Chalet Hotel Rhododendrons

The rooms have been nicely redone, and the larger shower is much appreciated. Space is still a bit tight, especially with four people in a quad, so I’d pack light. The food was great and they catered well for us, thanks Kyle. Jules and her team behind the bar looked after us all week too. We’ll no doubt be back.

The relaxed atmosphere won me over. It doesn’t feel like a big hotel, even though there’s plenty here: a bar for drinks and pizza, a west-facing terrace with lots of seats for the evening sun, a restaurant, a couple of games rooms with sofas, table tennis and pool, plus a quieter room for board games or a casual drink. Ski lockers and a place to get your boots on are provided too. Breakfast covers the usual continental choices, from cereal, fruit, yogurt, bread and pastries to scrambled eggs, tea, coffee and juice. Dinner was three courses, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian starters and mains. We really liked the food, the portions were generous, wine kept coming, and the service was great. It’s an easy short walk to the chairlift and beginners’ slope with its drag lift. You can also walk to ski hire, lift passes and a convenience store. Our room was cozy and comfortable. The shower was quite small, and the toilet was surprisingly low, good squat practice, but we were very happy there. A great place for a ski trip.

The rooms feel dated, and the restaurant food was below average. The housekeeping team did a great job, and the staff were extremely friendly. That went a long way toward making up for the downsides.

We came back because I’d stayed here four years ago and had a completely different experience. After this visit, our group won’t return. The reception was never staffed, and restaurant service was appalling. Christina, the restaurant manager, was rude, unhelpful and deliberately difficult with our group. One person is lactose intolerant, but there were no alternatives. We were given just one meal choice each night, so if you didn’t like it, that was that. Those of us who don’t drink alcohol were offered only water, despite having paid for meals that should include drinks. We bought our own drinks after being told to do so, and Christina actually snatched them off the table. Bread and drinks weren’t refilled for us, even after we asked repeatedly. One night it took more than two hours to get all the courses, so we had to bring the lack of service to management. The treatment we received was dreadful.