refuge de Montenvers? The answer (for me) to all these questions is yes!

This hotel, Refuge de Montenvers, is literally located on a mountain top, surrounded my dramatic peaks. The only way to get here is to either catch a ride with the train rouge from Chamonix. Or you also have the option to hike up if that is your thing. The journey with the cogwheel train takes 30 minutes along a track built back in the beginning of the 20th century, hugging the mountain side as it slowly climbs to the top, 1913 meters above sea level

The hotel was established back in 1880 and it is awesome to think about the effort it must have taken to complete this massive granite hotel with its iconic red & white shutters considering the location. The interior is rustic with a casual vibe. In front of the hotel there is a massive terrace where you can listen to conversations between brave mountaineers who have spent the day mountain climbing while enjoying something fresh to drink.

All the 20 rooms are named after famous historic people who has once visited the site. We stayed in the Mary Shelley (the mother of Frankenstein) room facing the Aiguilles des Drus mountains. The interior has a kind of shaker inspired look with reclaimed dark wood and fairly strict design, but with more colors. Most of the furniture has been repurposed with modern takes on local, traditional patterns and is completed with old leather trunks, porcelain lamps and mountaineering paraphernalia.

What strikes me when staying here are is how the hotel transformed through the day. In the morning when we woke up it was totally quiet and all of a sudden floors start to squeak as people wake up, the rhythmic sound from the train bring people up the mountain, the voices from the people having lunch on the veranda bragging about their adventures to absolute silence after the last train of the day left the station where you feel like the mountain is all yours.

The red train brings you from Chamonix up the mountain to the hotel. Such a great way to arrive.

It is always so fascinating to see how fast the weather can change in the mountains as we were getting closer to the end station.

A thunder storm rolled in just as we arrived…

…and was gone in no time so we got to see the impressive Refuge de Montenvers hotel in all its splendour with the Drus mountains as a backdrop.

The interior is very casual with repurposed furniture, old leather chairs and wood, wood and more wood.

The cozy little reception where you can borrow all kinds of mountain themed books and also get free train passes if you forgot something in your car or just want to go down to Chamonix for some shopping.

The accent color is red which really stand out among all the wood and the mountaineering paraphernalia.

Our room had a kind of Shaker look with discreet and functional design. The only difference was all the dark wood and the splash of red.

Classic metal lamps and leather trunks as bedside tables.

It is great to see that when the hotel was recently refurbished they went for vintage looking elements in the bathroom to evoke the right kind of historic vibe.

Two early birds has already left the bed to go for a short hike (and to snap some photos) before breakfast.

And these are the kind of views you get to take in when you are up with the rooster, before the first train from Chamonix arrives and you are alone with the mountains.

Me post run with the highest peak in Europe behind me, the Mont Blanc. The trail down to Chamonix is perfect for a run.

And if you after your run are looking for a place for somewhere to eat well and have really good coffee we found Arctic Juice & Café which met both those needs and more.

We are ready for our last breakfast at Refuge de Montenvers. And the mountain Gods made sure it was a morning worth remembering.

The view through the train window as we descended towards Chamonix and it was time for us to say *Au revoir!* to the mountains.

RG inside info

This place is perfect if you…

…love the mountains and you want stay in them. Not next to them but on them. If location is more important than elaborate design and you like a bit of a challenge to get to your end goal, then this is your place.

My favorite thing about this place is…

…the views. The surrounding mountains are breathtaking. And also the feeling after the day visitors, climbers and hikers have left and you have to place all to yourself (ok, you also have to share it with the other hotel guests, but still…).

What not to miss when staying here is…

…to get up really early in the morning, before the first trains start to arrive and stroll around the area surrounding the hotel and the station. It is an almost surreal feeling to stand there all alone and see the sun rise of the dramatic Drus mountains.

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