clos des gentianes

We stayed at clos des gentianes for two nights in late December. It's a quiet, pleasant place just a short walk from the slopes, with a wonderful view from our accommodation, shown in the first two photos. The road was still snow covered, so we sledged down to the resort. I recommend it 🙂

We had a lovely view from the balcony, and the building itself was pretty quiet. But for four of us, two adults and children aged 4 and 2, apartment 104 had a lot of issues. The small kitchen was functional, but there was hardly any storage, so we had to keep everything in our suitcases. The apartment's cleanliness was questionable, with dust and hair around and a nasty bathroom smell that never went away. We found out why when we left: guests have to clean the place themselves, so a messy previous guest can leave it dirty for the next people. The bathroom tap was stiff and stuck just above 38°C, which was hard with little kids saying the water was too hot. They gave us dishwasher tablets in the welcome kit, but there was no dishwasher. Bring a hand towel, too. None were provided, so we dried dishes with a bath towel. Finding the ski lockers was difficult because there were no signs, and the writing on the door was worn away. They check the inventory when you arrive without you there, so take photos of anything that's wrong as soon as you get in. The apartment got a bit too hot at night, and we had to leave the window cracked open, though that was better than being cold. Parking is very limited, and after going down to eat at the restaurants, we couldn't find a space when we got back.

The caretaker was responsive, but this old holiday residence really needs renovating. It's well placed at the foot of the slopes, though the ski room is very damp. Parking is hard because seasonal workers use spaces in the residence car parks.

From the top of Collet d'Allevard, you get a beautiful view over the Chartreuse massif and the Belledonne range. In summer, you can cycle down.