Le Chalet Du Vallon

For affordable accommodation right on the slope, this is fantastic, and it's ideal for the ESF ski school in Belle Plagne. The locker room is small, has no boot dryers and is only accessible through the hotel lobby. That's a minor downside.

Our apartment slept eight and felt more like a townhouse. Downstairs there were two bedrooms with en suites; the living area, kitchen and balcony were on the first floor, and two more bedrooms plus a shower room were on the second. It was very clean and comfortable, and so warm we never lit the open fire. The kitchen had plenty of utensils for cooking, and the boot room was fairly spacious. Most of all, Chalet Des Cimes really is ski-in/ski-out, while the shops and bars are only a 5-10 minute walk away. I'd recommend it.

The location is the one thing I can recommend. Inside, the apartments are cramped, and getting into the shower means squeezing around in the bathroom. Several bulbs were out, and the dishwasher needed salt and rinse aid. The residence also advertises morning bread on its website and in the brochures, but none was provided. The entrance was another problem: dogs had urinated in the snow right outside, and staff had left the yellow snow there. It shouldn't be so hard to keep the entrance clean. Most of all, the Wi-Fi is awful. We stayed at the same residence two years ago and it was just as bad then. It only works in the middle of the night, and even then it's extremely slow. Either fix it or remove the free Wi-Fi claim from the website and brochures. Standards are slipping, and the place badly needs maintenance.

The spa is a nice extra. I’d definitely recommend the place.