Résidence Pierre & Vacances Chamonix La Rivière

We had a great trip, and I’d stay here again. The room worked well for two: my brother used a bunk, and I slept on the fold-down sofa bed. Being right by the bus station was fantastic, especially if you want to get to the ski lifts early. They’d left basics like toilet paper, soap, and dish towels, but didn’t replace them. Outside could get loud, and the thin walls meant late-night drinking games carried through. The toilet also smelled strongly of drains, almost as if it hadn’t been flushed. Those drawbacks really weren’t that bad. You’ll probably be out skiing, eating, or drinking anyway!

Getting to the ski lift meant a 20-minute walk. At the property, there’s no room service, so you need to take your own rubbish outside, make up your bed when you arrive, and clean the kitchen before checkout. The place feels old and dated, with two sets of bunks and a folding bed in the room. There was only one small roll of toilet paper, so bring another if you use a lot. Sitting on the toilet, you can see the exposed pipes beneath the sink.

The room felt roomy and comfortable, with a pleasant balcony looking onto a park. One practical thing to know: reception is open 9am-12pm and 4-7pm, so arrange it with them ahead of time if you’ll arrive outside those hours. We also ran out of rubbish bags once the bin filled up, so having extras would be useful.

The staff were lovely, and I really liked having a separate ski locker for our room. Much better than the free-for-all storage I’ve seen at other hotels. There’s a spar nearby and two bars with great happy hours. The location made the bus to the slopes quick, and the stop was one of the first, which helped since buses filled up fast. You could walk to the slopes too, but it’s a very steep hill. It was an easy walk into the town centre, while still being far enough out for a good night’s sleep. We had everything we needed: bunks and a Murphy’s bed behind the sofa, though the bunks squeaked quite a bit. The kitchen had pots and pans, a hob, microwave, and dishwasher. A nice extra was the little cleaning kit with small bottles of fairy liquid and disinfectant, plus a sponge and dishwasher tablets. The furniture wasn’t especially comfortable, though after a day of skiing I doubt much would be!