Les Chalets de la Porte des Saisons

The resort itself was fantastic. The ski area is beautiful, and we had magnificent sunshine. The apartment had a lovely aspect and view, despite the trees. The pool was less reassuring: there was a bolt in the water, the ceiling was in very poor shape, and the footbath wasn’t working, which is a major hygiene issue. The water also wasn’t heated enough, though the children loved it. We nearly fell several times on black ice at the bottom of the outdoor stairs, and would have appreciated having the access to the chalet cleared of snow. The T6 apartment is a decent size for four, but definitely not six. It’s cramped, with a too-small dining table, no chairs, too little storage apart from in the main bedroom, and not enough crockery. The TV was nice, and there were plenty of electrical outlets. We didn’t try the WiFi, which wasn’t free, since we used 4G tethering. It’s a bit of a trek on foot to the slopes and nearest shops with children, though the shuttle bus is just one stop away, which is pretty good. The chalet and apartment were very run down and need work. A chair was broken and wasn’t replaced, insulation was poor, especially from the upstairs neighbours, and the heating was awkward to use, with no central thermostat and those infamous toaster style heaters. The balcony wood was so old it gave us splinters. The little ski shelter at the entrance was too small and had no door. We reported it, but nothing was done, so we had to keep skis on the balcony at midday and overnight. Some utensils were missing, including a salad spinner, teacup and raclette grill. The teapot leaked, and the dishwasher was temperamental, with a broken front panel that was hard to clean.