Catered Chalets

A snowHead

Dear all

have skied for many years, and never set foot in a chalet. Next year I am going to look for one. Ideally in Austria, but obviously (so I understand) it could be France as this is where they all are!

Prefer ski in ski out (who doesn't). A lttle nightlfe is Fine, and a reasonably high quality put up.

For around a Dozen people in 3 or 4 families to share.

Specific recommendations would be welcome, but good reasonable company's, (a catered Chalet version of Peak retreats would be spot on (Free adverstising Xavier!)), website etc would be fine.

Thanks to anyone in advance. Smile

A snowHead

twoodwar,

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Depends on how many people you're looking at but we've had several Snowheads out this winter and more planned.....

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A catered chalet in Austria??.... That's just a crazy idea!! Laughing

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alex_heney,

Do the Swiss and Austrian chalets widely offer accommodation with meals like the French catered chalets?

I am under the impression the half board is provided only by the bigger hotels, which looks like chalets to me, and I rarely encounter guests staying a full week, more likely a couple of days or just the weekends.

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alex_heney,

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alex_heney, I haven't been in the market for a catered chalet for some years but, when I was, I could never find many outside France. We once went with Inghams to Alpbach - purported to be a catered chalet, but actually wasn't. Long story, but we ended up having evening meals in a nearby restaurant in the village - the worst food I've ever had on a ski holiday. I usually ended up in France, because there was just so much more choice.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

French chalets are also more likely to be ski in/ski out. A genuine catered chalet is nothing like a half board hotel (and, for our family at any rate, was infinitely preferable for a number of reasons). But there's a huge range - from pretty basic to unbelievably luxurious and expensive.

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pam w, There is certainly more choice in France, agreed.

I'm just disputing the assertion thet they are rare enough to be hard to find in Austria or Switzerland. They are certainly not as common there. And neither are self-catering apartments, although again, those can be found.

i was interested in chalets at Montgenevre but chose apt as the risk of me and 14 year old daughter getting holed up in a chalet with poss 10 blokes there to party was too great

You know it makes sense.

My experience of them is also small - we don't do it often.

If I was to do it again, though, I wouldn't ever go with a TO again. Much better to go with an independent operation where you're hosted by the owners, who have a personal interest in you having a really good time, not a couple of seasonnaires who just want to get it done so they can ski.

I know that not all TO chalet staff are like that! But you never know what you'll get because they change every year.

Unfortunately I don't think either of the good ones we stayed in
(Chalet Shufu in St Jean d'aulps, and the Dragon Lodge in Tignes) really fit your requirements though.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

twoodwar,

Hi, I'm no expert but have been on quite a few chalet holidays mainly with TO's to places such as Serre Che, Morzine and Meribel in France. Have found it quite difficult to find many in Austria, but I'm sure they are out there.

IMO if you have a group of friends, which you do, the chalet option is great, it's a bit like having your mates over for the weekend, but not having to cook or clean Very Happy

There is also, as has been said a huge variation in the quality, I have been at both ends, and do feel it's worth a few extra pounds to get a more luxurious option.

We are off to Sainte Foy Tarantaise this year - 7th March - cant wait Toofy Grin

, with Premiere Neige in a quite sumptous looking chalet right on the slopes - everything is right on the slopes in Saint Foy. It is only a small resort but looks great for families with small children as we are, creche and in chalet nanny facilities, is very compact, and offers enough skiing for intermediates and beginners- the majority of our group. There is also some legendary 'world class' off piste for me should I get the time off away from the family lol. It's also within 15 mins of the mega resorts of the tarantaise, and we have 2 days included in our trip to any of those resorts.

Not wishing to advertise (PS we havent been yet!!!!) but premiere neige have been ultra professional up to now, sorting out everything from different kids mealtimes to private transfers with child and baby seats, communication has been first class, and just hoping the trip lives up the the build up.

Good luck with your search.

A snowHead

If you are looking for the traditional chalet, which is also located halfway up the slopes, check http://skichalet.org - this is an exclusive B&B (no other guests other than your own group) catered for up to 8 persons.

Crème de Chalet: http://skichalet.org

The chalet was built in 1695... now 2 ski slopes run through the garden.

A snowHead

If you're looking at chalets specifically for families it may be worth trying a family specialist ... such as Ski Famille. We do have ski in/out properties (all in Les Gets at the moment but watch this space) and I'd try and ensure we looked after you as well as Xavier obviously has! He will love that free advertising. Smile

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Thanks to all for replies. Not one for using tour operators in the main. Have made an exception for Peak Retreats recently though.
Like the idea of a Ski slope through the Garden.
Thanks to neilkav for the Sainte foy recommendation. - does sound good.

Still any specific Austrain recommendations , by Chalet name would be welcome.

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twoodwar,
No recommendations because I have not been to a chalet for many years but St Anton always used to have quite a few chalets. Went to one years ago that was pretty good.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Been to chalets in France and Austria and only ever via a TO. They're great for me since they are a bit more sociable than a hotel where I often end up sitting to eat my meals alone, but there are frequently children so that's a bit of a minus point. Don't get me wrong I don't hate kids but they are rather noisy. Never had any complaints regarding food or chalet staff. Maybe I'm easily pleased... Very Happy

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twoodwar,

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

twoodwar,

After all it is free

flying planet, a sweeping statement of complete tosh.

I'm sure you can opt for a plain catered chalet or a 'luxury chalet holiday experience of a lifetime'. I've done the former a few times in a group of 6-8 30 to 40 somethings in France and Austria and this is how it normally goes.

Some random T.O. transfer coach fiasco in pick-up and resort delivery. No problem, we're used to it and expect it, almost disappointed now if we don't get it. Toofy Grin

Arrive, get lift passes and skis for those who need. Eat, beers, sleep. Next day, all keen skiers, we get up, eat breakfast with a group of strangers (who by the end of the week it turns out someone in our own group and the stranger group invariably has a first or second person connection) and go skiing. After a few apres ski beers, we come back, eat a bit of cake, fall asleep for a while and stroll in for the evening meal. Usually there's plenty to eat and there's wine thrown in, food and wine is OK, never spectacular but we're on a skiing holiday, not a gastronomical and vintage wine sampling trip. A few energetic ones go out for some more beers but most of us go to bed by 10.30.

Repeat daily. Some time during the week, the staff have their designated day off and we have cold breakfast instead of a cooked one that morning and need to pay for a meal out that evening.

The accommodation has always been perfectly adequate, roomy enough, clean and warm. The strangers and staff have usually been pretty good ... me and my bro had some Fawlty Towers moments at a Crystal chalet a few years back when just the two of us joined a large chalet in L2A. Some pissed Welsh valley girls bumbled into the unlockable rooms at 4.00 a.m. and one of the staff hosts fell asleep in the lounge several mornings on returning after his nights out. Not a problem but can imagine that some people might have got the hump with that kind of thing, particularly if they'd paid full price and couldn't remember being young.

All told, it's a good alternative to hotels or self catering. If you don't pay for it, don't go expecting 'luxuries'. Go in a large enough group that you make up a good third to half of the guests. Choose your group carefully so you don't have whingers amongst you ... there's nothing nice about putting up with someone whining about the wine. It's offered for free and if they don't like it, shouldn't drink it but sometimes there's no pleasing a whinger. Like everywhere else, choose a place near enough to walk to a ski lift or with a bus stop outside.

I don't suppose I will ever get to stay in the 'luxury chalet holiday experience of a lifetime'. I want plenty of skiing for my money so paying two or three times the price for a Michelin chef and a vintage wine and sacrificing a half to two thirds of the skiing is pointless IMO.

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twoodwar, We offer catered chalets but in all cases, they are independent properties, run by the owners who also cook, host and look after the guests themselves, perhaps with some help. The 'help' is usually people in their mid-late 20s, with a bit of related experience, rather than the 18 year olds that often staff TO chalets and CAN be enthusiastic, efficient, and enhance your holiday, but can just as easily be hopeless (I've experienced both), running the chalet as if it's their college common room. The owners don't want to risk their reputation and future bookings by going down the latter route.

The difference between owner-run independent chalets and TO operated ones can be huge. The owners have, in most cases, made a decision to create and live a new life for themselves and their families, uprooting and starting from scratch. It's in their interests to make sure it goes well and that guests have a good time, and then tell others. It also gives them the satisfaction of a job well done, that their decision was the right one, so that they can continue living in the gorgeous place that is now home.

I've stayed in most of the chalets we offer or at least visited them, and know that, regardless of my job, I wouldn't ever book a TO chalet holiday again. I'd always look for the independently owned and run place, knowing that the service, food and experience is likely to be excellent. I may be anti-social but I prefer sole occupancy, as our group is never less than 8 - for twoodwar, a group of 12 would also be able to fill many chalets and that does give you the opportunity for some elements of 'tailoring' with an independent. The other bonus of course is that the owners have great flexibility in what they offer, what they charge, they can do a last minute Tuesday to Tuesday because of your flights, or a long weekend - these are all factors that few if any of the mainstream TOs can manage.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Regarding Anniepen's points on the benefits of the chalet holidays that are referred to, I am convinced they are quite correct. The experience will be more 'personal' and less likely to disappoint the disappointable and the picture I painted in my post two up above reflects the same T.O. experience, warts and all.

Where / how else though could you book a group of 8 into amenable surroundings, in a top resort in France or Austria, in a peak school holiday week with food, lodgings, flights and transfers for around say £4,000 for the lot of you and invariably at pretty short notice too. If I'm wrong and an independent can offer anything even remotely close to that price for Easter week 1, I'd be interested in pushing our money that way as paying for a bit of 'extra value' isn't out of the question. I'd say again though that if that 'extra value' costs so much more that we need to sacrifice another weeks skiing then that value is lost.

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we never had an experience as poor as described above by moffatross (chalet hosts crashed on sofa etc) but that description of a low-budget catered chalet is a good one and particularly identifies the kind of moaner who ought not to take one. The independent chalets described by Anniepen do sound a cut above - we stayed in one in Les Houches some years ago which was excellent and did flexible-day stays (which is why we chose it, as we didn't have a week).

The other guests in the chalets we went to were generall a bonus - the kids, as teenagers, particularly enjoyed having other people around. My nephew met a girl to whom he became engaged 7 years later when their holiday romance "took off" after the holiday. I much enjoyed meeting people who I would probably never encounter in everyday life - you can get to know people much more than you would in a hotel, because of sharing the evening meal. There was one moaner - a single man who came with a married couple, and had opted to share a room with a stranger. The three of them were somewhat up themselves and the single man was pathetic. He was delighted that his "roomie" had failed to turn up, but then sulked like a spoilt brat when, having arrived at 2 am and slept on the sofa so as not to disturb his roommate, the newcomer did expect to share the room for the rest of the week. They just kept themselves to themselves, and shared a table for 3. The rest of us got to know each other, drank rather too much of the "free wine" and had far more fun. I met some interesting people, had lots of interesting conversations and was recommended a book ("Birdsong") which I subsequently greatly enjoyed. We also liked having some more varied groups to ski with, given different standards within the family.

But yes - it isn't for everybody. It isn't for the sort of person who gets on a short-haul flight to a ski destination and feels hard done by if they can't sit right next to their very bestest friend (or expects other people to move, so that they can). rolling eyes

pam w, I couldn't agree more and as I said, the experience you referred to in my post didn't bother us one bit but being the exception rather than the rule was why I remember it. The kind of person that would take serious exception should probably go independent as they would probably be moaning about something in my package chalet even if that exception didn't happen. Wink

As you say, the chat around breakfast and evening meal is a part of the whole deal and gets you close enough that we usually end up spending a day or two skiing together and the energetic ones going out for apres too.

I think all told, the T.O.'s put together a great 'catered chalet' package.

You know it makes sense.

so far this season I've done eight weeks in a catered chalet (yes I know the season is ten weeks old we've been empty for two weeks)... from my perspective (that of an owner/operator);

some of the worst weeks are those where the chalet has been sole occupancy by a single family........... they don't seem to have that much to say to each other, a little banter about their days skiing mainly aimed at the dad falling over and then it's quite quiet.

The best weeks have been where we've had a chalet full of people who don't know each other, either with or without children!!

The 1st night is a bit quiet until the wine starts to flow..... (so champagne served with tea then!! Laughing

) as everyone gets to know each other, it's almost formal sometimes...

The 2nd evening everyone has a story from the slopes to tell, they've had breakfast together so all the makeup is off, they've all got a shared experience (ie the resort) and generally the mood lifts.

This only gets better and better as the weeks go on... culminating in a "gala type dinner" on the last night...

This season we've had bookings from a group who last season came not knowing each other and this season have booked the same week en masse!!

As Anniepen, said owner/operator chalets might not be as cheap as TO catered chalets, we all know the bargains out there £199 all inclusive Val D'Isere we just can't/won't compete, and most would rather have a week off than go that low............ to give you some idea £199 would not cover the cost of the food, wine & Transfers..... we don't serve top quality wine, but we do serve wine that we would like to drink and most of the cooks in the couple will have been on cookery courses to perfect their recipes..... it won't be cordon bleure all the time but the quality will usually be better than you cook at home.............to give you some idea as I'm sitting here typing this I can se Mrs M making Profiteroles, sticky toffee puddings, creme brulees, meringues, Lemon tart and coffee panacottas with biscotti for next week.........................

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

catered chalet is my favourite way to go away(and i do agree, much harder to find outside of france). yseski are highly recommended, ski amis are pretty good too. aj xx

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

twoodwar, Stayed in a Silver Ski chalet in La Plagne a few years ago. It was ski in/ski out and was not in Austria Very Happy

Chalet was great - 17 of us (adults and kids). I would recommend them as a company.

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alex_heney,

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

alex_heney,

You'll need to Register first of course.

Frosty the Snowman,

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

ski kimberley, your maths, rates, and figures are wrong... And some of your statements.

After all it is free

this thread is supposed to be about the pros and cons of catered chalets - not the old "yerp versus the US" arguments.

ski kimberley, tissues ? Puzzled

I've not had anyone offer me tissues before going up a lift in the USA and I don't get the upside man. I mean, what do you expect us to be doing on a ski lift tha we need Kleenex for. Shocked

What I do remember about my USA trips though is it's a very long plane flight, there're freakin' McDonald's smiles everywhere (at least in Euroland they're honestly miserable) and most of the European queue pushing I've ever come across is wee kiddies in racing vests in Scotland at the weekends. Smile

IIRC too, Brits are insured in Yoorope as member states for hospital care and repatriation etc but our EHICS doesn't extend to the States.

When it comes down to the bare bones truth though, I would love to ski more in the USA but you cost too much and God knows I spend enough time searching for the best deals. Wink

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