 Poster: A snowHead
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So... what exactly differentiates a chalet hotel from a chalet or a hotel?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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James the Last, it is a hotel that is run as a chalet, so will serve afternoon tea, wine with meals, and be full of guests and staff from a particular tour operator.
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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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James the Last, bear in mind that the catering will often be done by barely trained British teenagers and so the grub may not be what one would hope for in a decent local hotel.
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We used one last year in Alpe d'Huez through Crystal. While you do get your food and wine each night the staff do have one night out, as they would in a chalet, and therefore you need to make your own arrangements for one night (restaurant). The staff we had were all British and the food was quite British. Ours also had the kids facilites on site aswell.
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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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A chalet hotel is run by the tour operator, using their own staff, rather then them booking rooms from a local hotel owner.
As Helen says, this normally also means that the catering is on a "chalet board" basis - evening tea and dinner on six days, eat out on one day.
They may also apply UK mores, as one couple I skied with in neiderau found out when (having stayed previously in other hotels in the resort) they didn't bother even taking swimwear with them for the sauna, only to find that Crystal required it 
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Chalet hotels often have a choice of menu whereas chalets don't, and they often have a bar.
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| HH wrote: |
| The staff we had were all British and the food was quite British. |
"Modern British" i.e. fusion cooking, i.e. essentially French, but written in English on the menu. Or "Old fashioned British" - think Blackpool boarding houses, boiled carrots, boiled mince, boiled potatoes and plum duff?
The risk of being looked after by sulky English teenagers appears to be a part of the joy of a ski holiday...
Are they as sociable as a chalet would claim it would be - i.e. will a solo traveller be seated at a table for one, or at a large table?
Are they just ghastly - think (how I imagine would be) Butlins.
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| Quote: |
James the Last, bear in mind that the catering will often be done by barely trained British teenagers and so the grub may not be what one would hope for in a decent local hotel.
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We must have got lucky as it was quite good. It was funny though as the staff would all turn up to serve breakfast looking like they'd been dragged through a hedge backwards, obviously taking advantage of the nightlife. On the other hand they were generally really enthusiastic as they were having a great time working a season. There was also a lot of use of choice language, especially if they thought all the guests were out.
Oh, and unlike a hotel, they only change the towels once, midway through the week.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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James the Last, another thing. In my (limited) experience, a chalet hotel may offer communal activities in the evening, such as a quizz or even a fancy dress evening. You have been warned!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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edit: it's been said already
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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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| richmond wrote: |
| James the Last, another thing. In my (limited) experience, a chalet hotel may offer communal activities in the evening, such as a quizz or even a fancy dress evening. You have been warned! |
Uh, oh! Are they just ghastly - think (how I imagine would be) Butlins.
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James the Last, Not in my experience, no. Have only stayed in one once, then mostly chalets after that. Food was good, the staff were very friendly and good fun - definately not Butlins. Think chalet with bar, possibly pool or other facilities and quizzes etc if you want to join in. The one I stayed in there was a single guy on his own at a table, but he was a bit weird and seemed to prefer it that way. The other singles had been invited to join other tables. Obviously this is reliant on the other people staying in the hotel, but so far I've not yet stayed anywhere that didn't have at least 75% nice friendly people in it. As I say, only stayed in one so can't say that it's the same for other hotels - others may have more experience of staying solo in one.
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You know it makes sense.
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James the Last, Stayed in the Chalet Hotel Les Amesthytes in LDA. Booked through a TO. The hotel was smallish, HB, pitcher of wine with dinner, three courses, presentable reasonable food, no afternoon tea, Wednesday was kitchen staff night off so went out for dinner. The hotel is(was) 2/3 star with a ski hire shop in the basement, modern new gear. The manager was european and the staff all native english speaking looked gap-year student age or thereabouts. They were all cheery rather than Harry Enfield Kev-like. The bar next to reception had a pool table and comfortable sofas. There was rep organised evening activities but our group of blokes always went out after dinner.
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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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edit : double post
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Thu 22-01-09 17:51; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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| James the Last wrote: |
| richmond wrote: |
| James the Last, another thing. In my (limited) experience, a chalet hotel may offer communal activities in the evening, such as a quizz or even a fancy dress evening. You have been warned! |
Uh, oh! Are they just ghastly - think (how I imagine would be) Butlins. |
I would not stay in one again unless it was very, very cheap. They have all the risks of a chalet (poor food, too much opportunity for communal activity with potentially disagreeable fellow guests), only more so, usually without the likely benefits of a homely atmos., cheap drinks and, from the sound of it, afternoon tea. For me, the worst thing was the food, which was pretty much school dinners. When you see that the 'chefs' are a bunch of 17 yo Brits with Brazilians (on their chins, BTW), you know things are not going to be good.
No doubt chalet hotels vary a lot from co. to co. and from hotel to hotel and I expect that there are some good ones.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We stayed in one once in Serre Chevalier. It was a big place with only two staff in the kitchen - she was an ex-NHS cook, we reckon he was ex prison service. They showed culinary skills I've never seen before or since. How they managed to produce a boiled potato which was raw on one side, mush on the other and yet burnt in places I'll never know! They were actually a lovely couple but hopelessly out of their depth. We started eating out in town well before the Thursday staff night off.
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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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They have all the risks of a chalet (poor food, too much opportunity for communal activity with potentially disagreeable fellow guests), only more so, usually without the likely benefits of a homely atmos., cheap drinks and, from the sound of it, afternoon tea.
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From my limited experience, I'd agree. We stayed in a Snowcoach chalet hotel in Valmeinier. The food was OK for the money, but the logistics of dinner were off-putting. there'd be a sort of great dash for the tables, which sat about 10, and unless you were first off the starting blocks (which we never were, as we always had a pre supper G & T by the fire) you ended up struggling to find a table with more than a couple of seats (we were a party of four adults and various teenagers who did their own thing). Nothing like as sociable and pleasant as the chalets we've been in, because you sat with a pot-luck bunch every evening, and never got to know anybody. There was a "hot tub" but our kids said it was always monopolised by a group of "fat noisy boys" who didn't make anyone else at all welcome.
If travelling alone, or in a couple, I would always go for a chalet with around 14 - 16 guests, because that way there are bound to be some interesting and friendly people (we generally found they were ALL interesting and friendly) and you can get to know people, find out who wants to do the same kind of skiing etc. You can find out from the TO whether the chalet is booked by one big party (avoid, obviously) or smaller groups of families/couples which will make it easier to fit in. Several times I've been in chalets with single blokes, and they've always fitted in well and enjoyed themselves (though one was much too good a skier to potter around with the rest of us, he always enjoyed socialising in the evening).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Friends of our stay in various Crystal chalet and club hotels every year.
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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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>>If travelling alone, or in a couple, I would always go for a chalet with around 14 - 16 guests
Mmm, absolutely, flicking through and seeing "sleeps 16, 14 places available" or "sleeps 6, 2 places available" is quite offputting - the former scarily empty, the latter just too cosy.
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I've stayed in Mark Warner chalet hotels twice and they've been fine. They will ensure singles don't eat by themselves if that's what you wish. It is a very English home-from-home experience though - we normally stay in 'proper hotels' and enjoy the mix of nationalities and the local cuisine.
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| cathy wrote: |
| I've stayed in Mark Warner chalet hotels twice and they've been fine. They will ensure singles don't eat by themselves if that's what you wish. |
And to balance my negative chalet-hotel experience above... we stayed with Mark Warner a few years ago and it was so good that, until I read Cathy's post, I didn't connect our Mark Warner experience with the term 'chalet-hotel'.
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PisteHead, the Amethystes is advertised and run as a hotel, not a chalethotel. The place has no star rating, and the 'ski shop' in the basement is SkiPlan's own hire operation.
Oh, and the manager is Dutch.
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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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There's more negative than positive here. For what's it's worth the 'Chalet hotel' I stayed in sleeps 75 according to the official blurb so maybe the size of the place made it more hotel like in service level.
Lizzard, That explains it then. We did however have to eat out mid week as it was the chef's night off and the TO we booked through stated Club Hotel in the confirmation e-mail though I accept what the place is in reality can be different. The manager during my stay was Jan (?).
To anyone considering the place, the 3 bed mezzanine rooms are much bigger proportionally per person, have better decor and generally better appointed, ours had a balcony.
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| Quote: |
"Modern British" i.e. fusion cooking, i.e. essentially French, but written in English on the menu. Or "Old fashioned British" - think Blackpool boarding houses, boiled carrots, boiled mince, boiled potatoes and plum duff?
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No, not fusion I'm afraid. Probably a mix of French and Old fashioned english, chicken with creamy mushroom sauce, duck breast etc. Not that you'd be interested, but for those who might be that are reading this thread, the kids meals were fantastic. They had an early tea and it was generally homemade quality stuff, fish pie, lasagne etc. Believe me I like good quality food and I was impressed.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Basically a hotel leased and run as if it were a big chalet. Possible advantages -rooms may be marginally bigger than a chalet, can possibly avoid sitting at the same table as crashing bores etc at dinner (though unfotunately I find I can't run from myself).
Disadvantages as above + often seem to have own bar so they don't like you bringinmg your own beer or spirits. I once lucke dout by being booked into the overflow for a chalet hotel which was a local french family run place over the road.
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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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| James the Last wrote: |
>>If travelling alone, or in a couple, I would always go for a chalet with around 14 - 16 guests
Mmm, absolutely, flicking through and seeing "sleeps 16, 14 places available" or "sleeps 6, 2 places available" is quite offputting - the former scarily empty, the latter just too cosy. |
When hubby and I went as a couple to Les Arcs we booked the last room in a large chalet, we assumed there would be several smaller groups, so we were a bit unsure when we found as we got of the bus that the 24 person chalet we were in was us and a 'group' who had arrived together.
We were booked into the tiniest twin room imaginable, with no room even to properly open the wardrobe - however, a cry went up down the corridor from 2 blokes that they were being expected to share a double bed - I jokingly said 'well, you can swap with us if you like - its tiny, but its got two beds' - they were well chuffed, and it broke the ice, and we were over the moon with our luxury double with mountain view!
Turned out the group was one that had been skiing together for many many years, but had over the years evolved so even within the group they didn't all know each other well. There was a big age range in their group, and we were probably bang in the middle of it.
We had a great week - we skied with them every day, and felt part of the group.
This to my mind shows that its not the make-up of the chalet, its about the people in it.
We have never had a really bad chalet experience - when we went to Vail one year we ended up in a chalet with a couple we had met the previous year on a flotilla holiday - small world or what??
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fatbob,
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Disadvantages as above + often seem to have own bar so they don't like you bringinmg your own beer or spirits.
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Would you expect to be able to drink your own beer in a hotel lounge?
All chalets and chalet hotels are licensed premises (in France anyway) and as such you should be purchasing drinks from their bar. Duty Free spirits are fine usually so long as you consume with mixers from the bar.
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You know it makes sense.
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[quote="snowandtrek"]fatbob,
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Disadvantages as above + often seem to have own bar so they don't like you bringinmg your own beer or spirits.
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Would you expect to be able to drink your own beer in a hotel lounge?
[quote]
No, but most chalets are more than happy for you to bring your own drink.
Wine is normally provided with meals, but tere is not usually any other "official" drink available for purchase, although sometimes the chalet host will have an unofficial supply.
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All chalets and chalet hotels are licensed premises (in France anyway) and as such you should be purchasing drinks from their bar. Duty Free spirits are fine usually so long as you consume with mixers from the bar. |
There is no "shoudl" about it. IF the premises have their own bar selling alcohol, then they will probably (quite reasonably) expect you to not drink anything not purchased there in the public areas. But that is down to the individual hotel proprietors.
If they don't have their own bar (as in most chalets), then this obviously doesn't apply. The chalets still have to be licensed premises because they are providing wine with the meals.
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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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| Quote: |
All chalets and chalet hotels are licensed premises (in France anyway) and as such you should be purchasing drinks from their bar
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I've stayed in quite a lot of chalets over the years, with several different operators, and none of them had bars as such (ie somewhere where you want and said "two gin and tonics, a large beer and a glass of wine, please". In each case we were encouraged to buy mixers and soft drinks from the chalet staff - and we did so - but my understanding was that this was for their personal benefit, a bit of a side-line - not "profit" for Ski Olympic, or whoever the operator was.
As far as I was concerned, this arrangement was great, and a major selling point for chalets over hotels.
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Poster: A snowHead
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It's like a hotel where you have to share your table with strangers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Many of you have been on ski and board camp and stayed at Chalet Hotel Les Melezes in Tignes Les Boisses (and at other times outside of ski and board camp). THAT is a chalet hotel. We've got two, they are run just like chalets but are bigger - including afternoon tea and set menu with wine etc.
I've stayed in a few such places over the years, with independants and tour operators and have never experienced the holiday camp activities referred to. In my experience the "chalet hotels" usually employ a qualified chef rather than young, inexperienced chalet staff due to the amount of people they're catering for. I remember staying in one in three valleys with Inghams one christmas years ago and the food was amazing! Unlike smaller chalets they usually have a bar.
Some of you seem to have had bad experiences though, which isn't good at all! I wouldn't rule them out...I've just had good experiences, and they are usually as social as you want them to be so lots of opportunity to meet other people.
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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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From staying in an expensive MW one some years ago... I would say:
A Chalet Hotel is a place -
1) Without the charm and friendliness of a chalet
2) With worse Decor, food and service than a hotel.
3) Where they make you hide your children in case you scare the adult diners...
4) But do not provide adequate baby listening services and have a building structure that blocks baby- monitors signals.
A typical British Fudge leading to the worst possible result
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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stoatsbrother, I agree with Joanne Mountainsun that their place in Tignes was excellent value and did what it said on the tin. I have only one other "chalet hotel" experience which reflects your rather depressing list. It was not a patch on the quite wide range of catered chalets, mostly rather cheap ones, that we stayed in.
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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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We've stayed a number of times at Les Avals in Courchevel 1650. Ski Olympic own it and call it a chalet hotel. It works like a chalet but looks like a hotel with a public bar. I certainly can't fault the staff, especially the chef. They have always been supreme organizers - they need to be with around 70 mouths to feed!
http://www.igluski.com/courchevel-1650/chalethotel-les-avals_p673
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James the Last, it's where school parties go - Avoid!
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stoatsbrother, sounds like you got a Hotel Chalet rather than a Chalet Hotel - ie all the bad bits instead of the good bits.
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