Chalet Des Neiges

I've just stayed in this same chalet complex, with Crystal Ski, and without children. However just wanted to add a similar comment on the standard of the accommodation. It's AWFUL.

These were built in about 1988/89 for the Winter Olympics and it looks like they haven't been updated since. The kitchenette, used by a under-trained chalet host to cook for 12 people, was tiny and badly designed. Meal times were therefore disorganised to catastrophic.

The bedrooms (in "Chalet Mariette", which is a floor of Arolles building) were not individually lockable, even with a thumb turn lock. The front door of the chalet has a lock but unless you're the last out how do you know your fellow residents have locked it? There is no other lockable space in the building - your camera, laptop, passports are basically available to anyone who wants to wander around the resort and try some doors.

The ski lockers were not very warm, meaning my boots has condensation inside in the mornings. On the other hand, bedrooms (underfloor heated) were stuffy and hot at night and the only way to regulate the temperature is to have the balcony door slightly open.

I would by no means bring children to this complex. The Crystal ski company's service is a whole other (bad) review.

We had the worst holiday ever here. We were with our then 12 month old dd. The creche seemed fine but the chalet was grubby. Our chalet host was sweet but suffering from the winter-vomiting bug that was doing the rounds of the resort and probably shouldn't have been at work at all. Needless to say we all promptly went down with the same virus. We were delayed leaving the resort so missed our flight home. Esprit's handling of the whole situation was utterly woeful - they eventually flew us to London then expected us to endure a 12 hour coach ride back to Edinburgh. My letter of complaint was met with total indifference. I wouldn't go on holiday with Esprit again if you paid me to.

As a very keen skier I didn't want to stop skiing when I had kids so Ski Esprit looked like the perfect choice. With three kids under 5 years old we needed the child-care so we spent £3,500 (the extras all add up, you even have to pay £25 per child for lunches) and took the family to Les Arcs 2000 for Christmas 2007.

Ski Esprit do have lots of nannies, but I'm afraid they are not a patch on Mark Warner, Ski Famille or the Family Ski Company (I've used them all). There is a general air of confusion and poor management, the nannies are generally friendly and lively but the accommodation, hosts and reps really came across as incompetent. We could tell immediately from the transfer rep' who didn't know how to handle the French coach driver, so we were dropped off on a busy road 400metres away from the chalet with three young kids and the entire luggage. At one point another coach sandwiched the family in the middle of the road! (Mark Warner carry your bags to your room from the coach - a big help with kids and skis.)

* Bedrooms at Chalet de Neiges were tiny and shabby. Bed blankets seemed old and dusty - which really concerned the family we were sharing a chalet with whose son was asthmatic.

* Most of the chalet hosts are young and appear to have no experience of cooking apart from a one week Ski Esprit course

* Brochure description was incorrect: we chose the Chalet Francoise because it said the crèche was in the same building, this was true if you assume a 400 metre long building that you have to go out of, past a pub and back into to get to the crèche. This meant getting all dressed in snow gear to drop baby off !

* Children's high tea was often served very late because the hosts were not used to cooking and so not sure about preparation times.

* The resort Rep didn't know anything about the Doctors, opening times - they were complicated in Les Arcs 2000, but his response " I just phone them and if they answer I know they're open"; doesn't help when your kids got a temperature and you need the Doctors opening times.

* The first morning was a disaster, with kids standing in the shade from 9 to 9.30am with 20 clueless nannies and no ski school, waiting for what? The result was lots of crying and cold kids - just when you need them to get off to a good start. You know what it's like, if your children are happy so are you!

* The nannies never put enough fleeces or clothes on our 3 year old, or took drinks or snacks to her ski lesson, even though for 3 days running we asked them to. They even wrote it in the "handover"; diary for the afternoon nannies - but still no fleeces or juice. In the end we wrote a letter to the morning nannies to hand over to the afternoon nannies...;. It's just basic common sense and competent systems that work.
I can only say good luck to anyone booked for this year.