ski esprit - what to do with dd's age 5 & 7 in the evening

[katiekittlemouse]

was on the verge of booking up a ski esprit hol over Xmas in France, when we found out that there was separate dining int he evening in the chalet hotel. ie. kids eat high tea at 5pm or something, then adults only eat at 7.30pm. What to do with 2 girls whilst we are eating at 7.30pm??? 7 yr old can go int he cocoa club, but not the 5 yr old. Rep on the phone said she had to stay in her room with ski esprit peeps patrolling the corridors to check no-one crying. other option, leave them both in the room watching a dvd or something - not sure I would be entirely relaxed at dinner...

has anyone been with ski esprit and had this issue??? Having not been in chalet hotel before thought it might be more flexible but apparently not. Only some hotels have shared dining where families can dine together from say 6.30pm (but none of these are available now!).... Others more strict and say no kids around at 7.30pm whilst adult dining takes place.

This was one of the reasons we didn't book with them. Didn't want to leave children asleep in their room on their own. Also with 7:30 start they might not even be asleep. I think Mark Warner offer evening childcare for all ages. Maybe you could pay extra for an Esprit member of staff to babysit for you while you have dinner?

We have opted for booking luxury self catering instead and are going independently. Maybe this would be an option for you? The resort we are going to, La Rosiere, offers English speaking ski lessons with ESF or Evolution 2.

Hope others who have used Esprit will be able to answer your query.

thanks miffyinsurrey.... glad it's not just me! if you are self catering, are will you do your own cooking etc?? one of the reasons to go for me is not to have to cook. how do costs compare with all inclusive packages? Would be interested to know if you don't mind departing with such info? How many of you travelling? what about child care, or will your kids stay with you if not in ski lessons? very interested in different options.

A vote for Crystal here - we stayed in a Crystal chalet hotel last year and the children can eat at 5.30 or at 7.30 with the parents and can have the child options at either time or can eat early and then come and sit with the parents or just whatever you like. One of the things I liked about them and why I have booked again this year - not to mention the free child places and the regional airports (they are not paying me!!!!) main thing they fall down on is the transfers so I am thinking about doing that bit independently this year.

Katiekittlemouse We went with esprit last year and the year before! We went to a chalet first time and a chalethotel last year.

In the chalet they did feed the kids early as well, and then they went to bed or played whilst we had dinner.

In teh chalethotel (we went to Val d'isere Ducs de Savoie) the kids are fed at 5 - 6pm, we then took them back to the room and bathed/changed etc. Then we went down around 7.30 - 8pm.

The options for the kids were babysitting - there was a childcare rep on each floor (about 6 rooms) and they either looked in on the kids or listened at teh door. You signed them in and out when you go back.

OR Cocoa club - this wa for 6+ (however non-school holidays they were more flexible) The cocoa club was in teh chalet and the kids played games, read stories etc until you collected them.

We had a system (agreed with another coupleof parents) that they would do Cocoa club until 9pm and then they would go up, so after out starter or maincourse dependant on timing, we would collect and put them to bed, the babsitterwould take over.

SERIOUSLY they all provide babysitting during adult dinners, just not 1 on 1. our kids were 6 and 8 and just fine like this honestly, if tehy kids got upset there was someone outside their room or less than 10m away and we would be called.

see here it says that baby listening/sitting every evening and in larger properties on every floor. As in our case

GO FOR IT I can assure you we felt our kids were really safe Most people came down anytime between 7.30 and 8pm (some later if needs be)and the kids will be knackered and do go to sleep pretty early anyway

Or book a slightly smaller chalet and the kids can come and go whilst you have dinner.

Katiekittlemouse - we have booked accommodation through ski collection - cimes blanches appartments, La Rosiere (eucharts area). The cost was almost £1700 total for a family of four for the appartment but we are going for the most expensive week (new year) - it is much cheaper at other times. These appartments look top end and have a swimming pool which we thought would be good if the children are too tired to ski all day.

There are cheaper appartments in La Rosiere eg. Les Balcons which are approx £1000 I think. Both appartments are also in the Crystal brochure.

We did not book through Crystal as we wanted to go by train and worked out it would be cheaper to book the direct day time eurostar ourselves and book the appartment with ski collection. If you are flying you might get a good deal booking a package..we have not found many packages available by train.

We will probably eat out at least once a day (either up mountain or in resort). The other meal will be a lighter snack. One of our children is a fussy eater so we found it easier this year to do self catering as we could do food they would like eg. pizza at their normal mealtime. I sometimes find the huge chalet dinners too late and too much - end up putting on all the calories I have skied off!

We are planning to book the children 6 and 3 into esf group ski lessons (you can book an English speaking class in the mornings). There is a package available where you can book lesson + childcare in the ESF creche which is supposed to be good in La rosiere (eucharts area)...one of the reasons we chose this resort. If your children are of similar skiing ability you could maybe book private lessons for them (Evolution 2 ski school apparently cheaper than ESF for private lessons). I would look into the options with both ski schools if you are considering this resort.

Gosh - hope that isn't too much to digest. You may find that Esprit suit your requirements well..their brochure does look very nice - I just got frustrated that they were flight only and very expensive for peak weeks, plus the evening childcare issue you mention.

Nettee - like the sound of hte Crystal idea - you can eat different times, with the kids...

Crunchie - we have been to chalet before with friends, with Esprit and thought they were great. This year opted for chalet hotel as we don't like the idea of ending up with a family we don't know in chalet. I was just disappointed that our kids 5 & 7 would be split up in the evening as the 5 year old wouldn't b allowed in cocoa club. She def. wouldn't like the idea of staying in room on her own if the elder one was in club, and vice versa, older daughter wouldn't want to stay int he room with younger one when she knew she could be in cocoa club - no win!

when you say smaller chalet - do you mean for just us, no other family??? wouldn't that be mega expensive??

Nette - out of interest where did you go with Crystal last year?

KKM I would just tell the 7 year old she was too young for cocoa club as well and have done with it. In Val D'isere about 20% of eligble kids went anyway and most left by 9pm

We went to Chalet Hotel St Louis in Courchevel with Crystal finest. It was lovely but I think a bit too expensive. This year we are going to La Plagne to stay in the club hotel Turquoise so not finest but I am hoping that the main differences will be the lack of canapes, bathrobes, toiletries and cheese board.

(Miffy - sorry off topic , but we are going to La Ros in Jan- have you used either of those ski schools before and which would you recommend?)

Mrs G of G - I'm afraid I haven't used either ski school in la rosiere before. It is our first visit to the resort. We are staying in the Eucharts area so I think we will use the ESF (morning English group lessons followed by lunch in the ESF Les Galopins creche). The children will be looked after between 9 and 1:15 in a combination of lessons and creche.

I gather that Esprit use Evolution 2 and they are supposed to be good, they also reply to my emails unlike ESF. However Evolution 2 are based in the other part of the resort and the creche options are more limited so I don't think they will suit us this time.

If anyone reading this has used either ski school in La Rosiere before I'd be interested to know more about them too...have not yet booked the ESF but will probably do so.

Mrs G of G - Are you doing self catering as well or going to a chalet?

MIS - we are also going to Les Eucherts! Going with Ski Beat 3 jan to the Papillon chalet.
We had a very good time in La Ros two years ago - snow there when other resorts were struggling. An excellent hol with Ski Esprit. DC now too old for Ski Esprit (now 10 & 8) as DS1 was in top ski group then and found it too slow, and there is a lot of fussing about with gloves etc as younger children and large groups.

Mrs G of G, we always go to la ros (la braconniere).

it's fantastic for the children - small and friendly.

esprit use evolution 2 and we have always found them to be great, and always backed up well by the esprit staff if there are any issues (nerves, missing mummy etc).

the lift out if les eucherts connects with a run that drops you down to the ski school pretty easily, and i think there is still much more in la ros itself - so might be easier to feed them lunch etc over that side anyway.

as to orginal question...

this is the reason we always use a chalet rather than a hotel. the children aren't supposed to be around the dining area in the evening (who wants someone else's children at the table when yours are asleep? lol)but they are in bedroom nearby, like in their own home, or in cocoa club.

so...i think, with small children anyway, a chalet may work better. that said, with four children our chalet choices are somewhat limited, so i am interested in other people's experience of chalet hotels in this aspect.

and while i'm on...having always taken the children to la ros, we decided it was time for a change and have booked a chalet in obergurgl for next year - please reassure me someone that it will be ok with four okay-at-skiing but nervous children??!!

FKM - sorry cannot help with Obergurgl (but very interested to hear how it is - please post back!) but agree re children in the chalet in their own room, just like at home. DEFINITELY preferred it to a hotel for that reason. My Dc were older the the OPs (8 & 6 then) and so they read in bed for a while before going to sleep. As a skiing 'single parent' ( DH bad knees, does not come) I really enjoyed the chance to chat over dinner with other adults - was fantastic fun - very nice other people in chalet.
Another possibility for younger children is to get a portable DVD player, so they can look at that in their room while you dine. As you are on the same floor, if they need you (unlikely if they are engrossed in 'the beauty & the beast' etc) they can just come out in pyjamas and find you, as they would at home.

Katielittlemouse

Uou could be living our life with Esprit

We have the same prblem but have actually booked with them. DS's are 5 and 7 but the 5 year old is 6 on the holiday but Esprit will not even allow him to go in to cocoa club since he is not 6 at the start of the holiday. We have been round the houses with them on this and to be honest this is one of a few problems we have been having with them. I have now taken the older one out of Cocoa club so that we have two of them in the room and have changed the room to a first floor one so that I may have chance of hearing them

Its our first time with them and they came highly recommended but our experience to date is that I wish we could cancel and go with someone else since all the hassle we have had has taken the edge off the Christmas Holiday for us. We were part of a larger party and one small part of the party had to cancel following car accident but Esprit wouldn't refund the deposit or allow them to credit it against a holiday at a later date even in the same year and same accomodation.

I have a bit of a downer on Crystal though but may reconsider them for next year. They left us (pre children) at Denver airport with no transport arrange to get to Aspen 4 hours drive away and wouldn't do anything for us.

Have a look at the Kinderhotels - We've stayed at several in Austria and the kids clubs are fantastic. The kids can eat separately in the kids club or with the parents in the Restaurant and when they've finished they can continue to play in the kids club. Great food, lovely spa and very good childcare!

slalomsuki,

don't know if this will help, but ours have rarely used cocoa club anyway - after a days skiing they are ready to sleep. the oldest was ten last year and it finished too late even for her. they only ever go for one night!!

but we did anticipate the same problem when the youngest ones were too young - just didn't let anyone go!

our experience of esprit has been good - thus we keep going back

Slalomski, seriously your kids will be fine, mine barely went to cocoa club, they were far tooo tired - went a coupleo ftime, maybe 3, up until 9pm. Also there were sitters on each floor so if the kids make a noise they will come and get you. They ask if you want them to look in the rooms or to listen outside the door - your choice. They aslo ask if you want them to enforce a bedtime - we said 9pm and they simply asked our girls to turn the lights of and go to sleep. We used to go to dinner around 7.45 - canapes are served at 7.30, dinner at 8. They had aroudn 1 hour thats all!

This is the reason we do book Esprit No kids at evening meal is bliss!

Have used Esprit every year since dd was a baby (now 7). Until our last trip she was always so worn out that she was asleep my 7:30pm, we took a baby monitor and listened. Sometimes she's woken up and we've gone to her - but its no different from been in a big house and her been upstairs in her bedroom. At home I'd expect her to be in bed at 7:30pm.

Last year she was at an age where she wouldn't be asleep at that time but I didn't want ehr staying up much later so we didn't send her to coco club. We tok a Nintendo DS with us and let her play on that. She'd always be asleep by about 8:30pm. Still used the baby monitor.

I've booked a chalet holiday with Family Ski because I was concerned about babysitting. Kids eat before adults but you are in a chalet so no worries about leaving them to a baby listening service. On the chalet help's night off one of the other help that the children know from during the day babysits whilst you go to a restaurant opposite the chalet. Hopefully it will be as good as it sounds. I have a 4 yr old and I really can't imagine leaving him alone in a hotel room with someone randomly listening outside.

We've used Espirt for 5 years now and, like others on here, appreciate the child-free dinner option.

Last year ours were 8 and 5, so we had the same issue, but as others say, only a small % of kids come go to Cocoa Club anyway - they're too knackered!

Our solution was to book into a smaller chalet with rooms all on one level, so in fact the bedrooms were off the main living room (after a small passage). We took a portable DVD player with us, and the routine was:

5.30 Kids Tea
Play in chalet
6.30 Bath & into PJ & fleeces
Socialise with adults
7.30 Adult Canapes + wine - st this point the kids went to the bedroom, and were allowed to have their 'own special Cocoa Club' with their own movie and some milk.

About 8.30 approx, we would nip out between courses and pop them to bed.

It worked really well, and in fact all 7 kids from the chalet (who were fortunately the same sort of ages) ended up doing this together, which was really sweet (and the other families said it really made the holiday relaxing and fun for them).

HTH

We were at the chalet apartments in Arc 2000 btw.