Hôtel Club MMV Altitude

I feel a bit bad giving this hotel four stars instead of five. It's good, and if I don't mention something here, trust that I liked it. The location, views, restaurant with unlimited wine, paid bar, rooms, beds, shower, spa, heated ski locker room and proximity to the chair lift were all things I loved. The smaller snags just added up. That may sound fussy, but there's a reason the rating scale goes beyond just good or bad. Our toilet had a small leak. It was manageable, and I planned to tell reception when they opened, but the hotel doesn't post the reception hours. There weren't enough wall hooks for both of us to hang up everything after skiing, showering and using the spa. The safe had no instructions, so we accidentally locked it open. The pool's cheap plastic sides wobbled. They do the job, but it surprised me when I first touched them. The hot tubs were barely warm, and the showers outside the steam room and sauna took ages to heat up. There didn't seem to be anyone working in the spa to make sure things were safe or people followed basic etiquette, like closing the steam room door. We didn't have a "do not disturb" sign for our door, and staff didn't believe that we'd searched the whole room for one. There were no signs showing the best route from the hotel to the ski slope. Quite a few door handles were loose or broken, and some doors slammed loudly when left to close or needed to be forced shut. Those little things don't matter much on their own, but together they cost the hotel a star. It still did well on all the things that really matter.

The privacy breach on our final morning was the worst part. At 7:25 a.m., housekeeping used a key card to enter even though we had asked not to be disturbed. My child was asleep, and reception only offered a quick apology. The triple room was cramped enough that opening our suitcases was difficult, and the tiny bathroom had only basic 2-in-1 shampoo and shower gel. No toothbrushes or slippers, and housekeeping happened only if requested. There wasn't a proper room bin, just a very small one in the toilet. The hotel is rated four stars, and its all-inclusive offer was part of why we booked for Christmas week. Getting to the lifts and town center took about 10 minutes, or at least 15 in ski boots. There are lockers in the lobby, but the hotel isn't ski-in ski-out, so we paid another €10 per day for a locker in town. The spa water was so cold it wasn't relaxing after skiing. Food was average, with limited choice and some hot dishes appearing at both lunch and dinner. Between the room, access, spa, and that morning's intrusion, I can't recommend the hotel.

The food was good, and the staff were friendly and helpful. It's close to the slopes, though you can't ski straight in or out. The rooms are very basic: no tea or coffee, mini fridge, robes, or shower gel. The toilet smelled strongly of urine. There was no separate lounge away from the kids' entertainment, so the place got noisy and crowded. We didn't use the pool because it was fully visible from the bar and lounge. Felt like being on display.

The entertainment team really made the stay for us. There was a different show each evening, and they were amazing with the children. I travel to a different French Alps ski resort every year, and this was a good experience overall. The rooms felt comfortable and, to me, bigger than those at other hotel groups. When the hotel was full, the buffet could be hard to navigate, and staff sometimes didn't replenish dishes, especially near closing time. Food quality was good, though it varied by day. The restaurant chef was great, but meals tended to be less good when he wasn't around.