Club Alpina

We spent a week in January in apartment B20, 90 m2, with six people and had a really nice stay. There’s plenty of space, it was clean and well equipped, and mostly comfortable. I wasn’t keen on the dining chairs, and one three-person couch felt a bit meager for an apartment meant to house eight. The kitchen has what you need, including a water cooker, oven, toaster, two coffee makers, and raclette grill. Both bathrooms are spacious and comfortable, though the shower cabin in the lower one is really small. The beds were good, but opening a window to sleep takes some MacGyver skills. B20’s ski locker has a heater for six pairs of shoes. The apartment Wi-Fi worked well, which helped since mobile coverage there is less than perfect. These apartments are privately owned, so one may differ from another, though other reviews don’t suggest many differences from ours. Reception staff were mostly very friendly and quite helpful, although some speak only French and get annoyed if you can’t make yourself clear quickly. The reception is open just a few hours in the morning and some more in the afternoon during the week. The daily bread service is convenient, though maybe a bit expensive. On Sunday afternoons, the building has a welcoming drink with tastings of local products, a nice gesture. The complex has two buildings, A and B, with B further up the mountain. To reach B, you have to leave building A via the 7th floor and cross a small patio. It’s quite a trek if you do it several times a day, but you get used to it. I think most, if not all, apartments have a balcony on the front, with a really nice view over Champagny and the village of Courchevel across the valley. The gondola to 2000m is just across the street, along with the ski pass office and ESF ski school. There are quite a few parking options. Parking is free in most of Champagny, and if you’re lucky you can park right next to the building. Otherwise there’s a paid parking garage for € 20 per week. Bring that amount in coins, since the payment terminal doesn’t take cards. The center square of Champagny, with the tourist office, some restaurants, and ski rental places, is only a few minutes away via stairs across from the building. You can take the parking garage elevator to get back up. Champagny is a nice place to stay if you don’t mind being at the far edge of the La Plagne skiing area, and Les Balcons Etoilés is a great accomodation.