anyone used esprit before ?

[mummydoc]

am planning ski trip feb time with dh and dd1 aged 7. dd went for first tiem last yr and did 5 mornings of about 2 hrs at a ski school - not sure if did much , had private instructor last morning and seemed to be able to balnace and snow plough and just starting to turn at bottom of slope . we think we would like to use a package company this year - esprit look good - anyone taken their LO's and used esprit ski school ? is it good, do they help with nose wipes / skis on/off that kind of thing ? also do you think a 7 year old could cope with am/pm lessons or just am ? she is very sporty and fit ( can stand up on her surf board!) I am anxious she enjoys it as dh and i love skiing and want the whole family to enjoy it tigether for many years hopefully thanks

bump - must be some ski afficiendos out htere

Not used Esprit for skiing but ds has had all day lessons(including lunch) or 3 hours in the morning since before he was 5 without any problem. Nor was there anyone other than the ski instructor to deal with the practicalities, they just get on with it as they would at school! Even dd at 4 1/2 managed 4 hours of lessons a day. Not sure what availability will be like on Esprit for school hols now though - regulars book a year ahead !

yes, have gone with them a few times to La Rosiere. Really impressed with them - ds (7) and dd1 (6) have skied a few times. Some of the older ones do do all day ski school, ds prefers to do the snow club in the afternoon where they play games etc. ds really loves it.
alot of the more proficient parents ski with their children in the afternoon - if she went last year, she might be able to go up on the red runs this year.

My sister works for Espirit and we have been on one of their holidays.

We found their clients to be stuck up to be perfectly honest. We wanted to spend time with our dd and the people we shared a chalet with found it totally alien. I don't think most of them saw their children most of the week as they were always either in ski school or at the kids club - we weren't even allowed to have dinner together in the evening!

We taught our dd to ski and we were basically told we were stupid for doing it but by the end of the week she was much better than the other children.

On the whole though - if it wasn't for the other guests, the chalets was nice, clean and tidy. The chalet girls were friendly and helpful and we heard good reports of the childrens ski instructors (although we didn't use them) You could always put dd into morning classes and then take her out with you and dh in the afternoons.

I don't think that I am stuck up and have met mostly nice people when we've been there. They are expensive holidays, so there might be quite wealthy people there and people like us who have it as our main holiday. Some people have the mentality of putting their kids in the clubs all day and only seeing them after tea, but alot of parents spend the afternoons with their children, either skiing or sledging/building snowmen etc.
They do have a children's tea at 5ish, but when I have been there all the parents go to that and sit with their children.
Honestly I really dislike kids clubs/mark warner type holidays, but my children really enjoy skiing with esprit.

That is pretty much our perception of their holidays Sweetheart, having spent a week at an Esprit Chalethotel one summer and having seen the groups of kids out and about in the summer and winter with their carers, many of whom were spotty disinterested students ! Under 14's had to have their tea at 5.30 and under 5's be in bed by 7/7.30 for adult dinner. Rather too regimented for us, we prefer to be given the choice, although it obviously works for many !

Hi Mummydoc, we have been on package skiing holidays with Mark Warner and Esprit. Esprit was cheaper so we thought we should try them. It was a false economy. Chalet was OK, food average but staff appalling drunken louts, chalet boy revelled in his drunkeness and on one morning failed to make it for breakfast. I was also not wild about yellow holes in the snow outside the chalet where are the male chalet staff had been urinating the night before! The nanny service also not great, my DD then aged 2 had to put up with 3 different nannies 3 days running. I then threw a massive wobbler and they reinstated somebody she had seen before. There are numerous ski tour operators who do family packages. Have a good at this article for tons of really useful information www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?&xml=/travel/2006/10/07/etskitouroperators07.xml&page=7#s8

I'd look at Snowbizz for being very family orientated without the regime you'll get with Esprit. Cheaper too - though not sure how much availability will be left now if you want half term week, as they get a lot of repeat clients.

If they're fit they can do all day - my ds was doing full days at 3 and a half.

thanks everyone - i am not stuck up but do have a fairly high standard of living does that make a snob about holidays ?? err yes a little, i do like anice holiday - nice chalet, fluufy towels etc. ( feel i work hard all year and deserve it) actually do quite like seeing dd1 but definightly fall into category of kids high tea and bed by 7 ish 1) she needs to eat and sleep at those times and 2) it is my holiday and i want adult time in the evening and no idon't want loads of kids at dinner but appreciate others might have other ideas....any other suggestions please for family ski trips operators

lunar just looked at snowbizz htey look lovely but want catered chalet or hotel plus activities for dd1 in afternoon so we don't always have to come back from skiing to collect her..any more suggestions please

pollybloodyanna have you ever used anyone else?? i agree about kids club type holidays but to be honest i don't want ot be hurtling from my lesson to collect dd1 and then find she wants to spend the afternoon in the chalet colouring - i know it sounds abit harsh but she could do that at kids club while i skiied and enjoy it just as much.i really look forward ot skiing wiht her some afternoons but 1 or 2 days will wan tto spend all day on the slopes . anyone used ski famille they look ok too

mummydoc - if you want instruction too, then I'd have a look at \link{http://www.skivolution.co.uk/Skivolution}. The best instructors, kids club for the afternoons for your dd, and food is always excellent - most of the chalets have proper chefs, not just kids working a season.

That should have said Skivolution .

My son worked for Ski Esprit and left after 4 weeks as their standards were so appallingly low - (his words at 18 yrs old)

Hygiene was non existent, chalet staff smoked outside the nursery, which was never cleaned properly. Poor food, kitchen cleanliness left a lot to be desired, lost children on the slopes, sickness rife, promises not kept about basic provision, I could go on.

We visited the chalet and I have to say it was the pits!

Sickness also endemic in Mark Warner creches,- minded children ill every holiday with them

Try Family Ski company

I've been quite a few times with Esprit, and while they're not the best but cheaper than Mark Warner. The standard between chalets varies a lot.

I've always found the chalets to be clean, although rooms are often cramped. Some years the food has been great, sometimes average, once not good at all! The last time we went the staff never did cakes for afternoon tea like they were meant to, and the morning afetr the staff day off were late for breakfast - so I went in the kitchen and found ceral, juice, etc and brought it all out. Got told off for that as guests not allowed in the kitchen! Yeah fine but I have a lesson in 20mins and need food!!! I wasn't too bothered about the lack of cakes but other guests called the resort manager in and complained - he didn't seem too bothered. You won't get fluffy toweld btw, only scratchy thin ones.

Childcare - I've always been happy with it. My friends who have a baby thought the nursery was very small to be cooped up in all week. My Dd was out having lessons. They used evolution 2 or esf. Esprit Snow rangers stay with them - although maybe not for the older kids? But little kids have esprit staff stay for "cuddles, noseblows and toilet help" I seem to rememebr the brochure saying.

Anyway we're going again with them in Jan, but they don't have any childcare spaces left - friend booked the holiday, not me. So nw busy trying to find ski school in resort!!

Most times the other guests are ok, but one year there was a big, noisy group who used to stay up playing drinking games till the small hours - very annoying when you can't sleep 'cos of the noise. I don't really think I've ever met anyone posh on an esprit holday- maybe I'm the posh one

The one thing that annoys me about them is that on departure day they will have you on the bus for the airport a 7:00am'ish. Even when you don't fly till afternoon - its so they can get the chalets cleaned. But you spend all day sa around Chambery airport - the hellhole of France.

my friend went with skifamille to Les Gets(google it) last xmas, she thought it was good.

Had a bloody awful time with Esprit last year. Would never book with them again.

We went with Family Ski to Ardent. The bathroom bin hadn't been emptied so was left with used sanitary towels on display! Mmmm, nice! Noone checked the chalet, the instructions on how to get there were wrong etc etc. Pretty poor imo.

I know someone who was so horrified by childcare in the creche at Ski Famille, Les Gets that she took her kids out of the creche on the 1st day of the holiday.

Please , please has anyone got anything good to say about Esprit.
We are booked to go wth them at New year first time skiing with dds and ds 6,8,and 3.5 .
It isnt cheap ,paying the balance recently was painful especially when we had to borrow from grandma to do so,hoping reading this that we have not made a mistake.

olliepolly, I know families who return year in year so it can't be all bad ! As a package holiday, for some the formula works well. Hope it does for you

have looked at skivolution, it looks good too - i guess this is what happens if ask an opinion good and bad and now am in a mire of indescision ...complicated by other family who are coming announcing their 3 1/2 year old MUST get on skis aswell, so now need company who will take that age for ski instruction ...ahhhhh

olliepolly I really like Esprit! I haven't ever gone with anyone else.

I agree that standards can vary - last year we had a group of blokes running the chalet and it was a bit haphazard.

It depends on your expectations I think. My older children love it -I've never had any problems at all with the lessons or the snow club, and they really want to go. The rooms aren't luxurious and the standard of cooking varies - but I'm not expecting gourmet meals. There is lots of wine and the guests have always been fun and up for a laugh. The children have always really enjoyed it and made friends with the other children.

mummydoc, most of the older children do spend all day in the clubs, and really enjoy it. I spend the afternoons with my younger 2 as they are younger and tbh don't really want to be in the clubs. my older 2 don't want to be with us in the afternoon. Also my dh wants to spend time with the children in the afternoon as he works long hours and doesn't see much of them. most of the people I've met on ski Esprit holidays have been back. We go to La Rosiere which I think is meant to be one of the better Esprit resorts, but I'm not sure how many challenging runs it has (we are not very advanced!).

I think that whether you choose Esprit or Mark Warner, your experience will totally depend on your chalet staff and the fellow guests.

Have you looked at Powder Byrne? That is meant to be very luxurious I think.

To be fair to Esprit, Ollypolly, they'll probably be Ok if nothing goes wrong with your holiday. The childcare was good, definitely no complaints about that. My main gripe is with the way we were treated when things did go wrong which showed that in reality they don't actually give a cr*p about their customers or their children.

wish I was rich and could go with SkiScottDunn.......

ummm yes powder bryne or skiscottdunn - can't quite stretch that far....thankyou for your continued help ...i feel like a complete failure that i cannot organise a holiday for 4 adults and 4 children without almost fainting from shear overload and indescision