Résidence Lagrange Vacances Les Chalets du Mont Blanc

The walls are thick, so we heard nothing even though the residence was fully booked. That was the main plus. We paid 515€ for two, and at that price I’d give it 3 stars; otherwise, it’d be 2. The beds are only 140x190 cm, which wasn’t mentioned anywhere online or in the booking, so getting matching bed linen ahead of time was difficult. The shower-bath setup is awkward, though at least the hot water comes quickly. We paid for cleaning, but the room and sofa smelled of pets and pee, and the bed cover had a wet dog smell. The lovely cleaner changed it for us and was a sweetheart. Reception, by contrast, was lethargic and unhelpful at best. We had to book the sauna exactly one day in advance, but no one told us there was a lock or gave us the key. Reception was closed when our slot came around at 16:30. The apartment was also under-equipped, so bring basic kitchen items and whatever else you need from home.

Getting into the apartment turned into an exhausting mess. We’d emailed the chalet directly, followed up, completed the online check-in forms they requested, and paid the deposit before seeing the accommodation. We’d given our arrival time in advance by email, on the phone answering machine, and through our travel agency. But when we arrived at 11pm, there were no staff and no keys. None of the advertised after-hours numbers were answered, there was no emergency contact, and nobody was on site. Our agents also tried without success. At 5am, our travel agents finally told us to take another client’s apartment keys, since those clients were arriving later that day. After more than six hours of travel and another six-hour wait, this was exhausting and infuriating, especially with a large family at a mountain apartment in an area with no hotels, taxis, or other alternatives at that hour. At 8am, the only English-speaking receptionist apologized, saying, “oh I obviously didn't pay enough attention to the messages,” and the cleaning fee was removed. It was appalling for several reasons. If there were an apartment flood, gas leak, or another emergency, I hope the emergency services would respond, because the staff certainly don’t seem to care. There were four or five people at reception, yet no one could organize the apartment bookings. The apartment itself was nice, but I wouldn’t return. Very disappointing this time. The ski shuttles left every 30 minutes and were packed. The transfer took 20 min with lots of stops, and on the way back you were lucky to get onto the third shuttle. Christmas isn’t the busiest season, so I dread what February and March are like.

The apartment was clean, with a very well-equipped kitchen, though it lacked cleaning supplies. There’s a convenience store and a few places to eat nearby. It’s about 15min from the main ski resort, but worked well for a ski weekend in the saisies.

The apartments were cosy and the view was nice. It took about 12 minutes to drive to the ski resort. But there was no equipment at all, not even toilet paper, dishwasher soap, salt, sugar, or shower gel. You have to bring everything. We were okay there in the end, but I’d choose somewhere else if I could find a better place.