Was about to book but this came to light.......

It's very interesting building up a total cost for a holiday, especially one that involves skiing and everything that goes with it.

We've just booked our first catered chalet for new year. It's not exactly cheap but they are very happy for people to check in early (even including breakfast!) and leave their bags in the chalet to allow skiing that day. On the last day, again we can leave our bags in the chalet and ski until 4pm and may even be allowed to have a shower before heading off.

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of tour operator holidays but can see the benefit that it is a "one stop shop" exercise.

I did briefly entertain a Nielson holiday last year but was most unimpressed when I was told that the weekly cost was circa £150 more pp than the brochure stated.

Snapzzz,
The agency that we use for our cottages here in the U.K. has a policy of not letting holidaymakers into the cottages before 3 p.m. In fact, it's usually quite a rush to get them ready in time.

But if holidaymakers turn up early I allow them to leave their luggage, and in exceptional circumstances (like if they're elderly or it's bucketing down rain or something) to wait in the cottage whilst I clean around them.

However, I do think it's very bad that Crystal don't make it clear in their brochure or on the web that the apartment you wanted to book isn't normally ready before 5 p.m. or that the reception shuts at midday and doesn't open until 3 p.m.

It would have been awful if you'd turned up early and everything was shut. I have found that if you book the apartment directly yourself with P&V they will send you this sort of information in their pack - but only after you've booked. Whereas when we booked through Igluski they didn't tell us any of this vital information, even when I phoned to ask.

When we went to Val Thorens we discovered that on Saturdays the sports hall becomes a huge left luggage centre, and they let you use the toilets etc. so we could leave our luggage there whilst we skied.

And when we were in Courchevel 1550 the manager of the residence let us leave our baggage on the balcony.

But the apartment block Les Ravines where we last stayed in Meribel was the best for this. They had a huge left luggage room with shower and toilets handy by so that people could leave their luggage there either when they arrived early or if they skied the final Saturday. And there was no charge for this.

Incidentally, we stayed in a Mercure in Bristol and they had a similar policy with regard to paying extra for early check-in (or late checking-out).

If you e-mailed the tourist board there might be somewhere you could leave your luggage in Montgenevre, like in Val Thorens, with changing facilities.

I have vowed never to book a holiday with Crystal again, after an incident with them a few years back. Similar small print situation. Argument with them at airport ended up with rep threatening to call Security. So I'm not a great fan and not surprised they've removed your post.
Conversely, the reps and hotel owners with Neilson went way beyond what you'd expect when my son was hospitalised after a ski accident in Italy. They went out of their way to visit him, be available as interpreters, and help with the return home.

Crystal don't seem to have the best reputation? Tony also says their chalet food is pants!

No its not pants, its straight out of a rubbish bin. Pants would be quite tasty compared to their efforts.

I have to say Crystal are NOT gaining a great reputation for ski holidays. I'm sure plenty of people have had good ones, but they cannot deal with things when people complain or don't like it.

I had awful trouble getting them to acknowledge there was even an issue at all when I wrote to them after out experience of their chalet in Mayrhofen. They refused to accept the staff were an issue, or that the bedroom was dirty, even after I photographed dead insects under the bed.


As for this issue with apartments, nothing surprises me about France in this way. We had a similar experience in VT after travelling all night by train. Got there at 8am and could not get to rooms until 3pm and they would not guarantee security for leaving bags so someone had to stay with them all the time. This was a P&V run property so maybe its actually not a Crystal issue here?

But you'd expect Crystal to make sure someone manned reception on transfer day. Probably saved you a bit of grief not booking in the end, you'll find something else and probably better.
You sure about Montgenevre Snapzz?

Tony_H wrote:
You sure about Montgenevre Snapzz?

Well not now!

My point is this. I pay Crystal not PV, simple as that. Crystal should put pressure on these owners to be more accommodating to their guests who they choose to fly out in the morning. As far as i am concerned my holiday starts once i check in at the airport and after paying 2K for that week i would not expect to be left hanging about for a room that is READY just because the operators want to make a few extra quid or take a break on the weeks busiest day. Its called customer service.

I thought Montgenevre as it looks family friendly with a good selection of green runs for mrs Snapzzz and a some decent stuff for myself. With it being New Year i can see it being less crowded that some of the bigger resorts, which is important.
I have looked at some of the other 'greener' resorts such as Valmorel, La Clusaz, and Vars etc... but they are a risk with being low down.
I am planning 'MY' trip in feb and will prob do PDS or VDI but for new year i need something for the girls and right now i think we may be returning to Belle Plagne, they liked it there.

Snapzzz,
As you said, I reckon it's an issue with Crystal rather than P&V.

I mean, Crystal should time their flights to match in with the time the accommodation opens. Otherwise, where do they expect you to go whilst you wait?

Crystal needs to negotiate with P&V so that guests arriving on the early flights get the rooms that are cleaned first and make sure the reception is open to meet the coach.

I suspect with P&V it's not an issue with their French guests as in my experience most of these seem to drive to the resort (and hence their luggage is in their own car), so they could easily go somewhere else for a bit whilst they wait for the accommodation to open if they arrive early - as indeed my guests generally do (they go to the beach or out for lunch or something).

Anyway - I hope you and the family have a good time in Belle Plagne if that's where you decide to go :D

We have been to Vars for the last 4 New Years and every year have had excellent snow and sunshine! There are some great long blues and some more challenging reds and blacks.