La Pierre Spa sits fourteen metres below the hotel, carved directly into the mountain's granite. This is how to make the most of a full day there — what to use, in what order, and what to book ahead.
Thirty seconds in the cold plunge is enough — and it’s the step most guests wish they hadn’t skipped.
What’s Included for Hotel Guests
All hotel guests have complimentary access to the spa’s thermal facilities during open hours (8:00 am to 8:00 pm daily). This includes:
The indoor thermal pool (36°C, mineral water)
The outdoor cold plunge (10–12°C, year-round)
The steam cave (carved from the same granite as the walls)
The dry sauna (85°C, larch wood interior)
The relaxation room (heated stone loungers, no talking)
Treatments — massages, facials, body rituals — are booked separately and can be arranged at the front desk or through the website. These are not included in the room rate but are available every day from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.
The Thermal Circuit (In the Right Order)
Most guests use the facilities in whatever order feels natural. That works perfectly well. But if you want to get the most from the thermal experience, the team suggests this sequence:
Step 1 — The steam cave (10–15 minutes)
Start here. The steam opens the pores, loosens the muscles, and adjusts the body to the heat. The cave is carved from rough granite — the temperature sits at about 45°C, which is warm but not aggressive. Most people find it meditative rather than intense.
Step 2 — The cold plunge (30–60 seconds)
This is the step most guests skip the first time and wish they hadn’t. The contrast between the steam cave and the cold plunge — roughly 35 degrees of difference — produces a vascular response that genuinely makes you feel better than almost any treatment. You don’t need to stay in long. Thirty seconds is enough.
Step 3 — The thermal pool (20–30 minutes)
The pool is where most people settle. At 36°C it’s body-temperature warm, and the mineral water has a slight weight to it that makes floating feel easier than it usually does. The pool is indoor but the ceiling above the deep end opens on a mechanism in summer — on clear evenings in July and August, you can float and look directly at the stars.
Step 4 — The dry sauna (15–20 minutes)
The sauna runs hotter than the steam cave — 85°C — and is better suited to the second half of the circuit, when the body is already warm and relaxed. The larch wood interior is from the valley. The scent when the sauna is first heated in the morning is something a few guests have mentioned specifically in their notes to us.
Step 5 — The relaxation room (as long as you need)
Heated stone loungers, low light, and a strict no-talking policy. Water and herbal tea are available at the side. This is not a room for phones. We don’t enforce this with a sign — we’ve just found that people naturally put them away.
Repeat the circuit as many times as you like. Most guests do two full rounds in a half-day visit.
Treatments Worth Booking
The Alpine Stone Ritual (90 minutes) — smooth river stones from the valley, heated and used across the back and shoulders in a slow, sustained massage. Best booked for the afternoon, after at least one circuit of the thermal facilities. This is the most requested treatment we offer.
The Mountain Herb Wrap (60 minutes) — a full-body wrap using a blend of alpine herbs dried in-house over the summer. The smell is distinctive and some guests find it a little strong — mention this at booking if you’re sensitive to scent.
The Express Restore (30 minutes) — a focused back and neck massage designed for guests who’ve been skiing or hiking. Effective and quick. Can often be accommodated on short notice if the day hasn’t fully booked out.
Practical Notes
The spa is busiest between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm. If you prefer quiet, try arriving at 8:00 am or after 5:00 pm.
Robes and towels are provided at the spa entrance — you don’t need to bring anything from your room.
The relaxation room has a two-hour soft guideline during peak periods, so others can use the loungers. Outside peak season this is rarely an issue.
Children under 16 are welcome in the thermal pool and relaxation room between 8:00 am and 12:00 pm only. The rest of the day, the spa is adults only.
Non-guests can access the spa on day passes when availability allows — ask at the front desk.
To book a treatment, contact the front desk, email stay@alphaus.com, or use the booking form on the website. We recommend booking treatments at least 48 hours in advance, particularly during winter weekends.
