Totem, Friendly Hotel & Spa

The lobby’s shared living area is a lovely place to sit for a while, especially by the fireplace, with a great mountain view. The balcony facing the mountains is also a nice spot when the weather’s good. The ski room downstairs makes getting out to ski convenient, though it’s humid enough that you need to take your boot liners to your room each day or they may be even wetter the next morning. Getting to the lifts is easy, about 50-100 meters at most, though it isn’t quite ski-in ski-out. The location is excellent, roughly a minute’s walk from Flaine’s main center, supermarkets, the funicular, shops, and restaurants. Other handy things: board games in the lobby, a comfortable temperature indoors, a luggage room for after checkout, and a second room door that helps with noise. The walls themselves aren’t very thick. Our room was the biggest letdown. It felt very small for two people, a ski bag, and two suitcases, and we kept rearranging everything just to move around during our week there. The bathroom was nice, and having slippers and bathrobes was pleasant. The design felt odd, though, with strange curtains, a cow-shaped wardrobe, and furniture that swung between overly contemporary and very rustic without a clear concept. The bed was uncomfortable enough to disturb our sleep, even my husband’s, and the pillows were much too thick. When I asked for a thinner one, I was told they only had one type, which seemed unusual for a hotel this large. The reception and kitchen staff didn’t all speak enough English, which surprised me for a hotel of this size. We couldn’t always get clear answers and sometimes had to leave questions unresolved. More generally, I didn’t find the staff as warm and welcoming as I’d expect in a hospitality setting. The spa was a highlight, with a hot tub and sauna overlooking the mountains. Towels were available at the entrance, and despite what the website said, nobody asked us to pay an entry fee. It might have been part of our package, but they didn’t check our room number, so it seemed open to everyone. Dinner was good and offered more variety, so even picky eaters could usually find something. The chefs were friendly and explained the dishes in detail, which I appreciated. Desserts were fine, though not memorable. Breakfast, on the other hand, had few choices and was nearly the same each day. If the options didn’t suit you, there was basically just bread and butter, as happened for me. More vegetables would have helped. Drinks were brought by waitresses, and it would have felt more welcoming if they’d offered tap water automatically, especially since we asked every day. The room also lacked proper ventilation. After several days it became uncomfortable, and opening the windows was the only option, which quickly made it cold and didn’t feel very sustainable. Housekeeping was inconsistent too. We got just one proper cleaning in five days. Towels weren’t changed unless we asked, even though we didn’t leave them on the floor, and a napkin left on the floor and dusty bathroom shelves were still there. There were plenty of good points, but for a hotel at this level, several things need improvement. It wasn’t a bad stay, just a mixed one.