"In contrast with the wooden lodges common to the French Alps, the Refuge du Montenvers is a rugged stone structure, and one of the earliest Alpine hotels. Its most unique attribute is its position at the edge of the Mer de Glace, a spectacular valley glacier. It’s also unusual for its isolation: it’s only accessible via a half-hour train journey from Chamonix. The hotel’s own restaurant is a cozy wood-paneled space, and this high-altitude escape is also home to the Panoramique Mer de Glace, a bistro with a jaw-dropping view of the Aguilles du Dru peaks and the eponymous glacier." - Tablet Hotels