L'Hôtel Val Chavière

The public veranda beside the bar and dining room is almost perfect, with a wonderful view over the centre of the Val Thorens ski area. We also found the location excellent, with great food and service. Our room, though, was very small, on a low floor at the back, so we missed the view and afternoon sun after skiing. It was adequate, I suppose, but the toilet room was tiny and the towels barely deserved the name. Get a good room and the hotel could be hard to beat for the price. It’s very good overall, but has some flaws.

The only thing that didn’t quite work for us was dinner starting a little late for our 7-year-old. Otherwise, we were really impressed: the staff were lovely, Vincent was amazing, and the food was excellent. The rooms were spotless and good value, and you can ski straight in and out because the hotel is so close to the slopes.

The location is hard to beat: you can ski right from the ski room onto the piste, just a few metres from one of the main chairlifts. The set five-course dinner was excellent, and I ended up enjoying several things I might otherwise have skipped. Staff were all wonderful and happy to help. Our room wasn’t huge, but it was comfortable and more than adequate, with a lovely bathroom and great shower.

The biggest disappointment was the food. Most evening meals looked and tasted much the same. The chicken was served pink, the mushroom risotto had raw mushrooms, and the daily soup was like dishwater. It was a real letdown, especially with such friendly, multilingual staff. I don’t usually get stomach problems, but this week I’ve had to take medication. It’s my first visit to Val Thorens; the location is great, with lifts spread around the centre of the resort and very short queues.