What exactly is a catered chalet?

I think Wickers and caron-a are both right - my lingering fear, being a grumpy old misanthrope, is that I will form irrational and immediate dislikes of people and their habits, if put in too close and repeated proximity to them. So if I ever did it, a large chalet might be best...

incidentally I may have given a wrong impression re buffet at Christiania; the food was immaculate, with a very high-end hors d'oeuvre (God that's hard to spell) buffet to start - big prawns, lobster tails a couple of nights, fresh asparagus (with their owen Air Miles cards no doubt), salads etc.. then a couple of choices of fish; then ditto meat; inevitable chariot of cheese; puddings again SIY, but all classy, like.

If you're concerned about food served half-board check tripadvisor. Nearly every hotel is listed and you'll hear whether it's buffet, choose at breakfast etc. and generally the levelof quality.

Though you need to take a few reviews with a pinch of salt. So to speak.

I chose to go to Italy over Austria half board as I think Italian cooking has to be a better bet - one review of the place we're staying was ".....but too much veal". What's wrong with people?

Pablo Escobar wrote:In your search for DIY perfection you obviously ended up in the wrong chalet :D

What you need is a little trip to Sainte Foy!

It was a posh one in Chamonix, but then again a dog kennel would be posh for me :mrgreen:

On this pro chalet thread there has been a comparison with hotel food, you need to careful with comparing Hotels booked with TO's and hotels booked independently where the hotels get a far better deal with a knock on effect of much better food. :D

Hi Everyone,
One of my friends always stays in a catered chalet, and she says the big advantage her chalet has, is that they offer ski hosting.

Apparently this means that the chalet hosts take groups of guests ski-ing around the resort with them, and they do groups of different standards so that as long as you can ski a blue run OK you can go, and if you're a brilliant skier you go with the advanced group.

And they're willing to take the kids, which means the parents can relax knowing that their children aren't ski-ing on their own.

This service is free, and obviously saves a lot of money on ski lessons, although it is not directly comparable, because the hosts are only guides, not teachers.

I don't know what percentage of catered chalets offer ski hosting, but I think quite a few do.

We always go self-catering now, because my daughter has multiple food intolerances, which would be very difficult to cater for in a ski chalet. As it is, we enjoy shopping in the supermarket, and having French neighbours in our apartment block, and it gives us an opportunity to practice our French.

Ally

AllyG wrote:Hi Everyone,
One of my friends always stays in a catered chalet, and she says the big advantage her chalet has, is that they offer ski hosting.

Apparently this means that the chalet hosts take groups of guests ski-ing around the resort with them, and they do groups of different standards so that as long as you can ski a blue run OK you can go, and if you're a brilliant skier you go with the advanced group.

And they're willing to take the kids, which means the parents can relax knowing that their children aren't ski-ing on their own.

This service is free, and obviously saves a lot of money on ski lessons, although it is not directly comparable, because the hosts are only guides, not teachers.

I don't know what percentage of catered chalets offer ski hosting, but I think quite a few do.

We always go self-catering now, because my daughter has multiple food intolerances, which would be very difficult to cater for in a ski chalet. As it is, we enjoy shopping in the supermarket, and having French neighbours in our apartment block, and it gives us an opportunity to practice our French.


Ally

Good on ya another converted soul :mrgreen:

Hy Karen,

Have stayed in catared chalets in Val d'Isere with Le Ski (with m8 and load of strangers) and La Tania with Ski Beat (group of us took over the whole chalet and got big discount) - both experiences were greatand we would use the companies concerned again.

This half term i stayed in Pedraces with Colletts in a Chalet Hotel - big bigger than average chalet but run along same lines (it caters for about 38), it was just me and my teenage daughter in our party but loads of other nice folks and quite a few families staying to. Food good, full bar run on an honesty basis (help yourself), all rooms en-suite, Games room in basement. There is also optional ski hosting on 5 days at no additional charge which we made use of on 4 days being new to the area and this was also excellent. I was a bit wary of potential queues, especially on the Sella Ronda circuit given that it was half term, but all week i think the longest we waited was 5 mins, most times barely a minute or 2. Guess where we are going half term next year.....

Dave

Hi Karen we have never done the catered chalet, its not something I would consider we like our own space too much and dont ever have ski buddies to go with us.
We took a log cabin this year which was self catering but the cabin would take 5 people so you would not pay the supplements we paid for having it to ourselves.
We have done an all inclusive holiday at Axamer Lizum, that was flights, hotel, full board (lunch was vouchers you could use in any of the mountain cafes, lift pass, ski hire and lessons. The food was not brilliant, village not much to do and 2 coach loads of french students rampaging the hotel every night.
For 4 years running we have stayed in the Alpina in Seefeld 4* the meals have been wonderful. Breakfast was buffet style, juices, coffee, cereals,yoghurts,fresh fruit, grapefruit, cold meats and cheeses, rolls, croissants, toasts, boiled eggs and scrambled eggs and bacon. 4oclock tea and cakes. Dinner was salad buffett, soup buffet, then starter then choice of 3 main meals, then pudding with unlimited free wine, beer or soft drinks with special meals for the kids, although similar to the adults.
If any-one asked me which I preferred it would have to be the s/c log cabin.