 Poster: A snowHead
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Has anyone heard about the French attempt to reclassify chalets sleeping more than 16 guests, as hotels?
This would lead to a potential nightmare to chalet companies & owners, I imagine, as they would have to be manned 24hrs a day & have a different licence. I was just wondering if anyone has heard anything?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Whatever you do, if this is true, make sure that you do not sleep more than 16 guests. The French tried something similar around 5 years ago, after the fires in multi-occupancy accommodation in Paris. (then the fire in the Novotel in Chamonix), and one somewhere else too.
There was a purge on chalets, and if you had more than 5 bedrooms you had to fit hotel-standard fire alarm system and detectors. Fire doors, Fire extingushers, have an annual check by the authorities etc. etc. 10-15k of expense!
Just seems like another form of French 'lets tax and cost Les Anglais!).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Chamexpress,
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Just seems like another form of French 'lets tax and cost Les Anglais!).
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Nope just sensible fire precautions the same as in the UK. If you have been a building that's on fire you would understand........
Presumably you have all the safety facilities available to protect your customers in your taxi business. Why shouldn't holiday accommodation providers?
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Wed 9-02-11 14:55; edited 1 time in total
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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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Surely this is a good thing? Admittedly my experience of chalets is limited but I have found the lack of facilities and privacy a big disincentive to staying in a chalet as opposed to a hotel, especially when the prices are very comparable.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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genepi, I am not sure that there has to be 24-hour manning (or womanning) of hotels anywhere.
Boredsurfing, quite.
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the lack of facilities and privacy a big disincentive to staying in a chalet
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The problem with any statement about "chalets" is that they tend to ignore the enormous range of chalets which exist. Many people stay in chalets precisely because the facilities and privacy are streets ahead of anything in most hotels. What could be more private than ensuring that no nasty strangers would be sharing your spa facilities or dining room? People don't make such sweeping statements about "hotels" - it's more obvious that there are cheap and nasty and dirty and smelly hotels or other establishments where you live in the lap of luxury with bowing flunkeys at every turn.
My son, who is doing a Ph D in Italy at the moment, has been persuaded away from his computer to do a week's cooking in a chalet in Courchevel at half term. He will be paid 1200 euros plus board, ski hire, etc etc. There will be no shortage of privacy and facilities in that chalet, I'm sure. 
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achilles, 24 hour manning (or at least overnight) is at minimum required by insurance companies and usually fire regs.
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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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Boredsurfing, Aha, thanks. I have stayed at hotels where the reception was not manned in the (late) evenings - though some staff member may well have been on premises.
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achilles, The current English ratings require all 3 star and above hotels to have reception constantly 'attended' between 07:00 and 24:00, in between times, at minimum, a night porter must be available.
Ironically under the working time regs, the midnight finish means that the same person cannot have an 07:00 start as the rest period is too short!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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pam w, sorry, probably a bit of a sweeping generalisation from me. My experience of chalets is limited but I distinctly remember rooms with no ensuite or televisions or somewhere to sit other than the bed, hence the lack of privacy. I also stayed in one where the rooms didn't have locking doors, and was told this was normal for a chalet! Maybe I just stayed in the really low end of the market chalets!
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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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pam w, definitely very different to my chalet experiences!
I guess what I wasn't so keen on is that a chalet felt more like a shared house, which is fine if the other people in the chalet are well behaved, but you could be stuck with a load of drunken chavs with screaming kids. With thin walls, shared bathrooms, shared living area and shared tables for meals, this would not feel much like a relaxing holiday. At least in a hotel, you can go to your room and lock the door!
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You know it makes sense.
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queen bodecia, it is very common for chalet bedrooms to not be locked. I checked out some booking conditions the other day, and it did state that doors had no keys etc. Many of them belong to private owners and are leased from them by the chalet companies. I'm not a big fan either, but suspect the whole thing was meant for a single party to share the chalet not a bunch of individuals.
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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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i jut stayed at a small chaet in la plagne. No keys or lock to the doors, didn't bother me. Had my lap top in the room etc... I was kind of hoping that thegirl in the next room would come and take advantage of us in the night.... but ho hum, never happened!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've stayed at lots of chalets (low end not posh) but always had en-suite. Wouldn't have booked otherwise. Never had a telly though. Never had locks on door either but as I always shared with OH, it didn't bother me. I guess if I was on my own like queen bodecia, I may have felt differently. Definitely prefer hotels now as food/hot water more reliable but have had good times in chalets in the past.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I much prefer chalets, much more freindly and social than hotels, for the same money, I'd rather stay in a lower end chalet than a 5* hotel, not that I've ever had enough money to do more than look through the window of a 5* hotel!.
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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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pam w,
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My son, who is doing a Ph D in Italy at the moment, has been persuaded away from his computer to do a week's cooking in a chalet in Courchevel at half term. He will be paid 1200 euros plus board, ski hire, etc etc. There will be no shortage of privacy and facilities in that chalet, I'm sure. wink
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Nice gig for your lad 
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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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Nice gig for your lad
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yes, but he did say that given the number of hours he'd been working, it wasn't THAT well paid. He won't be able to knock up a big pot of spag bol then go off snowboarding all day. But he loves cooking, and it'll be a change from computational neuroscience. He'll get a lot of job satisfaction if the clients (and therefore the staffing agency he works for) are happy. He did say he might treat himself to a new snowboard, his existing one having been bought ex-hire in Brighton for £50 6 years ago.
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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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To be a Chambre d'Hote in France you have to have less than 5 bedrooms, and sleep 15 people or less. Perhaps they are simply trying to bring UK-operated chalets within French law?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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pam w, in my experience as a sous, having done private and chalet catering, your son should be able to get quite a good stint on the slopes...
It's all about the planning and if he does not mind early starts, morning preparation for the evening meal ensures plenty of time.
Of course I do not know if he has to help out around the chalet also which would definately cut into his time.
My schedule... and I am sure the TO will have a schedule also. It all depends on how demanding the chalet crowd are, but I find that if I stick to the below plan, it is only getting additional ingredients which will tend to bite into my free time. Below is based on being soley a Chef and your chalet hands will manage all the rest. I also never compromise on getting additional ingredients, yes, I have to get them.
Eve before
After mains and desert cooked start planning breakfast and afternoon tea. Check you have all ingredients, especially for evening meal.
06:30am in the kitchen prepping breakfast (eg laying out everything to hand eggs, bacon, bread, flour, sugar, salt, etc... as breakfast can be adhoc. If planned what there is each day for hot breakfast, even easier)
07:00 Chalet hands should shortly be on hand (07:00-07:30) to lay table etc...
07:00am start afternoon tea cake etc...
07:30am baking in oven
07:30am start prepping vegetables and other time consuming activities for evening meal
08:00am Guests should normally be arriving for breakfast (this point can move dependant on guests and hence what comes before moves with it)
08:10am Chalet hands should have taken breakfast orders for hot breakfast (if many, it is important to get orders in asap)
08:10am-09:00am Cooking breakfast (not forgetting the baking)
09:30am last of breakfast and kitchen/cooker cleaning (should already be quite clean as any good chef cleans as they go along)
10:00am Advise Chalet hands of cake and other baking to be laid out when they leave, or if guests have already gone do yourself
10:15am Go buy missing ingredients and or free slope time.
eg a good 5 hours
16:00hrs Leave slope, have shower and go to Chalet.
16:30-45hrs at the latest at Chalet and dependant on if Children meals are required.
17:00hrs start prepping and cooking evening meal (canapes, starter, soup, main, desert, cheese board)
erm sorry for the off topic and hijack! 
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they would have to be manned 24hrs a day & have a different licence
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Why? I've stayed in plenty of 2* hotels which aren't staffed 24/7. And the type of licence you have relates to your habits regarding the sale of booze, not whether or not you're a hotel.
The difference will be in the fire regulations (ie there will have to be some). As Hells Bells, says, they would appear to be applying the law regarding hotels/chambres d'hôtes to catered chalets. This sounds more than sensible to me, as I'm in broadly in favour of not being burnt to death in my bed.
The catered chalet is a hallmark of the British tour op industry, which is notoriously John Wayne across the board. No doubt they will yelp about it, but I can't really see that they have a leg to stand on in objecting to having to stick to the same guest safety rules as everyone else.
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michaelminhatkinson, there's no TO - not that sort of job.
He's done the job before - for two seasons, working for the same agent (he originally got a job with Mark Warner but found them so cr@p that he jacked in the job after 1 week and went free-lance). That's how he got head-hunted for this one. Problem with this one is that he has no "run in" time for any preparation, has no idea what sort of junk might be in the freezers, doesn't know the equipment. Especially as snow conditions look likely to be pretty shocking he will probably prefer to take his time getting it really right and enjoying the work rather than being in a frantic panic.
There's little prospect of his having to do any other "helping out" round the chalet! Though I suppose he might if the chalet hostess was really cute and asked nicely.
I wonder if the new regulations would be different for that sort of "chalet" where one party rents a big house - just like people in the UK who rent a big house for a family party? As opposed to a TO selling rooms, which is much more like a hotel. Could certainly lead to some major shake up in the way the sector works. One of the places he worked was just a private chalet, owned by a Parisian banker - a large private house, essentially, though with lots of bedrooms so they could invite their friends. Certainly slept more than 16 - I had a look round it; unbelievable! How the other .0001% live. Presumably the law wouldn't affect them at all.
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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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Lizzard, I wonder for how much longer Uk tour ops will get away with employing staff on the pitiful wages and Uk contract?
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Hells Bells, well, the TOs can always contact nixmap for advice if French law tightens up.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hells Bells, until everyone else gets tired of illegals undercutting their wages bill? Or someone with enough money sues them? To be honest, I predict that they will just carry on getting away with it.
I was told last week that TUI's bar staff in 2Alpes are on about 300€ a month and not even getting lift passes. 
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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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| Lizzard wrote: |
Hells Bells, until everyone else gets tired of illegals undercutting their wages bill? Or someone with enough money sues them? To be honest, I predict that they will just carry on getting away with it.
I was told last week that TUI's bar staff in 2Alpes are on about 300€ a month and not even getting lift passes. |
Seems ok, It all depends on the work load. If the Bar is only open 6 - 11 and theres not many people, you get free accom and free drinks whats the betting you save more on having to buy a ski pass than the alchohol you consume.
How much is a beer in the french Alps now?
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How much is a beer in the french Alps now?
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in our local, £4.38 (at current woeful euro exchange rate) for a large beer. How much is it in your local?
I don't have much bar work experience but even as a volunteer in the Sailing Club bar (paid zilch) we most definitely do NOT get free drinks. We pay for our own.
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You know it makes sense.
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nixmap, this is a public bar, open mid afternoon until 2am, staff working 40 hours a week. If they drank the stock they'd get fired. TOs don't do fun part-time hobby jobs.
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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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| Lizzard wrote: |
| nixmap, 40 hours a week. TOs don't do fun part-time hobby jobs. |
Ouch, Thats a tough gig
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pam w wrote: |
in our local, £4.38 (at current woeful euro exchange rate) for a large beer. How much is it in your local?
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Honestly I have no idea. I make my own.
Probably not that much though.
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FAQ
That was a nice easy week of cooking, especially as they were aristocratic (so had much better manners than the internet millionaires;-) ), loved the food and left big tips!
