When the bigger resorts lose their appeal, it�s time to find something more bijou and less busy. Sainte Foy in the Tarentaise, near Val d�Isere, is a hidden gem and off-piste paradise that�s good for families too. By Jane Wright

If the larger French Alpine resorts are beginning to pall - La Plagne (sprawlingly massive), Tignes (not the prettiest), Val d'Isere (full of Brits) Courchevel (full of posh show-off Brits and Russian gangsters), then perhaps the tiny village of Sainte Foy is for you. Recently voted by a certain style mag as the chi-chi-est must-ski resort this season, this little village is just 10 minutes from Les Arcs, 15 minutes from Val d'Isere and Tignes, and 25 minutes from La Rosiere.

But sometimes the crowds and the queues for lunch and loos are just too much and it's time to downscale to something different and new. Nestled amongst trees in a sunny bowl high above the Isere valley, this little-known resort is an off-pister's paradise, with acres of untracked powder to be found just a few metres from the beautifully groomed pistes, which thanks to a north-facing aspect tend to remain in pretty good nick all day.

But Sainte Foy's charm is in its smallness. With just 15 pistes and a tiny centre, many might dismiss this petite resort, but that would be a mistake because it is incredibly beautiful, caters for all levels, has its own ski school, plus it would make a perfect long weekend from Scotland. The original village is down on the valley floor, but this part, 1550, has a few traditional old chalets, but consists mostly of new builds in wood and stone which have made the effort to blend in with what has gone before. There is very much a feeling of newness, but everything is up and running, including the addition, this season, of a brand new high-speed, state-of-the-art chairlift.

I am here to try out the newly refurbished Yellowstone chalet, just one of 32 chalets and properties run by Scottish company Premier Neige. Depending on the company you pick, chalet ski holidays can be a wildly varying experience. Once I signed up for a luxury' chalet from one well-known company's finest' range only to find a dirty, fireless chalet presided over by a disinterested 21-year-old gap-year student who had just been taught by his mum to cook the previous month. Now call me old-fashioned if you must, but wouldn't you be expecting a little more for your 700 quid?

At Yellowstone, there are no such worries. When the brochure says luxury chalet, you can rest assured, that's exactly what you'll get for your dollar. Premier Neige is one of those companies looking to cater for people expecting five-star hotel standards in their chalet and this is reflected in the boutique styling throughout. The heating is underfloor, the finish - slate floors, warm oatmeal carpets, wood surfaces, terracotta tiling - is beautifully done and the decor, albeit slightly beige-y and anonymous, is of the expensive type you expect to find in urban retreats.

Each room has its own large bathroom, flat screen TV and internet access and best of all, a docking station for your iPod. Don't bother looking for the speakers - they're hidden in one of the pictures on the wall. It's all very thoughtfully done, with comfort very much in mind, and certainly, after a long hard day on the slopes, if you're not up for the hot tub out on the deck with a splendid view over the valley, then you'll wanting a deep, hot bath, infused with the lovely Elemis bathing products provided. Nice touch.

Downstairs, a huge double-height lounge area and dining room dominate, with views across to the peaks of Les Arcs and a decked balcony going three-quarters of the way around the property. A great big stone fireplace with open fire forms the focus of this living space, which again is decorated much as you would find in a smart hotel. As you sit round on your first evening sipping a nice kir royale and nibbling on home-made canapés, what's not to love?

As it's the launch of the refurbished chalet, Premiere Neige have flown in Scots chef Craig Millar of the esteemed Seafood restaurants in St Monans and St Andrews to do the honours (turn to page 36 for some of his lip-smacking recipes this week). If this is the kind of food guests can expect at Yellowstone, it bodes well for the future for Sainte Foy, where almost half the chalets are run by this Scottish company. Food is always a big deal when you're skiing and here you can expect a cooked breakfast, afternoon tea with home-made cakes, and a four-course meal in the evening, complete with local wines and a proper French cheeseboard comprising different cheeses each evening.

Out on the slopes, another Scottish company, Progression Ski, run by Ken Smith and assisted by his able instructors, will have you correcting years of bad technique and poor style in under a day. My lesson with Karen obliterated about 10 years' worth of crap left turns by explaining things very simply and giving me a few easy-to-remember tips for getting it right. In the evening, back at the chalet, a talk called Clear The Fear from Aussie chiropractor and alpine ski expert, Dr Carlyle Jenkins, inspired more confidence.

Blending mind-body medicine and cutting edge science', Jenkins seeks to find out what our fear triggers are when it comes to skiing - breaking something? Avalanche? Dying? (Erm, yes, all three, obviously), and combines this with a physical assessment of your frame that measures flexibility and core strength to check if any physical weakness or problems could be contributing to your fear factor. Then, using techniques developed through years of chiropractic practice, he makes gentle adjustments to your head and neck, key joints and muscles to create the perfect alignment and mind-set for skiing. It's fascinating stuff and along with a film show called Henry's Avalanche Talk from an amiable American from Texas, it's a great night in. Henry is the man to be with if you want to explore off-piste in Sainte Foy, for he knows every track on the mountain and where to find the best untouched virgin snow, including the formidable-sounding north face of the Fogliettaz, which boasts a 1700-metre vertical descent. Heli-skiing is available and the chalet will recommend a good local operator, but best to take Henry along with you.

For the less ambitious skiers or those with children or those who just like to cruise along and take it easy while thinking about what to have for lunch, the groomed slopes of Sainte Foy are a joy. Wide runs interspersed with beautiful little tree-lined trails are the perfect way to pass a blue-sky day, but still pose enough of a challenge to make you earn your lunch and that glass or two of vin chaud.

The Savoyarde faire of the Tarentaise area can be sampled in the restaurants dotted around the slopes and you will find everything from tartines and quiche to the hearty, stomach-lining tartiflette (bacon, potatoes, cheese and onions in cream, baked in the oven) to local meats and sausages. Similarly in the village, restaurants serve this kind of local fare, simply and well. The bars, to be expected, are full of bright young things and are very friendly and welcoming. If you get a chance, sample the local drink, genepi, which is made from an alpine flower. Not only does it taste divine, but a couple of these will take away all the aches and pains of your day, never mind a hot bath. Then again, a bubbling hot tub with a glass of genepi overlooking a majestic alpine valley covered in snow is pretty hard to beat.