DESTINATION
BACK TO NATURE, A LUXURY IN ITSELF
Do you want to rest, relax and restore your energy levels in a completely natural setting or experience an unusual stay somewhere? The Whitepod, the eco-luxury hotel nestled at an altitude of 1400 metres above Monthey and just below the Dents du Midi in Switzerland, ticks all the boxes when it comes to a unique experience! Text - Sophie Franklin, Photo - Whitepod
AN ECO-FRIENDLY AND COMFORTABLE ADVENTURE... LOGICAL!
The Whitepod adventure started in 2004 in Villars-sur-Ollon, with only three small pods (dome-shaped tents) without electricity or water.The concept won the Responsible Tourism Award. Since then, the hotel has moved to Les Giettes in the Valais region and now has 18 pods offering all the comforts of a top-of-the-range hotel room, equipped with a wood-burning stove, excellent Swiss bedding (Elite), a bathroom and a large terrace with a breathtaking view of the Alps.The restaurant Les Cerniers, located next to the reception, offers 100% home-made cuisine with all ingredients sourced within a 50 km radius.The guests, immersed in nature, are encouraged to think differently and are made aware of their consumption. For example, lighting is limited in order to reduce visual pollution and make it possible to rediscover the stars. Everything is done to consume minimum water and electricity. Regional purchases are preferred and waste is minimised and recycled.The staff live nearby and walk to work.Motorised transport is also limited.
The tone is set on arrival: you will not be given the key to your room (a tent has no lock...!), but a backpack containing a headlamp, binoculars and a pair of snowshoes depending on the season. All you have to do is climb the 800 metres to your pod. Your luggage will follow
by snowmobile or electric Land Rover (the only one in Switzerland). When you reach the top, are you feeling the results of the happiness hormone produced by the physical effort you have just made or the breathtaking view of the Rhone valley which seems to flow into Lake Geneva? Either way, you'll be blown away! And rest assured, it’s not just the view that will leave you speechless, but also the level of comfort in your tent and the quality of the hotel service.
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