 Poster: A snowHead
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It seems to be the first ski school that folks mention when you ask about ski schools in Flachau, but I can't find out on SH's search that anyone has yet posted a review of how they go on with them - if anyone does have any experience I'd be interested as I've just booked them up for next Feb. Also, if anyone has ever booked them online I'd be interested to know what you did to pay them as I was expecting an online payment method to put in credit card details and instead I've been sent an invoice and bank details. Heaven knows if I can initiate an overseas bank transfer from my online banking system and if I can I've no idea how much I'll have to pay for it. A pay online using a CC would have been so much easier!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 11-12-11 22:59; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The Hermann Maier? Surely worth a bit of hassle for a couple of lessons with the man 
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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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Megamum, I think Samerberg Sue knows about that ski school. If she doesn't see this thread and post on it soon you could send her a PM.
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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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Megamum, It will probably cost you £25 quid to transfere money to an Austrian bank , so best to call them and sort out paying cash when you get there, the Austrians love a bit of cash
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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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Megamum, Also think another Snowhead has a place in flachau , but can't remember who ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Colin B, Yes, The Hermann Maier - however, the ski school shot shows about 20 potential instructors so I think we'll be very lucky even to get his brother who I think teaches. I have my doubts that the great man himself actually does any teaching, but I guess he might occasionally frequent the office. Mind you that name is very alluring - him and Klammer are the ones I have fond memories of watching ski sunday when I was a teenager.
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Megamum, if you decide to book Hermann Maier ski school (I am for my niece at Easter) then I will be happy to pay the euros for you and you can send me £s, no extra charge
BTW the original Herman is his dad....
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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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holidayloverxx, I have sent you an email to the Hotmail address - Many thanks 
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Megamum, cool. will look at it this eveining
have had a quick look - no problem, will reply tonight with a plan.....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Samerberg Sue, Thanks for the information. We will all have our own kit - skis and boots sorted (don't tell the kids that though as F. Christmas is delivering skis this year) so we don't need to faff around with ski hire. I have already used the online booking form (did it last night) and we have 2 x 2hr private instruction booked for Monday morning (all four of us will ski - the kids with one instructors and us grups with the other) and 1 X 2hr private instruction booked on the Wednesday morning for the kids. Ms Maier has emailed to say we can have a few days to sort out the bank transfer and holidayloverxx, already has an email so I am hopeful we can sort things out.
Actually Samerberg Sue, you will have noticed grups (plural) above, I don't think I have got around to emailing to tell you that I am no longer having to do this single handed. FraserP has decided that Austria is long overdue his visit and he will be coming along with me.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Mon 12-12-11 19:11; edited 1 time in total
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| Megamum wrote: |
| Samerberg Sue, Actually Samerberg Sue, you will have noticed grups (plural) above, I don't think I have got around to emailing to tell you that I am no longer having to do this single handed. FraserP has decided that Austria is long overdue his visit and he we will be coming along with me. |
Seeing as how minimum_2 likes to order the beer for FraserP it's just as well I told him at your BBQ how to order a large beer in German then!
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You know it makes sense.
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DON'T USE HERMANN MAIER SKI SCHOOL - THEY ARE USELESS!!!!
I was in Flachau with a group over Christmas. Great snow, great facilities, great runs etc. Rubbish ski school. Use one of the others. Sportamjet have a school at the bottom of the main lift. People I spoke to there said they seemed to be OK.
I booked with Hermann Maier 2 months in advance and paid a month in advance by bank transfer. Now looking for a partial refund - No chance.
I booked 2 intermediate children, 1 intermediate adult and 2 adult beginers. They were such a shambles we all missed our first day of lessons completly. Day 2 the childern missed half of the lesson because they didn't have an instructor but when they got one she was good. The adult intermediate missed completly because they didn't have an instructor and the 2 beginers got and hour of learning how to put your skis on and how to get up a lift. Day 3 the children got a different instructor who was useless and just said follow me. No teaching at all. Then they were dumped in a cafe after an hour and a half. The adult intermediate got no lesson because they had no class for her to join. The 2 beginers were sent from one area to another before getting 45 minutes of snow plough. Day 4 the children got another instructor. Very good and actually taught them something. The adult intermediate got no lesson - again. The beginers got no lesson. No-one knew where the were supposed to be! Day 5 the children got another instructor who spoke no English and just skied down to a cafe and dumped them there after an hour. The adult intermediate got a 40 minute one on one lesson with a guy that just said follow me - and then dropped her off in a cafe! The beginers got a decent lesson for and hour and a half and then were left at the side of the hill....
All in all it was a total shambles. They were polite but uselss. Alex and Mona run the school with the help of some instructors and some people who wear red suits and hang about on the snow. Hermann would never show his face at this fiasco!!!
RUBBISH. USELESS. DO NOT USE THEM.
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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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JockwithaJ, you should have started your complaint process on the first day and not accepted any of this. I've been into the main office and organised many groups there with no problem whatsoever. As for accepting this all the way through and then coming on here to catalogue your woes to denigrate the school, it is called doing a Pandora here! Mona does speak excellent English and will do her level best to sort out problems as they arise.
As stated earlier in the thread the Hermann Maier in the school's name is Hermann Maier senior, not the son. Hermann Maier Junior is not instructing and has a very busy career in the media. Although he is a fully qualified ski instructor, he currently has no need to practise as he very much in demand as a commentator and expert for sports shows, etc., on Austrian TV.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Samberg Sue, I did start start my complaint on day 1, and continued it on day 2,3,4 & 5. You are right, Mona speaks very good English, as does Alex and Karin. Not that it made any difference. I am not doing a Pandora.... I am answering a question that someone has asked about this ski school. I am giving a honest answer to their question. The school was rubbish and should be avoided. There are plenty of other ski schools available in Flachau. Why take a chance because someone is living off the name of a famous family member. They normally have 15 instructors working with them. At busy periods this climbs to 50. Where do you think these instructors come from? You can be sure that the decent ones are wating for a call. They will be away with another ski school.
If you can tell me what you are supposed to do when you have paid up front for ski lessons and equipment and they refuse a refund stating they will sort it out as the week progresses, what should you do?????? Go to another ski school and write off a few hunderd euros?
Not a Pandora, but a straight answer to a question. If this isn't what this forum is for, then what is it for?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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JockwithaJ, The Hermann Maier Ski School has been called that for over 25 years, which is a wee bit before Junior became a household name in skiing circles.
I think you need to step back and think again about how you condemn a complete school and all it's instructors. You had a poor experience. What you describe is a poor experience. I on the other hand have been using the school for considerably longer than one week and have never had a bad experience that was not sorted out to everyone's satisfaction.
Doing a Pandora is registering a name (original or a sock) and proceeding to lambast an entity for perceived poor service. We only have your side and account, the ski school may offer an alternative story about chaotic clients for example! Purely hypothetical of course.
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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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Samerberg Sue, Yes I have only had the joy of dealing with Hermann Maier for a week, and that was too much. I did actually deal with them about 18 years ago, but they were organised back then. I have been skiing in Austria for 22 years now. I have a very good friend who moved there as a ski instructor. He worked in a number of resorts in Austria for 18 seasons and has extensive experience in the workings of ski schools accross Austria. He did get involved in the shambles that was HM, and couldn't sort it out. They don't have the office back-up to cope with the 50 instructors at peak time (from Monas own admission). I have experinece in orgainsing group trips for around 30 people at a time. Yes small by most standards, but I know how to do it. I have taken groups to France, Switzerland, Italy, Andora, the UK and Austria. I have organised hotels, lift passes, transport, equipment and ski school - The works. This is the worst experience I have had in more than 20 years skiing accross Europe. If you want glowing reports I can give you them for St Anton, Engelberg, Morzine, the Postalm, Zell, and another 40 or more resorts accross Europe. My emails to HM were exact and precise with our dates and requirements. I am well aware that Christmas is a busy time, hence my early planning and booking - and payment! If they can't cope with the booking they shouldn't take it.
I am only replying to the post to answer the question. "Does anyone have any experience of HM" Yes I do and they were rubbish. Call it a Pandora or anything else you want to, but that is what this forum is about. Ask a question and get an honest answer. You might not like the answer....
Stay in the Champs Fleuris in Morzine - Fantastic.
Stay in the Hotel Mozart in Salburg - Fantastic.
Stay in the Edelweiss in Kitzbuhel - Fantastic.
Don't use HM ski school - Rubbish.
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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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We have already booked and paid with them for 1/2 term. I hope we have a better experience than JockwithaJ. I WILL post back with an accurate report of how we find them.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Megamum, I hope you have a great experience with Hermann Maier, I really do. I have no vested interest here. I understand that a ski holiday is expensive (really expensive when you include the children) and a treat. We all want it to go to plan, and when it doesn't it is a real pain. You asked if anyone had experience of HM. I do and it was a very poor experience. If I can help someone else avoid the problems I had, then so much the better. Now you have booked, I can only offer some advice that will hopefully help you avoid some of the potential pitfalls. Flachau is a great ski area with great facilities and nice people. It is an expensive ticket, but if you venture to some of the other areas covered with the ticket it is probably decent value. If you are staying in Flachau, get to the lift early. The main gondola at 8ter jet can get very busy. If you can, get to the ski school office the day before your lessons start so can can collect your token. Better that than standing in a crowd of people looking for their token and waiting for an hour. Remeber it is a 20 minute ride up the lift to the meeting point. Add to this a potential queue, and you need to be on the lift as quickly as possible. If you are not staying in Flachau, consider starting off at P3 which is the SpaceJet lift. Take Space jet 1 then space jet 2 (1 finsihes beside 2 - very easy change) and this gives you a gentle 400m blue run accross to the top of the 8ter jet gondola and the HM ski school meeting point. It is a much quicker and quieter route to the meeting point. It can save you more than 45 minutes on a busy day, and 5-10 minutes on a normal day. Get to the meeting point early. Be there if you can for 9:45. Get your instructor and get sorted before 10:00. If you can, make sure you get the same instructor each day. It makes such a difference. If you are having beginers lessons, make sure you know where you should be every morning and get the name of the person who tells you this. The lessons can move between Spacejet and 8ter jet area at the bottom of the mountain for beginers. I honestly hope you enjoy your holiday and that the ski school works well for you. It was the first bad ski school experience I have had and I only want people to learn from my experience. That is what a forum is about. Sharing information and advice. (both good and bad). I have had numerous conversations and emails with Mona and Alex. They are both nice people who speak very good English, but an offer of free lessons next time I visit doesn't help the group who have paid for lessons they never received. Anyway - Good luck, I hope you enjoy your holiday and have a great experience. I will be watching with interest at your future posts...
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| JockwithaJ wrote: |
| If you can, make sure you get the same instructor each day. It makes such a difference. |
Don't have anything to add to this thread, but isn't it standard practice to get the same instructor every day if you book a week's ski school? Obviously circumstances can mean a change of instructor is necessary, but isn't that unusual?
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TBH I would just avoid Flachau at peak periods full stop!!
It is quickly becoming an overcrowded mountain, more and more every year.... when all you have to do is be 5 min away in either direction to have far fewer mountain users!
I have had guests using the HM school and had an excellent time (off-peak). I have also spoken to some people that have suggested very similar problems as JockwithaJ.
The area is famous for HM; everyone then assumes that the HM school is 'the best'. This then results in over-booking whicih the school just haven't learnt how to cope with yet... a very common Austrian problem!
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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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I would agree that Flachau is getting really busy. I did find that if you keep to the Spacejet side it is much quieter. Go to Spacejet 3 and you should have the best snow and the quietest slopes. Go to the cafe at the bottom of spacejet2/top of spacejet 1 for lunch. Best value and shortest queue. They have a non smoking area on the left and 2 other areas, plus the outside area. Go no smoking. Quieter and faster service.
Falchau is good, but if you can try Flachau Winkel. Excellent snow, nice runs and much quieter. Make the pass work for you.
As for having the same instructor every day, you would have thought that would be standard. Not with HM. The children got 3 different instructors in 4 days. 2 were very good and the other one was a joke. The same with the adult beginers. 3 different instructors in 4 days and a no show on the 4th.
ENJOY...
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We are actually booked for private lessons - the kids are having 2 X 2hrs with a private instructor and us adults are having one 2hr session with an instructor so I won't be able to comment on 'conventional group - weekly style' ski lessons, but I will be more than happy to comment on how we find these private sessions. We are already fully paid and already have our lesson tokens so hopefully that will simplify things - all we need to do is pop into the office and find out where we will meet our instructors.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Megamum, They told me you meet outside the ski school office which is near the entrance to the Achterjet.
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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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Megamum, Although your week is the British Half Term, it will not be as busy as Christmas or New Year's week. I do not envisage you having any problems what so ever. You have my numbers if there is any problem of any kind and I can be over in just about an hour when I'm not working in my office, to help you sort it out.
Look forward to a marvellous week in a fantastic ski area instead of worrying about what has already happened. Peak season always throws up a few hiccups. It just depends on your language skills and your attitude as to the outcomes, nothing is insurmountable if your approach is correct.
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You know it makes sense.
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Megamum, Good to hear you have private lessons. I wish I had known, I have some free one on one lessons from HM to use...! It will work a treat, hopefully. My German is enough to get bits and bobs, but my wife has fluent German. You wont need it. Mona, Alex and Karin (in the office) all have excellent English as do most of the instructors and all of the cafes etc. We all go into these things with a positive attitude and a willingness to make it work (partly because we have spent so much money, and because we are on holiday). Enjoy your holiday and Flachau. It is a really nice area. Try Filzmoos and Flachauwinkl if you can. Really worth the effort. Dont forget to visit the Spa and thermals. Enjoy
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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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JockwithaJ, I have also had some indifferent service from a ski school in peak times and it can be very frustrating. The ski school we used had previously given us great service.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Frosty the snowman, What frustrates me is when they admit to messing things up, missed lessons and providing a very poor service, but still refuse a refund. All I was offered were some free one on one lessons and a BIG discount when/if I go back. Not much use to the members of the group who were effected and probably wont go back again. I am sure there is a bad story about nearly every ski school. I have had great experiences in the main.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Megamum, you should have no problems with the language, most people speak English pretty well although, as ever, if you can say a few words in German that is always appreciated. I was in a self-service restaurant last week in the Flachau area and there was a group of English school kids there. I was squirming with embarassment at their rudeness in just demanding 'chips please' and complaining to themselves that they'd already said this blah de blah. I really wished I'd said to them, if you just say 'pommers bitter' (phonetic spelling) that is much more polite..... Although I was a bit taken aback when in a lunchtime restaurant where I'd managed to order/ask for bill etc in German - on the table next to us was a couple from Eastern Europe who didn't speak German & were speaking to the waiter in English. They wanted to know what the 'curd cheese' was in the strudel, the name of which I can't remember. The waiter turned to me and asked me in German to explain to them what the strudel was.....my German isn't that good to understand what he was going on about!
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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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cathy,
Topfen
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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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Just my opinion .....
The Austrians tend to give and put up with a lower standard of customer and public service to many other countries. e.g. Politicians, Police etc are able to get away with all sorts of things and still remain in office. Their response to bad service is to fob you off politely until you go away. Whenever possible don't pay upfront and if the service is bad make a firm stand. When they realize you are not going to go away quietly they normally come up with something.
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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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JockwithaJ, You seem like reasonable in your protest. Perhaps point them in this direction as the Ski Amade is getting good press on here and their name is being, justifiably by the sound of it, tarnished.
We skied most of the Flachau/Wagrain/ Alpendorf/ Kleinarl/Flachauwinkle/Zauchensee area between xmas and New Year and the run from the top of the mountain in Flachau to to the bottom of the Space Jet £ 8 man chair is the most frightened I have ever been on skis with huge numbers of nutters blasting everywhere. We got the lift back up and exited the area and dropped all the way down to the Rote8 base station which was fantastic beyond belief. The contrast between the 2 areas of the same mountain was quite staggering. The Wagrain side skiing was much quieter and the short trip up the valley to Kleinarl/Flachauwinkle was worth every second of the free 9 minute bus journey from Grafenberg.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I've been to Flachau 3 times already and going there again early March.
Hadn't tried the HM ski school - but had a good week with ski school sport am jet . On the other hand, two of my daughters had a miserable week with Fun & Pro after the instructor they had left after 2 days and was replaced by "Mr. Follow Me" (I took them away and got a refund), while the third had a very good week there with a young Dutch instructor.
All this leads to my conckusion, that it all depends who you get. I have to agree, that in general I got better instructors in France.
As for the resort itself: the front side is crowded and boring. the backside - Rote 8er and Flying Mozart - are great fun. So is Wagrain via Alpendorf and Zauchensee. If you come by car, make the 25-minutes effort ang go to Schladming.
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JockwithaJ, I hated the Champs Fleuris in Morzine. Quite the most dreadful hotel I have ever stayed in. Ghastly food, ghastly room and mediocre service. Why would ou recommend it?
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Erica2004, Sorry to hear about your poor experience of the Champs Fleuris. I was there for the 1st week of Feb in 2011 and it was really good. Excellent food, excellent location, reasonable room and well looked after. Everybody working there had a great sense of humour and looked after us well. To be fair, the place was less than full. In fact from memory there was only our group of 5, a few French and half a dozen scousers. We were looked after really well, but if you can't look after a small group when your hotel is at 15-20% capacity then when can you. The hotel also put on a free ski guide every day. He took us around the massive area and showed us routes that we would never have been able to find. They held a lunch on a farm on the slopes that was included in our room rate. Wine, cheese, meats etc. Really good. Whilst it's location at the foot of the slope is brilliant, it can also be a negative. If you have a slope side room and the snow canons are running all night, it can be really annoying by 2 in the morning. Overall we had a great week. Really short transfer from Geneva, great slope side location, nice town with good skiing, and if they can keep the skiing half decent during a snow drought (they hadn't had any snow for 5 weeks when we were there) I can't be bad. With this group, we have done 12 trips so far, and this was the best hotel to date. Maybe because of the time of year we went..... I hope your next trip is better.
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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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Megamum, So how were your private lessons with the Hermann Maier ski school in Flachau?
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FAQ
!). However, I would have prefered some tips on carving rather than the turns that he taught us. However, I learned a different way to turn (and as we know all techniques have their place), and it certainly worked on ironing out any A frame that I may have developed and it also helped with my shoulder position. I also got down some of the steepest slopes that I've tackled with the new method. This was a good confidence boost as it meant that I could adapt to something different and, in my book, this meant that I am now in control of the skis. It has to be said that I went back to trying to carve after the lesson.
