 Poster: A snowHead
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We're a group of five - one couple, three singles - who go away together for a week each year. We usually do France (mostly Three Valleys) but thought we'd try Italy this year, and the Dolomites looks to be perfect. Selva caught our eye as probably the best located for our needs. The problem is finding somewhere to stay..!
We're just looking for a half-board package... private chalet, hotel (most likely), whatever.
But... the complexity is that our three singletons would prefer to have their own rooms - and are fine paying a reasonable premium for this. But it seems to be causing heads to explode at Inghams, who we - perhaps unwisely? - spoke to first.
We've been at this for weeks now... asking them if one hotel can accommodate... waiting a week for a reply.... to find that no, the hotel won't sell three single rooms... then trying another hotel. It feels like the back-office process entails sending paper letters to the hotels through the post.
Maybe two of the party just have to suck it up and share a twin, but before I give up... has anybody had a good experience with a package operator servicing Selva who can deal with non-standard-sized groups? Know any hotels that might be amenable?
Thanks in advance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@gendal, wht not DIY?
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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?
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| @gendal, wht not DIY? |
We’re definitely open to that. Main reason we looked at packages first was we’d never been able to do a DIY trip cheaper than a package in France (all things kept equal re catering and allowing for hassle factor of sorting one’s own transfers, etc).
But it’s a fair point: my specific question is about Selva accommodation options for 1 double + 3 singles. I guess we can figure out how to combine it into a holiday once we figure out if that requirement can be met anywhere.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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have to wonder how you can never do a DIY trip cheaper than a package holiday.
I sometimes go with a mixed group of singles wanting their own space & couples.
Have never managed to find a package holiday cheaper than DIY! Would be easier to organise.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Gored wrote: |
have to wonder how you can never do a DIY trip cheaper than a package holiday.
I sometimes go with a mixed group of singles wanting their own space & couples.
Have never managed to find a package holiday cheaper than DIY! Would be easier to organise. |
When I say 'all things equal' I was thinking in terms of a leski.com-style package. Flights, transfers, private chalet, chalet host, half-board (including wine in their case), one point of contact, and the only decisions you have to make are date, resort and chalet. When we'd looked at trying to construct something similar for ourselves, the cost of flights (at similarly convenient times and airports), transfers and equivalent accommodation and catering rapidly brought the price higher... and with the extra hassle involved in doing it ourselves.
But it's not a hill I'm proposing to die on 
I'm just trying to find a hotel in Selva who will actually let us book three single rooms...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@gendal, rather than look at individual operators try igluski and tell them your requirements
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Makes sense - thanks. I hadn’t even considered using a travel agent! Kinda obvious now - cheers.
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| gendal wrote: |
| I'm just trying to find a hotel in Selva who will actually let us book three single rooms... |
Mabe worth trying the Hotel Armin. They have single rooms as you'll see from their website. I stayed there some years ago, the food is very good.
If you DIY then you could get flights into Innsbruck or Verona. Although I've not used them if there's 5 of you then a private transfer with for example Val Gardena Express shouldn't be too expensive per person.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@gendal, Italian hotels seem to have more single rooms than France, I’d get in touch with then Selva tourist office and ask them for a list of those that do in Selva, then book direct and DIY the rest.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Use Booking.con to identify hotels that suit your requirements and then go to the hotels directly via their websites as the 15% you'll pay to Booking isn't worth it. The hotels will happily help. Email/Phone them with your dates, board & room requirements. Then sort your flights to Innsbruck (ideally, if not, Verona or then Venice in this order) then use Sun Transfers and you will never book with a TO again. PM me if you want any help
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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.
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| Alastair Pink wrote: |
| gendal wrote: |
| I'm just trying to find a hotel in Selva who will actually let us book three single rooms... |
Mabe worth trying the Hotel Armin. They have single rooms as you'll see from their website. I stayed there some years ago, the food is very good.
If you DIY then you could get flights into Innsbruck or Verona. Although I've not used them if there's 5 of you then a private transfer with for example Val Gardena Express shouldn't be too expensive per person. |
Perfect - thanks Alastair. Yes - this could work (if they have availability)
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I guess, when you say
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| and are fine paying a reasonable premium for this. |
that you’re seeking a discount of some sort for single occupancy for 3 rooms, that otherwise can be sold for double occupancy at a higher price? If so, I suspect therein lies the problem. The room fixed costs remain the same (heating, lighting, staffing etc) and the cost of cleaning etc is still, broadly, the same. With hotel operators having lost so much from the COVID years and the high energy costs, I can see how many hoteliers are reluctant to discount.
I’ve no idea what the occupancy availability in the resort is like at the time you’re looking to go (you didn’t state when) but, if it’s at a busier time, you may continue to struggle on the package option.
If the package option is definitely your preferred route, you may need to consider booking at the normal room price for double occupancy.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Cacciatore wrote: |
I guess, when you say
| Quote: |
| and are fine paying a reasonable premium for this. |
that you’re seeking a discount of some sort for single occupancy for 3 rooms, that otherwise can be sold for double occupancy at a higher price? If so, I suspect therein lies the problem. |
No - that would indeed be delusional of me! Our experience has been that some hotels do have rooms that can only really hold one person, and are marketed as such. My comment about 'reasonable premium' was to reflect that I know they would not sell such rooms for 50% the price of a double/twin - for the very reasons you describe.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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In Italy there are a lot of “Garnis” which are usually b&b accommodations. Use google maps to identify locations and then contact them by email or via their websites for availability. A lot of these places have single rooms too and some also offer half board, (although most are b&b only).
We’ve been doing this approach for Corvara for next winter and have now secured somewhere. Word of warning though, it seems to be a thing in Italy where they give first refusal to guests currently staying there and a lot of our preferred Garnis were already booked up for the whole of next season, and we were told to contact them again in the autumn as previous customers would need to re-confirm by then.
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Poster: A snowHead
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DIY definitely is the way to go for the Dolomites. We’ve just booked flights to Venice with BA for £100 pp inc baggage. Transfers are 600 euro for 4 return to Corvara, and HB hotel is working out £500 pp. Ingram’s and Crystal etc couldn’t get close…
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@surferrosa, Sorry to trouble you but that transfer sounds quite reasonable. Which company is that? No worries if you don't want to give it away.
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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?
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@Surferrosa - that's really useful intel (both the Garnis/B&B idea and the specific self-arrange data point vs Inghams/Crystal, etc). Cheers.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@gendal, Sorry for a part hijack of thread
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@dynastar84, we’ve booked with Venice Cabs http://www.venicecab.com/
They have a fixed rate price list on their website and have given us the same rate for next season. Cash only though.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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DIY definitely is the way to go for the Dolomites. We’ve just booked flights to Venice with BA for £100 pp inc baggage. Transfers are 600 euro for 4 return to Corvara, and HB hotel is working out £500 pp. Ingram’s and Crystal etc couldn’t get close…
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Whoops, weirdly that last post went through twice!
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@Cacciatore, not really. Italy (for whatever reason) seems to be much beter sorted than other countries for having hotels with single rooms. I.e. rooms too small for double beds. It's a (weird) thing.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@surferrosa,
Thank you very much that's great
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@dynastar84, many sHs (including myself) have used Venice cabs for transfers, they provide a good value service.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Alastair Pink, Thank you very much for the recommendation as although I went with a TO last minute this year (and it was great) I am leaning towards last minute DIY due to warm weather worries and also ability to squeeze an extra days skiing in.
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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.
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| dynastar84 wrote: |
| @gendal, Sorry for a part hijack of thread |
Not at all - the replies have been extremely helpful. Thanks everybody.
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@gendal, We have stayed in Wolkenstein a couple times in the summer and found hotels through booking.com. IIRC single rooms were available and we booked at least one. Compared to our usual hotel near Alleghe they were expensive, however.
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You know it makes sense.
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I have posted this a number of times, but the official Val Gardena website is a VERY good place to start. You put in your requirements and hotels/guesthouses will get back to you (then, cross check the results with their actual web sites, and give them a call.)
Also, this is a bit early for 23/24, if that's what you're aiming for. But I know for sure that there are a fair number of hotels (although not dozens) in Selva that would probably meet your needs, although ... not cheaply, it's the most expensive town in Val G. You could also consider Santa Christina and Corvara/Colfosco, wouldn't be sacrificing much IMO.
We did not find it hard to DIY but then again we were flying from Paris to Milan or Venice, then driving to get to the Dolomites, if you have to arrange transfers etc it could be more complicated. I'd sort the hotels first tbh.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Pasigal wrote: |
I have posted this a number of times, but the official Val Gardena website is a VERY good place to start. You put in your requirements and hotels/guesthouses will get back to you (then, cross check the results with their actual web sites, and give them a call.)
Also, this is a bit early for 23/24, if that's what you're aiming for. But I know for sure that there are a fair number of hotels (although not dozens) in Selva that would probably meet your needs, although ... not cheaply, it's the most expensive town in Val G. You could also consider Santa Christina and Corvara/Colfosco, wouldn't be sacrificing much IMO.
We did not find it hard to DIY but then again we were flying from Paris to Milan or Venice, then driving to get to the Dolomites, if you have to arrange transfers etc it could be more complicated. I'd sort the hotels first tbh. |
Can second this. Used the official site a few weeks ago to book an apartment in Selva for a trip in Jan. Had lots of quick responses including something that was perfect for our needs.
Lots of smaller businesses are family run so you may have to pay a deposit by bank transfer. I was a bit unsure about doing this but did due diligence and I think it's the norm.
Did get responses from lots of the bigger hotels too but their prices were a bit punchy!
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