 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello all. I'd be really grateful for some help. We're a family of three couples (ages 34 to 70) and two little ones (ages 4 and 6) looking for a catered chalet with the following spec (for around March 2014):
Minimum 5 bedrooms, preferably 5 doubles.
All bedrooms above the living area so the two kids (they'll be 4 and 6 years) can go to bed upstairs and we'll know they are secure.
Car-free resort if poss - maybe places like Saas-fee, Avoriaz, Bettmeralp, Braunwald, Mürren, Riederalp, Rigi, Stoos, Wengen, Murren? (i.e. a pretty place for my non-skiiing parents who will be 68 and 70 years).
Must be high with guaranteed snow.
Childrens slopes nearby - no massive hikes.
Away from bars and clubs.
A reasonable range of skiing.
Very grateful for any recommendations/pointers.
Many thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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fourtoseventy, can't think of anyone doing catered chalets in Wengen or Murren these days I'm afraid
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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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| D G Orf wrote: |
| fourtoseventy, can't think of anyone doing catered chalets in Wengen or Murren these days I'm afraid |
I think you'd struggle in Bettmeralp as well.
As an aside car free villages can be very pretty (or striking in the case of Avoriaz) but they can also be very difficult to walk around should there be any new snow, or warm temperatures. We were in Bettmeralp in early April a couple of years ago and it was harder work walking down the main street than skiing.
ETA - Oberlech may be worthwhile looking at. They can always catch the cable car down to Lech should they get bored.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 12-03-13 22:49; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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fourtoseventy, if you don't get any joy with chalets, have a look at this hotel in Braunwald http://www.maerchenhotel.ch/maerchenhotel/english.php It is the most amazing child-centred hotel anyone could ever imagine. From getting milk for your cereal from the udders of a full size wooden cow, to a slide instead of stairs, your kids would love it, they have so many facilities for children. It was the first trip we did with ours when they were aged 11, 10 and 6 - seems a long time ago now! The kids were taken to and from the slopes by horse and cart.
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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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Ray Zorro, that hotel looks amazing. I am already on my husband case to go there.
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I would rule out Avoriaz. Not good for non-skiers and I did not find it child friendly.
Last Christmas we stayed in La Refuge, Les Eucherts, La Rosiere and it would meet a lot of your requirements:
Its high (We had fantastic snow over Xmas)
Our duplex apartment, which was larger than you would need, had bedrooms over the living area, with a fully carpeted easy staircase (They offer smaller apartments) The south facing views accross the valley were a treat and made sunbathing enjoyable. The small pool and sauna were quiet and lovely.
You can add on a fully catered option but we just chose to have bread & patisserie delivered. The raclette machines made our odd meal in an easy treat.
There are free nursery lifts so our beginner did not need a lift pass for the first few days. Lift pass options were varied and good value. When the forecast was poor the lift pass sales office would not sell the full pass to take you into Italy because they said it would be a waste of money as links would likely close.
It seemed very child friendly and advertises itself as such
For fairly active non-skiers there was plenty of easy walking.
There not a lot of shopping but my 88 year old Aunt managed a stroll round the small covered shopping area in La Rosiere centre
Its not car free but there was very little traffic movement whilst we were there, a regular free navette service accounted for most of it.
I loved the ski runs as a not terribly confident fair weather skier, and so did my husband and now grown up adventerous skier sons
Non skiers can easily take the regular, and cheap, coach down into Bourg St Maurice where the coach station is just over the road from the shopping centre.
The only downside may be that for late March in a poor season some of the runs might get a bit iffy? It is a south facing resort but I`m sure other folk on here will know likely March conditions better than I.
Wherever you go, have fun.
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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fourtoseventy, Looks like your options for traffic-free are hamstringing you!
This one fits all the other criteria, especially the pretty location for the grandparents and the separate beginner area.
http://www.chalet-panorama.com/about.asp
It belongs to an old friend of mine, although I was unaware of that when friends stayed there last season. He used to be based in France and Switzerland, but has found that Austria now offers both him and his guests the best value for the money.
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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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fourtoseventy, hire out five hobbit houses at Glencoe ski centre. The A82 won't be very busy for when you walk down to the Kings House for a pint and more chips and its car park is at the end of a 1/2 mile long track so safe for the kids to play out in. Even 5 hobbit houses will be cheaper than a whole catered chalet and with those savings you could probably persuade the centre owner to keep the cafe open for the nights you are staying and get in a few nice bottles of wine for you to have with your venison burgers or Lorne sausage.
There's no risk of davidov seeing you look like a 'punter' if you carry your skis tail down, nobody will scorn you if you don't take lessons, you won't be able to go fast enough to register a competitive score with the snowheads GPS wacky racer brain trauma club, your skis will look new and shiny provided they're post 1980 and you'll have no mincey foreigners or patronising seasonnaires to deal with either. 
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moffatross, I don't see how the OP could possibly resist all that! 
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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fourtoseventy, I would second Anniepen, re La Tania and indeed the chalets that she owns/manages (not sure which). I took a large party there first week of the season and it pretty much ticked all your boxes, although we took our own chef and "self"-catered.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks Bogusman,  Great feedback is always appreciated
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FAQ
You don't say whether you want a catered chalet or not. Wengen doesn't have guaranteed snow. 
you're quite right...... the OP did indeed say catered.
