Résidence le Clos Vanoise

Cool.

It's a very pleasant place to stay, with lovely decor that gives it a warm feel, a nice welcome, and the Nordic ski trails just a few steps away. The catch is that all the basics cost extra: towels and bed linens. For the price, we expected sheets that fit the mattress and proper duvet covers, rather than two single sheets. Bring essentials like toilet paper, dishwasher tablets, salt, pepper, coffee filters, sponges, and dish soap. It's a shame, because the residence itself is really nice, but arriving without these things makes the start of the stay less smooth.

Luckily, Bessans itself is nice, because our stay at clos Vanoise was disappointing. The residence is about a 15-minute walk from the ski lifts, and the shuttles, if running, are very infrequent. That's awkward with small children. The cross-country ski trails do pass nearby. Everything comes at extra cost, including sheets, towels, and tea towels. The apartment had none of the basics when we arrived: no salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, toilet paper, sponge, washing-up liquid, coffee, or sugar. That's a problem if you arrive after the shops have closed. At least there were four dishwasher tablets. We were given a ground-floor apartment with a disappointing view of garages. When we raised it with management, they frankly explained that people booking through the employee committees get the less nice apartments.

The location is superb, only a few metres from the cross-country trails, with a bus stop right nearby for trips to a neighboring resort. The common areas are fine, but our apartment was disappointing and did little to make us comfortable. There were no basics such as salt, bin bags, dish soap, or toilet paper. As someone who rents out my own place on Airbnb, I find that hard to understand. You're expected to clean before leaving, but have to buy your own cleaning supplies. The departure rules are strict, yet the apartment was dirty and smelled bad when we arrived. The vacuum was clogged with dust, so our first job was to clean it and get it working. Our six-person apartment had a table and four chairs for four, plus only two seats on a small sofa in the living room. The location is great, but I'd avoid apartment #2 on the ground floor.