Want to find out more about ski chalets?One thing about ski chalets is that they come in all shapes and sizes. Gaze out over an alpine village at those traditional buildings topped with a layer of snow and you’ll find quite a number run by companies offering chalet holidays. 
The photo to the right gives you an idea of how traditional alpine buildings look.I’ve not heard of them before – what are they? At first you might think of stand-alone buildings topped with a thick blanket of snow. But in larger resorts it’s not uncommon to find a large building sub-divided into separate units. Now these might lack the rustic character of a converted barn, but they operate in the same way as stand-alone buildings, but without the creaky floorboards! What are the main things to know about ski chalets? They’re often marketed as a ‘home from home’ and we find they have a far more relaxed atmosphere than hotels. You’ll have your own room – and we would definitely recommend you have en-suite facilities. There will be communal areas for everyone to use such as a dining room and lounge. No chalet holiday would be complete without a log fire in the lounge. Sitting by a welcoming fire after a good day’s skiing is certainly where we like to be! Probably the most important tip we can offer about ski chalets is that you must be able enjoy other people’s company. You might be staying as part of a group you already know. Or you might be meeting new people. Whatever, it pays to treat your fellow guests and your hosts as you’d like to be treated yourself. What are chalet hosts? These are the people who’ll look after you on your ski vacations. They might work for a large holiday company, or they might own or rent the property themselves. It’s quite usual for them to live-in. Some of our best holidays were spent in a wonderfully rustic converted barn near the French resort of Peisey. The owners had done the work themselves and lived in a separate apartment in part of the building. How many guests will there be? There might be room for anywhere between four to twenty-plus guests. Anything more than that and you’re in the ‘chalet-hotel’ category – a hybrid of the two forms of accommodation. When we’re researching about ski chalets for our ski vacations, we look for something that caters for around sixteen guests. That way there should be plenty of people to chat with over dinner. And if conversation lulls, asking your fellow guests how their skiing was that day is guaranteed to get everyone talking. I’ve heard that food is a real selling point about ski chalets? Oh yes, the quality of food is a huge attraction, and one which chalet owners promote heavily. On a week-long holiday, the usual arrangement is breakfast every morning plus evening meals on six out of seven of the days. The chalet hosts will have one day off in the middle of the week – this gives you the chance to sample a local restaurant. The cuisine is usually of a very high standard, and do remember to let your chalet hosts know of any special dietary requirements when you book your holiday. Spare a thought for the chef in a chalet we stayed at one Christmas. He had expected two vegetarians, but then found out he had to cater for six! Breakfast is usually served between eight and nine o’clock in the morning, and is informal. You’ll find that breakfast cereals along with bread and jams are on the table for you to help yourself, and that the hosts offer you a cooked breakfast as well. Perhaps it could be porridge or bacon and eggs. Or maybe scrambled eggs and smoked salmon – now that’s a good breakfast to set you up for the day ahead! When you return from skiing in the afternoon, afternoon tea will be ready for you. There are usually delicious homemade cakes to look forward to, as well as bread and jams. Normally you help yourself to afternoon tea. Your hosts are probably on their way back from their afternoon’s skiing too! But the main food event of the day is dinner. Typically you’ll have three or four courses with wine. Dinner is often served at half past seven or eight o’clock in the evening, and is the main opportunity of the day to gather around the table and socialise with other guests. We’ve met wonderfully interesting people who we probably wouldn’t have even had the opportunity to speak with had we stayed in a hotel. Does that mean that they all offer the same level of service? No, definitely not. As with all services, they’ll be marketed and priced to appeal to different guests with different budgets. Some companies offer two-tiered service with some chalets offering a premium service – for a price, of course! The term luxury is sprinkled throughout brochures to tempt you. Is there anything else I should know about ski chalets? Don’t be surprised if there isn’t a key lock on your room door, especially in smaller, privately owned buildings. Before you worry about security, it’s rare not to be able to lock the door from inside, and we can’t remember the last time an external door didn’t lock. It is probably true to say that you won’t find two ski chalets to be the same. It is also true to say that you need to enjoy other people’s company to get the best from this type of accommodation. But if you’re looking for an informal holiday, this might just be for you. To return from about ski chalets to the family skiing accommodation page, please click here. Alternatively, please click here to return to the home page.
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