J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by AllyG

Hi Bewks,
I'm sorry to hear you haven't been enjoying your ski holidays :(

Which part of ski-ing scares you? I mean, I know some people are scared of chair lifts, or icy patches, or moguls, or really steep slopes.

Presumably you've tried going to a totally non scary type of resort, with gentle slopes, to see if you're any better there.

I haven't tried any CD's for hypnosis but I have a friend who listened to one with subliminal messages (which you couldn't consciously hear) to promote confidence and reduce anxiety etc. and she found it very good. So it might help.

Hi Sm4sh,
I have sent you another suggestion by private message (so that no-one else grabs it before you do!) :)

sm4sh wrote:When are you all going to The Sauze Hotel then? I have just had a look at the prices for the 4th Jan but seems to be fully booked that week. With all this rep its getting its making me want to book up and see what its like for my self :lol:

Sorry Sm4sh, you're quite right, it looks as though the Sauze is all booked up with Crystal for the week starting 4th Jan :(

There's still availability for the week we're going, the 11th Jan, but I remember you said you had to go on the 4th Jan.

Never mind, there are loads of other budget hotels and chalets around in various ski resorts. And as you said, you can always leave the booking for now and look for a last minute bargain.

If I think of another suitable one I'll let you know :)

And I'm sure we'll take lots of photos in and around the Sauze hotel and post up about its good and bad points after our holiday, so you'll find out what it's like :)

And if it turns out to be OK, you could always consider going there the following year ...

I rang Crystal just now, and they have 3 rooms left in the Sauze hotel for 11th January, for 6 people. Their prices are as follows:

Half-board hotel including flights (from Gatwick) and transfers = £439 p.p.

Improvers ski pack (suitable for everyone above beginner level), which includes area lift pass, skis and boots, and lessons = £349

Total = £788

Or, as separate items:
Area lift pass = £170
Boots = £29
Standard skis = £50
Intermediate skis = £76
Advanced skis = £90
6 days of morning lessons 3 hours each = £127
3 days of morning lessons 3 hours each = £89

And the offer of 2 for 1 on ski hire only applies if both people are hiring the same level of ski (like if they're both hiring standard skis).

So if, for example, 2 people want to hire intermediate skis but they have their own boots and they don't want lessons, then the total would be:
£439 + £170 + £76/2 = £647 per person.

They do flights from other airports but at a supplement.

We have booked nearly half the rooms in the hotel, with the 12 we have booked directly and the 2 booked through Crystal. The hotel has a total of 31 rooms. This is how they describe themselves, on their website:

The Hotel Sauze in Sauze d' Oulx is a typical 3 stars mountain hotel, located just 20 meters from the ski slopes of the Vialattea and 70 meters from the centre of town of Sauze d 'Oulx.
All 31 rooms have a balcony with view over the Valley of Susa or to the ski slope Clotes (the ski area of the Vialattea) that ends in the village...

The hotel management and our staff will be able to assist on requests as: Purchase Vialattea ski pass, ski lessons, rental equipment, Dinners in the mountains, Wellness, and much more...

RECEPTION & CHECK IN 24 HOURS

HEATED SKI-ROOM FOR SKI/SKI BOOTS

http://www.sauzehotel.com/eng/home

And here is the link to the reviews on Trip Advisor

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g194891-d3301609-Reviews-Hotel_Sauze-Sauze_d_Oulx_Province_of_Turin_Piedmont.html

SwingBeep (and everyone else),
Sorry, I should have mentioned that I will be ski-ing for 8 days again, like I usually do, and unfortunately the Sauze was full for my 1st and last nights, so I have booked into another hotel in the Jouvenceaux area of Sauze d'Oulx for these 2 nights.
Therefore I will be heading for this other hotel when I come off the train at Oulx, and leaving from it on my way back. Hence I can't ask the Sauze hotel for a free lift from the train station (although I must say that was a very good idea of yours!).

And we have asked for a quote from the Sauze hotel for return transfers from Turin airport for 13 of the group. They have quoted 640 euros, which is 49 euros per head, or about £40 per head.

Likewise, we have asked about ski lessons booked through the Sauze hotel. They have given us a price of 130 euros per person, reduced from 150 euros, for 3 hours per day for 6 days.

For ski hire the Sauze hotel has suggested that we book with Maison Clataud Sport, and explain we're staying in the Sauze, to get a discount. I am currently sorting out exactly how many people want to hire what, so that we can get the maximum discount.

And as you say, for the week we will be there the Sauze are doing an offer where you can have the 6 day Via Lattea (milky way) lift pass built into the hotel price, giving us a price of 480 euros per person for the half board including the lift pass.

This doesn't include flights or transfers, however, which is how we wanted it, so that people can make their own way to Sauze whether it's on the train, driving, or flying. And it also means that I can get there a day early, and leave a day late and get my 8 days ski-ing.

The reason I suggested anyone else who wants to come with us should book through Crystal, is because as soon as we decided we wanted to book the Sauze, and I let the manager know, he told us that we could only have 12 rooms as he had 'sold' the rest. We didn't want to start another chalet/hotel search all over again, and I discovered that Crystal still had plenty of rooms available in the Sauze (as in the Sauze hotel had clearly 'sold' their rooms to Crystal).

This seemed to me to be a very good solution to the problem. Those people who had already said that they were committed to coming on this holiday paid their deposits (200 euros per room) and we booked 12 rooms.

Since then 4 other people have asked me if they could come and they are now booked into 2 rooms as part of a package holiday with Crystal. As far as I can see, apart from the price, it won't make any difference whether they're booked through Crystal or directly with the hotel.

Trying to compare the prices of booking with Crystal or going DIY is actually quite difficult because, for example, the value of the euro, the flight prices, and Crystal's prices and offers keep changing.

I have just checked and at the moment this holiday is available with Crystal for the price of £439 per head for a shared twin/double room, down from £549, and they're also doing a 2 for 1 offer on equipment hire. And this includes flights and transfers. So this is a very cheap holiday.

As far as I know (I haven't re-checked this) the 6 day Via Lattea lift pass is £161 and standard ski hire is £50 with Crystal.

If anyone else would like to come with us and stay in the Sauze hotel they are more than welcome, but they will have to book through Crystal. Other than that, there are plenty of other hotels in Sauze so if anyone wants to ski/board with us let us know (by posting up on here) and we could meet up on the slopes :)

We are a mixed group aged from teenagers to, well, let's say 'seniors' ;)
We have boarders and skiers, at levels from those who've just done a couple of weeks on the snow to those who've been ski-ing/boarding for years.

I bought my train tickets today, from Paris to Oulx and back. It's the first day that the winter tickets for the French trains are available, and they usually increase in price rapidly. I'd already bought the return Eurostar tickets for St Pancras to Paris.

The Eurostar tickets to Paris cost me £69 return, and the tickets from Paris, Lyon station, to Oulx, cost me £48 return.

So the total cost of the train tickets was £117 return. The train journey from Paris to Oulx takes about 5 hours, and it's only about 10 minutes from Oulx to Sauze, by public bus or taxi.

Tony, I think they must have renovated the Sauze hotel since you were there last, or it wouldn't have had such good reviews on Trip Advisor.

Back on topic:
One of the main differences I have noticed between chalets and hotels, from the financial point of view, is that chalets seem to give you free drinks of tea and coffee and wine with meals, whereas hotels seem to charge for all drinks other than at breakfast when you can usually have a choice between fruit juice, tea or coffee.

And also, chalets give you something when you get in from ski-ing, usually cake and tea/coffee, at around 4 p.m. Mind you, some of the hotels are starting to do this as well. I notice that the Sauze is offering 'tea' from 4-5 p.m. I hope this includes actual 'tea' and not just something like peanuts!

Oh, and here's another tip for you Sm4sh, have a look at the reviews on Trip Advisor for whichever chalet/hotel you are considering. They are often most informative. I just checked the Sauze ones (again) to find out about the afternoon tea, and it says this:

'The bar. At reception there is a small bar and whilst lacking in apres atmosphere they do offer the cheapest drinks in town. They also provide tea and cake for when you get off the mountain. Oh did I mention the free wifi.'