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Ski and snowboarding

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Original poster

Appartment vs Hotel Vs Chalet

12 replies

pasok1000 · 08/03/2023 19:20

My children are teenagers and we are thinking to go skiing in Alps. Intermediate skiers.
Could anyone explain the pros and cons of having apartment or chalet or Hotel ski in ski out

OP posts:

NeedingCoffee · 08/03/2023 19:21

Probably a silly question, but how did you get to be intermediate skiers without going on one of those types of holiday already? What have you experienced already?

Original poster

pasok1000 · 08/03/2023 19:22

Hotel And walking with skis to the ski school

OP posts:

pawz · 08/03/2023 19:36

Chalet is fab for being able to relax, have a chef in to cater and people to do cleaning etc! Chalet staff are always incredible, will help with any manner of things - like having an on hand personal concierge.

I love it, feels like I'm in a home vs a hotel (which I do love too!) but there's nothing better than coming back to a roaring fire, food being prepared and a cosy beautiful chalet. If you get it catered it's breakfast, canapés, multi course dinners etc etc - well worth it imo.

In a hotel there might be lockers etc to store your ski things, in the chalet you can store it to hand! If you're in a good location you won't need to worry about public transport to the slopes, you can park right outside your chalet. If you want your meals at different times, in a hotel you're stuck to their times, in a chalet you can change them! It's much more private and relaxing imo.

OxanaVorontsova · 08/03/2023 19:39

We've done chalet and apartment, prefer apartment as we get more choice. Also found we really don't make the most of the catering in a chalet!

dew141 · 08/03/2023 19:40

Unless you're in a big group, I'd pick a hotel every time. Nice food, spa, lockers in the hotel (and often by one of the main lifts as well).

Clymene · 08/03/2023 19:44

Apartments re often tiny and cheap. Chalets mean other people. I'd stick with a hotel.

Original poster

pasok1000 · 08/03/2023 19:45

Is ski in out much better?

OP posts:

PuttingDownRoots · 08/03/2023 19:46

Weve done a mix of self catering apartments and hotel (half board)

Pros of hotel... not having to think of breakfast and dinner. But if the food isn't to your taste you are stuck! Bar on hand for a drink. Usually kids have made friends.
But... family rooms can be cramped.

SC apartment... more planning for food. (And shops in resort can be expensive). But more choice for food.
Often 2 bedrooms.... maybe even a living room.
Have to get into warm kit to go for dinner

PuttingDownRoots · 08/03/2023 19:49

Ski in/out... it can be variable. The apart-hotel we stayed in at Christmas was officially ski in/out but was uphill from the ski school for example...

BathTangle · 08/03/2023 19:58

Ski in ski out is great for not having to lug your stuff about, and means you should be able to get onto the piste early doors if that's your thing. In my experience ski in ski out can vary in terms of the piste designation.

Hotel is good for not having to think about food, but sometimes ski in ski out hotel locations can mean that you can't access restaurants or shops easily on foot and you are limited only to the facilities in the hotel. Also rooms can be cramped and you only have limited lounging space for non-skiing time. (And the hotel we stayed in this time did not even allow you to have a tea / hot choc / vin chaud in your room!). On the other hand, it did have its own ski hire shop and ski school right outside the door, so it wasn't all bad!

Apartments can be in great locations, ski in ski out, access to restaurants and shops, but you have to cook / shop / wash up/ pay to eat out. Size is also variable.

Chalets - great for catering and chilling (depending on the size of your group) and often much more characterful, but location can be mixed - choose wisely!

RhubarbFairy · 10/03/2023 07:39

My preferred option is an aparthotel. Where you get all the hotel facilities, but stay in a self-contained apartment within that building. We had a massive two bedroom apartment at Christmas, so we were able to cook for ourselves (our preference) and have space that we weren't on top of each other, but just upstairs there was a gorgeous adults only, and downstairs there was a pool where families were welcome. Plus a bar/restaurant on site and a heated boot room on the ground floor, with heated boot hooks.

It was classed as ski in/ski out, but it wasn't technically as you needed to walk the last 50m along the path. It could have been ski in/out at the back of the hotel, but that meant going through one of the ski schools nursery areas, which wasn't possible for the first half of the week as it was in use. That also placed you higher than the boot room due to the slope being higher, so you'd need to walk down the stairs to the boot room. Much less faff to go out the side door, which was 50m and flat from the piste and lift.

rookiemere · 10/03/2023 07:49

Apartments will be cheaper, and if your teens want separate sleeping arrangements then it's easier to configure.

If its France be wary of their bizarre and onerous cleaning , requirements- even if you pay a cleaning fee. Having said that in Ellmau we stayed in a lovely aparthotel with breakfast and a bar on site and the rooms were huge and no cleaning needed.

I'd go for a half board hotel or chalet as close to the slopes as you can if finances allow.

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