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chalets vs hotels

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
The question about chalet wear has prompted me to ask this.

We've never stayed in a catered chalet, always preferring hotels (for just Me and Mrs Ax) and appartments for all 6 of us (with kids).

I must admit the thought of a catered chalet has never appealed because:

I'd rather choose from a menu than have a 'set meal', and eating out is part of the fun.

Chalets often seem to be sited away from the centre of town, so what do you do in the evenings?

I would be a bit worried about 'getting on' with a bunch of people I'd never met (it's bad enough putting up with our kids let alone anyone elses little darlings) rolling eyes Very Happy

I'm not sure how things work with regard to timings? (when do you eat breakfast, evening meal etc, does everyone have to be up/back by a particular time?).

However, reservations aside, I'd be willing to give chalets a try, just for the experience, so my question is: what are the benefits? Those of you who use chalets, (or work in them) what makes them better than hotels? I'm open to persuasion.....
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Chalets make superb bases for holidays. You can go back to them at any time and lounge around, go to your room, and so on. I've always skied with other guests, too, which is great if you've got mixed abilities in your group.

Invariably the people you meet are easy to get on with and are up for a laugh and a few vin chauds. I've stayed in chalets in a few resorts (Meribel - 5 minutes from Dick's T Bar), Courchevel, and La Rosiere (across the road from the main lift) and have always had a good time. All of the chalets were a short walk from bars, clubs and restaurants, but if you can't be bothered to go out you'll undoubtedly be able to slop around the chalet drinking local plonk until the small hours with other guests.

I prefer chalets over hotels simply because they're less formal and much more social, especially if it's just the two of you. I've also found the catering to be far better, and the chefs/cooks often willing to tweak a menu to suit the majority vote.

As the number of guests staying in a chalet is often smaller than the number that stay at a hotel, you might find that they're more considerate, as they'll have to eat with you!

I've never stayed anyone with kids, though.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I wouldn't take the kids to a chalet, unless I was booking the whole thing with my group.

Chalets are very good in all other respects though.
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AxsMan, Get two familys together or sets of relatives take over whole chalet. It's then like being at home but with a couple of teenagers that wash and cook for you Toofy Grin
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:

....teenagers that wash and cook for you


Shocked Shocked Shocked
My kids are all teenagers, you couldn't pay me enough to make me live for a week on their cooking!
Shocked Shocked Shocked

and as for their concept of 'clean'..... Confused
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 brian
brian
Guest
I'm sure chalets can be great but it also has to be said that you are taking the risk of ending up with a right numpty that will turn every mealtime into a cringe inducing embarrassment and you will have no escape.

Ironically, when this happened to us, it was people we'd gone with rolling eyes

The rest of the chalet's occupants were brilliant !
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
AxsMan, I've never stayed in a chalet either. We've always stayed in fairly up-market hotels. I like dressing for dinner etc. The chalet we are staying in is in the centre of Megeve and it appears it was once an old 2 star hotel. It has 13 rooms en-suite. I'll let you know! If we don't like the food, I guess we can always eat out.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
erica2004, Look forward to reading your review!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
this is not a realistic comparison. There is no comparison between an upmarket hotel and a cheap French dive with beige wallpaper everywhere, and there's no comparison between the bottom end of the chalet market and a place which charges £3000 a week per head. We have always had very good value for money at chalets, and like the informality. It's often a lot cheaper for families, especially as you can drink booze bought at supermarket prices. Anyone who "dressed up" in the chalets we've stayed at would have been regarded as bonkers. If you want to tart up for dinner, or tend to be fairly intolerant of others, go to a hotel. If you choose a chalet, one of the smaller operators, or independents, will often be better than the big TOs - and they will give you good advice about what to expect.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
What everyone else said really^^^

From a guest perspective: I have experienced a few chalet holidays, both with mixed groups & when we take over the whole chalet. I love it. With mixed groups you can often find new skiing & drinking buddies, most people that are there are like the people on this site snowHead, some of them will even be reading this Shocked You do run the slight risk of a slight odd ball, but not as bad as the staff Wink You can effectively mix with the others as much or as little as you want - Chalets are often small spaces but if you're skiing for most of the day you practically only see them at meal times - if you want.

From a chalet girls POV: Groups tend to be a little more civilised (well slightly Wink) as people tend to be a little more reserved, to begin with anyway, what normally happens is everyone relaxes as the week goes on, so we all get to know each other making mini-Snow-related friendships, even if they are temporary. This normally lifts the experience and I'm sure many snowHead would agree.

Being a premature old foggie I prefer mixed groups & families for the same reason as above. Whole groups are good as long as they aren't a large groups of lads. Not all groups of lads, actually not always confined to the boys and I certainly wouldn't call them all youngsters either! For arguments sake lets call them PRATTS (prefer raving and tarts to skiing). I know, there are some people who's priority is not the skiing Shocked Please remember this is my own opinion, lots of chalet hosts I know love it - they go boozing together and generally have a riot. I like to go to bed early and guests that are down to breakfast nice-and-early to catch the first lift.

PRATTs mess this up my program by being late for breakfast, not skiing when their hangovers are too bad. Being very late for dinner or missing it completely. They're messy and as the week goes on they get tired and moody and can often snap and turn on each other. There is often too much competition and everyone just wears themselves out. We do accommodate for this, sure, they paid for the holiday so are entitled to the service but just tell the staff that you want late breakfast or are happy for us to leave things out for you. And if you want dinner late just tell us, we can normally reach an agreed time, likewise if when pissed you don't fancy a poncy (yet filling & nourishing Wink) 3 course meal tell us. I'll knock up the best post pub grub you've ever had. Or just stay in Hotel where you can stay in bed and watch TV.

Agree that if you have children that aren’t old or mature enough to enjoy the company of adults and acting in a ‘mostly’ adult like fashion avoid chalets unless you have booked the entire chalet. (Or going at half term / Easter, check with the chalet company to make sure…)

You have to try a catered chalet experience, it is extremely rare that it will be negative and often it is fantastic. Twisted Evil
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Oh and someone should tell the PRATTS that meeting a laaaadeee in a ski resort is rare... It does happen, it's happened to me... but now I bring my own Twisted Evil Twisted Evil Twisted Evil

edit: just seen the 2 page thread on excessive alcohol and sleep deprivation, this is the motive (and motif?) of the PRATTS.


Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Thu 15-12-05 21:55; edited 1 time in total
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Fairly balanced view of chalet holidays above - can be a good social scene without necessarily the need to live in each others' pockets. My nightmare scenario is getting in a chalet with a large group of "mad for it" people of whatever age or sex, lots of smaller groups in a chalet make for a better mix in my opinion.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
not had any problems with chalet holidays. in fact if you are going as a single, then you may well end up in a group of new friends.
I've been in a chalet 4 times, and 3 were with me as a single amongst other singles or small groups. The other was me as a single amongst a group of 6. For all 4 holidays I was invited to ski with the others (possibly made easier because the group of 6 split into 2 due to mixed ability). I skiied with them for part of the week, and on my own for other days. Just make it up as you go along.
As for breakfast and dinner, and minibus ride to/from the lifts, basically everyone is there for the skiing, so this has never been a problem for me. They do endeavour to get people to lessons on time, so those that want a lie in or are hungover might be asked to make their own way on the free bus.
On the whole, I think most people aim to get to the lifts in the morning and finish in the evening at about the same time, and cooperate sensibly in agreeing times for minibus ride. I think it makes little difference whether you are a single group of 8 or a few smaller groups.
3 weeks and 2 days to my next chalet holiday.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
That reminds me. Not sure about the idea of the chalets generally being out of town. You can ski to the door of our chalet, if you *can* and is a very sort walk to the lift in the morning.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Yonks ago I stayed in a hotel in Cervinia....the head waiter escorted me to my table in the dining room, 'Exclusively yours for this fortnight Sir.' I thought no and said so but he insisted. I called the rep who informed me that as I had come on my own I should eat on my own! I picked up my napkin and cutlery, walked over to a group of people I recognised from the transfer bus, introduced myself and sat at their table(after being invited of course!). Said goodbye to hotels and tried chalets. In spite of having to share with solicitors and dentists, the bane of every chalet girl's existence(!), I have lots of happy memories as a result of meeting and skiing with wonderful people.....including the aforementioned tribes snowHead
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
parlor,
Quote:

I like to go to bed early and guests that are down to breakfast nice-and-early to catch the first lift.


That describes the folk I ski with to a tee! BUT the amount of chalets we have stayed in and the Staff have woken us up in the small hours coming back in from the village! In one case banging on the front door to be let in Shocked
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Skiied n Pila for a week, stayed in Hotel Europe in Aosta. Thought it was a nice hotel but the dining room and waiter echos what Mac46 has just said. We went as a group of about 25 people, the waiter expected us to sit in te same small groups at the same tables for each and every meal. We of course swapped around depending on who arrived when.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Not sure whether we've answered one of AxsMan basic questions regarding timings, most chalets have have stopped in have breakfast 8am-9am, hightea (cake and buns) 3:30-5ish, dinner 8pm. I'm in the camp that really enjoys the mix of chalet hols, having kids in can be a bind but not normally so, big groups - OK you live with them if your in a small party or on your own, but most big groups are made up of a key group with a few hangers on and so at their edges seem to mix with others in the chalets. Food wise I would say go with the smaller operators when I've been with bigger TO's the chalet staff and food quality hasn't been as hot!

I'm off with Ski Esprit a family specialist with the family for the first time this year in a chalet hotel in Saas Fee, so that will be a different experience and honestly not sure how I'll cope with so many kids, will report back!
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Chalets are in the main a good bet I reckon. Lots of advantages listed...you'd have to be really unlucky to get people you didn't get on with. Once had a terribly gobby brum woman and even she didn't get on my nerves too much.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Chalets every time for me. However, my advice would be to try and take the whole chalet (we go for small ones, groups of 6 or 8 of us). If you can't, then go for a chalet that takes big numbers 12-15 upwards as this will 'dilute' any irritating guests and try and check it is mixed bookings rather than one block booking. Our biggest mistake (unknown to us at the time) was to take the last room in a chalet for 8 which had been taken by a group of 6 blokes. They were a nightmare, leaving porn mags all over the place, utterly pissed by 4.00pm and setting fireworks off when the chalet girls had gone home. We ended up barracading ourselves into our room each night Crying or Very sad Alas, it can be hit and miss, which is why I would be very wary of being the minority number.


As for chalets being a long way out. Not so. The chalet we are going to in Les Arcs in January is a short 150m from the slopes and our chalet in Meribel was on the side of a blue slope, a short whizz down to the main lift stations. Cool
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Beverley, by "porn mags" do you mean Razzle and Playboy, or Loaded and FHM?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I would echo what Beverley, said, unless you can take the whole chalet avoid the small 'chalets' (really just a catered apartment) of 6 or 8. Apart from the previously stated problems of small chalets (lack of diluting irritating characters) the small chalets tend to only have one member of chalet staff who almost invariably will prefer the company of people their own age rather than the guests. With 2 or more staff they are likely to be more likely to stay longer rather than just serve the meal and go. I can thoroughly reccomend Silver Ski who normally use 'mature' couples.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
There are always going to be poor experiences, pleased to see that most see them as the exception rather than the rule.

Echo-ing what others say about the tour opperators... Some of the big companies employ 18 years olds and expect them to cook, clean and generally work their backsides off when all the time they are surrounded by temptation. I've been there, it's hard work. But I've never missed a breakfast, ever, not even when I was 19. Several times I went straight to the Chalet rather than try and sleep but that's OK. It will be rare that you'll get a complete idiot. If you do get the rep in straight away, let them know if it gets worse there's going to be an issue. Lots of small companies & totally independent chalets are run by the slightly more mature staff members, like myself Wink Shocked

If partying chalet hosts is a scary thought it's easy to find out if they sleep in the same chalet as you - most don't so it shouldn't be an issue.

In our chalet breakfast is from 0800, I'll do 0730 if you need it - I love it. At 0845 you're on your own, no more cooked breakfast (unless it's bad up the hill and / or you bribe me). Cake is available from 0900 but most people eat it at tea or whenever they come back from skiing / apres ski. If there is cake left I take it away from the table when I go back to the chalet at 1830. Dinner can be at 1930 or 2000. I don't mind doing 2030 if you really insist but prefer not to. Early dinner can be a good idea, you drink less at apres and you can get out on the town earlier if you want. It also means not going to bed with a full belly if you're a real skier and want to turn in early. Chalet hosts will also do an earlier kids dinner if you need it.

IMO it's often the staff that tend to make the difference between a good trip and a great trip.
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AChalet holidays rock. You have to pick the right chalet, and the right company. Same goes for Hotels though. Totally agree with Parlour, it is the staff that make or break the holiday, oh and the bed and pillow.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
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Thanks for all the comments guys. Will take them on board and try to get a group of 8+ together for next year (2007). 2006 skiing already arranged Very Happy

Also thinking of trying a Swiss resort in 07, any reccomendations for or agin? (or should this be a new thread wink )
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Yeah, don't come to Verbier - there are too many fat skis and powder hound chalet hosts Wink

New thread me thinks. Very Happy
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
parlor wrote:
Yeah, don't come to Verbier - there are too many fat skis and powder hound chalet hosts Wink


At least one that I'm aware of Very Happy

And I'm NOT going to ask any more questions about phat v thin, ever, ever -promise! wink

But since you mention it, maybe I should have got the B3's for more off-piste flexibility Cool
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