Luxury upgrades on chalet holidays - advice wanted

A snowHead

Hi all,

After a number of years in the industry, I'm in the process of setting up a company on my own called Ice and Fire - have a look at the website www.ice-fire.co.uk.

I posted on here a little while ago to ask for some advice on the draft website, and the feedback was really helpful. One thing which came out of the things which everyone posted was that the luxury upgrades could do with some work. So, I'm planning on completely re-writing this page but first I need to decide on the contents and was hoping that some of you would be able to give me some suggestions.

Basically I am looking to put together a list of chalet-based things which would make a real difference to the holiday, and which you would feel were worth paying for seperately from the holiday itself. They need to be things which would really improve your trip, but feasible to offer in the alpes in winter. Suggestions which I've got at the moment are:

- a mid week towel change
- an upgrade wine list, including bottles of champagne
- in-chalet massage

Any and all thoughts and suggestions welcome - please be gentle wink

Many thanks,
Heather

A snowHead

Ive looked at your existing luxury upgrade page and I don't think a bowl of fruit, chocolate bars, mid week linen change etc are luxury upgrades. IMO it would be much better to include these items as standard.

OK an additional cost but can you put a value on the personal touch?

I'd agree that a packed lunch should be an extra but even that isn't a luxury upgrade.

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

Your website looks simple and clear but takes ages to load on the connection I have right now (around 1mb).

Chocolate, fruit and the towel change aren't really luxuries to me...

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Hi,

Thanks for the replies - I completely agree which is why I'm keen to make some changes to what I'm offering and update the page.

What luxury items would you suggest instead?

Many thanks,

Heather

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Hot and cold running chambermaids, the rest will fall into place

You'll need to Register first of course.

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

Snow and Sunshine,

Your on a tough sell with added luxury packages, I think, if you do to much then people will think that your normal service is below par Shocked

I can see from your SH, not chalet, location you have a couple of models to look at. The more upmakeket operator in Foy does not offer to much lux upgrade!.

Maybe if people were booking the whole chalet then you could look at standard upgrades to the food package, with addition of better wine or specific wines per course, and also an extra course! by doing it this way people think that your service is great anyways.

Also not wanting to spill the beans but the costs of lets say champagne and an extra course is pretty small.

PS Little snowshepherd worked a season there a few years a ago, so I know the costings per head LOL rolling eyes

best of luck as before

After all it is free

Hey,

Thanks for the reply - my SH location is a bit misleading I'm afraid as I'm moving from working in Sainte Foy to Les Coches (where the Ice and Fire chalet is) at the end of the summer - sorry for the confusion!

I completely agree about not doing too many upgrades - don't want anyone to think that the service is below par to start with! Ideally I'd like to choose a selection of 6 or 8 really luxury items that people would want to book which aren't traditionally included in a chalet holiday and have them as the upgrades - ie things like the massage etc.

Any more suggestions anyone?

Many thanks for the wishes,

Heather

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

fatbob, many thanks for the comments - wasn't quite intending that sort of massage but I'll have to be careful how I phrase it! wink

Many thanks all of you for your suggestions - it's so difficult to look at your own work objectively for things like this.

Does anyone have any suggestions of luxury upgrades which clients would like? Ideally I'm looking for things like massages which clients could pay for themselves to make a nice addition to their holiday but which aren't dependant on the whole group wanting . .. . . not easy I know!

Thoughts and ideas?

Best wishes,
Heather

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Don't offer any of them as luxury upgrades, You want your guests to assume that they are getting the 'best' when they book, not that they have to pay for it, and that a basic package is inferior. Massages could be offered on arrival (although you could metion it on your website) , you could also offer pre-booked champagne for special occasions, and possibly a packed lunch, everything else should be included. The wine list could be available in the chalet should guests wish to choose different wines, but your 'house' wine should be decent anyway. Skip the midweek linen change, but maybe include a midweek towel change.

snow reports

Snow and Sunshine,

livetoski,

Thanks for the reply and the suggestions. Love the idea of a heli transfer!

You know it makes sense.

Hi, nice simple site, however I would add in some pictures of the rooms and bathrooms, personally I have never taken advantage of any luxury upgrades, I couldn't see my self sitting down to dinner when everyone is drinking the house wine, with something better. We have only ever stayed in catered chalets and a few have offers some upgrades, one guest did have some special cheese, which alienated him form the rest of the chalet, but that could have been us being precious.

You could argue that a mid week linen change is not very environmentally friendly ( we can now start a thread on how often you change your bed Very Happy

), with the other luxuries you could make a statement that if there is any thing special you require for your holiday you can provide it., then give a range of suggestions, Champagne on arrival, massage or physio at the end of the day.

The last chalet we stayed in had a bowl of fruit every day for the whole chalet, it was just oranges and apples but a nice touch.

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

If you do offer upgrades it should only be for people renting out the whole chalet.

A snowHead

I agree with the sentiments already made that having some "luxury" services coud make your standard service appear below par.

With that in mind, could you not instead offer other services from around resort? The in-chalet massage is one, but are there any other features which you could promote and therefore take a cut from? Things that our group have done before include: bobsleigh at La Plagne; parapenting; visit to natural spas; guiding and Vallee Blanche at Chamonix; that type of thing.

I can only speak personally but I have never taken any luxury upgrades at chalet holidays I've been on; all our group ever looks for is a clean and comfortable living space with hearty and homely meals. I'm really not bothered about champagne, nice cheeses or whatever, though I do admit that wine upgrades have been done before by a few people I've been with. I know what I've suggested aren't luxury upgrades to the chalet service but by doing them you're providing the ease of arranging bookings and taxis for your guests, and taking a cut for yourself from the top.

A snowHead

Snow and Sunshine, Hi Sunshine, or are you Snow? To echo many sentiments here, you're either luxury to begin with or you're not. You have a very attractive chalet but it's not at the "luxury" end of the design scale. Have you asked yourself where you want your customers to come from and if they have the disposable income you'd like them to spend with you? Then you need to look at the competition for that quite small market.

You may well be better served by providing an 'above average' accommodation service as your standard and then offering more specialised sporting or convenience "options"

Upgrade is an inappropriate word to use in this circumstance . . . 'enhancement' may suit your goals. Very Happy

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

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Reindeer drawn sledge/wagon transport to the lifts each morning, engraved hipflask (their name/ date of holiday/ company logo/ location?) for each guest, filled with their choice of QUALITY whisky/schnapps/brandy/gluhwein/etc each morning, have skis serviced each night, personal midgit to shower you/clean feet at the end of the day (my gf's suggestion...), anti-odour treatment for ski boots each evening, clothes to be worn the next day are collected in the evening and then delivered toasty warm in the morning (including ski socks), hot water bottles in the bed each evening...

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Horse (or Reindeer) back snowball fights, with modified polo sticks to reach/grab the snow to make the snowballs.

You'll need to Register first of course.

If I had any money, I would DEFINITELY spend it on upgrading to thsoe things.

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

After all it is free

Personally, I would like to see the option of sports massage, after a few days it is always on my list to go and find somewhere to get a good rub down, but never actually get round to it and come back a bit more sore than I need to. Nobody would expect a normal chalet to include this.

Other things to consider are ski, boot, board hire, if people can prebook this through you many will (whether I think this is a good idea for customers is another thing) but could be a good extra to remove hassle - you'd need to be very explicit about what they were getting, the costs, and who is providing it.

If possible, allow people to pay for lift passes before they arrive is a good thing for both you and they - you get some extra cash in the account for a few weeks before you have to buy the passes, and also can buy them at the office at a quiet time instead of the same changeover morning that everyone is trying to get passes for.

You do need to be very careful about offering some upgrades, put yourself in the place of those who didn't upgrade to whatever offered, or make very clear to all those booking that they should check out the upgrades page for possible things they can add to their trip - you can't complain in most cases if you had the option and didn't take it.

Snow and Sunshine, having looked at your chalet plan on your web page, I'm sorry but I cannot even begin to see how you can call it luxury when the rooms are not en-suite.

If I were paying over the odds for a luxury chalet, I would not want to have to leave the comfort of my room to use a bathroom that could be used by others in the chalet. Even basic chalets have en-suite rooms these days.

Sorry if I have misread your site but that is certainly how the floor plan looked to me and perhaps why you do not include pictures of the rooms. If it is not the case then you definitely need to do something to improve the image, to make sure others do not make the same error.

rolling eyes

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Sue, while I agree with your sentiment that not offering en-suites can in no way be deemed as luxury, I think you're perhaps missing the point a little. The chalet is not being sold as luxury; the OP is simply asking for help on optional "luxury" extras that can be offered at a supplement.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

snow reports

The chalet is described as well appointed and with a sauna, large lounge / dining room, TV room, office area with free wifi, good quality white linen, towels and bath robes, large communal balcony and a private balcony for most rooms, piste side location and with all that it can be described as so. There are no en-suites but you know that when you book it, and that might put me off a bit for a week with strangers but not if I was in a big group booking it; there are eight/nine bathrooms so not that bad wink

I agree with pam w that the supplements should just be added extras rather than described as 'luxury' extras as it gives the wrong impression. I am sure there are other things that can be added like arranging the ski pass etc in advance too. The only thing I would want is a towel change and to be honest if I was there for a week I would expect that for free, especially as there is on-site laundry facilities - and perhaps laundry could be an added extra service too. In fact I would prefer the more practical items rather than the chocolate/champers etc

Not a clue how they did it, but in some of their more costly chalets Scott Dun used to (may still do) provide that day's UK newspapers at breakfast.

You know it makes sense.

I personally don't want luxury extras.

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

I have been to a fair few chalets and I get annoyed by fruit being decribed as a luxury upgrade, I crave fresh fruit when I go away and I like to be able to help myself from the main bowl. I don't drink that much wine, but I do like at least a piece of fresh fruit a day. I would find it very annoying to be told to pay for my fruit when the guy next to me is necking a bottle of wine every night.

I have chosen chalets on their provision of fruit.

I'm with the others. Don't offer luxury upgrades, it sounds like your initial product is poor. Offer a few extras, but don't make these basics that people in your market place may expect.

A snowHead

Wot Samberg Sue said. Plus I hate Flash, used like you have, in web sites. It adds nothing to the information, and on days like today when broadband is running slow for me, it's a pain.

A snowHead

As several people have said above, fresh fruit is not a luxury. In the UK there is lots of publicity advising five fruits (or portions of vegetables) per day. Some places advise even more. I have found chalet holidays and restaurant lunches make it difficult to get enough. So I have always bought more fruit at a resort supermarket.

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

Hubby has just reminded me that even in a basic package with Crystal, there was always a fruit bowl on the dresser.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Hells Bells, and with the cheap as chips Mountainsun chalet in Tignes

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

You'll need to Register first of course.

pam w, all of the Mountainsun Tignes rooms are ensuite shower/bath and only 1 room has a separate WC which is meant to be exclusively for that room (IIRC). You can also buy whatever wine you like if you don't want the house wine. They also have a sauna and an outdoor jaccuzi which means it's a nice package, but the accommodaiton is not of itself, luxurious. Oh, and you get a chocolate on your pillow the first night!

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

holidayloverxx, stop pimping for Joanne wink

Which reminds me, I need to book for the first week in Dec.

After all it is free

Masque, Merely an accurate observation of the facilities - I forgot to mention the free wi-fi and satellite TV with UK channels and bathrobes for the sauna and jacuzzi wink

holidayloverxx, hmmmmm. . . I don't recall you in a bathrobe Puzzled

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Masque, You've never seen me in Tignes Puzzled

Help!!

Luxury upgrades on chalet holidays - advice wanted

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste