Grandes Rousses Hotel & Spa

We had a family room with a mezzanine for our short December break, and it worked well for us. The hotel is nicely placed for the slopes, with a lift just across the way and, if there’s enough snow, the option to ski back. Hiring skis through the hotel was easy and friendly, and staff were kind and tried hard to help. The general feel was pleasant, though a bit pretentious for our taste, which took away from the friendly atmosphere. We regretted paying for half-board. The food was disappointing, mostly traditional dishes heavy on meat and cream. Flavours were often uninteresting and sometimes odd. We like to eat healthily and meat-free about half the time, but barely saw a vegetable during our stay. The children’s menu was the same every day, although on the last day staff offered the kids smaller portions of the set menu if they preferred. It didn’t feel like good value overall, but we still had a nice time.

The ski service was particularly good, with the staff looking after our equipment each day, and everyone was friendly and helpful. The rooms were very nice, too. Breakfast was pleasant, though there were no vegetables. The spa is free, but the outdoor facilities weren’t really usable: the jacuzzi and pool were too cold, and snow around the sauna blocked access.

The location is great for skiing, apres ski, and going out for dinner. The hotel was clean and the staff polite and friendly, but our room wasn’t cleaned for two days, even though we were out all day and didn’t return until around 4pm. Breakfast is self-service, with hot drinks and eggs available to order from the waiting staff. But the hot water and filter coffee were repeatedly empty, and it was hard to get someone to refill them. On two of the three mornings there were no clean tables, very little food, and no cow’s milk. We know we came over New Year, a busy time early in the season, but for a five-star hotel it was disappointing. We’ve booked to return later in the season and hope these problems have been sorted.

The staff were helpful, the bar area was nice, and the hotel is well placed for getting to the slopes. The rooms felt dated, though, and the room service menu was very limited. It seemed more like a three- or four-star place than a five-star hotel. There was no hotel car to take guests anywhere, and one restaurant we’d booked was closed. We only found out at short notice. Whenever the main restaurant was open, it looked dead.