Hôtel Le Pic Blanc

The hotel rules felt unclear and sometimes unreasonable, the food disappointed us, and the lodging manager was rude. We had a good time skiing at Alpe d’Huez, but wouldn’t return to this hotel or recommend it. We were a family of three staying for seven days and six nights over Christmas. On arrival, the hotel tour showed us the lift down to the basement ski lockers. Later, when we tried to use it with our ski boots and equipment, the manager stopped us, first saying it was for our health and safety. I pointed out that we’d been shown the lift, and that walking down stairs in ski boots seemed more dangerous. He then said hotel rules prohibited using it. Another day I asked reception for a pencil so my eight-year-old could sketch in her drawing book. The staff member said the manager didn’t allow children to use pencils in rooms because of marks on the walls. The staff member was quite nice and tried to help with other options, like coloured pencils; I didn’t want to make things difficult for him, but I couldn’t accept the manager’s reason. Breakfast was exactly the same every day for all seven days, which was disappointing for the price. We ate dinner at the restaurant one night and ordered the children’s meal for my daughter. The fish was raw and she couldn’t even cut it. The restaurant manager agreed to cancel the order but wouldn’t acknowledge that it was undercooked.

The location is great, just a short walk from the lifts, restaurants, and shops. The staff and service were excellent, and the included breakfast was very nice. At more than €400 a night, though, I expected better room quality and amenities. The jacuzzi costs €20 to use, which feels steep and should be included, and the pool needs cleaning and maintenance. The TV wasn’t a smart TV, so we couldn’t queue up a movie after skiing. That’s a small thing, but it would have been a nice touch. It’s still a nice place and I’d stay again if I could get a better rate.

The rooms were high quality and the staff outstanding. We had a great week of skiing here and will be back.

The staff really made our six-day ski holiday. Reception did everything they could to make us happy, and the waiters were attentive and helpful. The cocktails were incredibly tasty too. We had the set-menu dinner at the hotel on two nights, and both meals were delicious. Many thanks to the staff, the management has put together a very successful team, and special thanks to the chef. I strongly recommend this hotel. It’s hard to imagine leaving dissatisfied.