Goelia - Le Balcon des Neiges

I don’t recommend this “hotel.” After we arrived, we waited two hours for the receptionist to check us in. The rooms were neglected, and you have to pay extra for everything except the rooms. Torn sheets cost 12€/person. There were no basic hygiene supplies: just one toilet paper roll for the whole week, no soap, and no tablets for the sink. We also had to provide each trash bag for the week. The pool didn’t work at all during our week-long stay, despite costing 14€/person for 20 minutes. Nothing was heated except the running water. At the end, they demanded more cleaning than they had at the start, and didn’t want to return my deposit. Reception staff were nice only because we didn’t want to pay extra for the cleaning service. It was a very unpleasant experience, and I definitely won’t return. Be prepared that the room is cleaned only by the last customers. No cleaning service comes.

We liked the price and the location, which was very close to the ski slopes. The apartment had beautiful mountain views, and you could order fresh bread each day for a very good price. It was handy to have a ski locker for our equipment, and we also liked the pool and sauna area. Staff were friendly, and check-in went smoothly. There were problems with the apartment size. It was advertised for eight, with three bedrooms, but six of us barely fit. There were actually only two bedrooms, so two friends had to sleep in the hallway, which had no windows or doors. The floors and bed blankets clearly hadn’t been cleaned in a long time, and the place felt stuffy and dusty. We paid a 90 euros final cleaning fee, but still had to clean the fridge and microwave, do the dishes, make the beds, and return rented bed linens ourselves. That made checkout stressful. Reception and the pool both close very early, considering most guests are out skiing all day and into après-ski. The pool was very cold, despite notes on the walls saying it wasn’t, and the ski lockers aren’t heated, so the equipment stays wet. All in all, the price-quality ratio is good.

The better apartment made a big difference: it was higher up, much more spacious, and had a lovely terrace and a wonderful view. We spent seven days here in January, but first there was a mix-up at reception and we really disliked the apartment we were given. After we complained and waited about half an hour, the receptionist offered us the other one. It took patience and kindness to sort it out. Credit to her for helping us.

We had a lovely view from the balcony, and the reception staff were very welcoming during our skiing trip. There’s a swimming pool too, so I’d recommend the residence for families. Larger groups of any age can stay here as well.