SOWELL Family Les Bergers

The food was really good, with generous portions and good quality. Sleep, though, was awful all week. Noise from the bar and restaurant, other rooms, and the hallway carried on until midnight. Every morning a truck unloaded right beneath our window at 6:00 am, then more came at 7:00 and 7:30 am. We asked to move rooms after the first night, but that wasn't possible. If a good night's sleep matters to you, I wouldn't recommend staying here.

The bed takes up most of the room, and the shower is tiny. Every towel we were given had stains on it. The food is good unless you have dietary needs. As a vegetarian, I found little variety and mostly ate salads.

The place feels old and damp throughout. There were even buckets in the restaurant and other areas to catch dripping water. The rooms are small, the beds uncomfortable, and there's too little storage or space for belongings, especially for a week of skiing. The fridge had been removed from the room, and things were damaged behind the door. Service barely exists; most of it is self-service. The food felt like camp cooking. I'm sure very little is made fresh, mostly reheated or defrosted. I was served "grilled" vegetables that were still frozen. The meals hardly changed all week. Sometimes a salad changed, but it looked like leftovers from breakfast or the day before mixed with rice or something similar to make a "new" salad. Pastries from the morning were used for the afternoon break, and the same seemed to happen with the evening apero. I could go on. The staff also came across as unprofessional and less capable, though there were a few exceptions. With more smiles, real cooking, and some imagination, things could be better. We came back from SOWELL Family Les Bergers and probably won't return. I have many years in the industry. Last year we ended up there by accident while searching at the last minute, and it wasn't bad. This year we gave it another chance for other reasons, and the disappointment was big. It already started with the booking team and system.

The room was small, as the booking said, but it was plenty big enough, with comfortable beds and a nice interior. It was made up every day. The pool had a great view and was lovely for floating around, though it could use renovation in the next few years. The tennis courts looked almost professional, and the box of outdoor games was fun too. We stayed the last week of August to hike and enjoy the mountains, and the hotel suited that perfectly. There are lots of nice trails within walking distance, though some need a drive first. You can also go downhill mountain biking, rafting, canyoning, or try the agility trails in the trees. If you want quiet after getting back or aren't into hiking and mountain sports, this probably isn't the place for you. The staff were lovely. Everyone, from reception and the chef to the barman, cleaning lady, and manager, greeted us and wanted to help. We drive an electric vehicle. When the charger a five-minute walk away didn't work, they let us charge at the hotel. That charger can be fast and work well, but we had to try about ten times before it started. Call the helpline, since they need to restart it between attempts. The hotel also said they'd have their own EV charger next year. They offered an all-in formula with a different dish each day. I especially liked the Greek rice salad and quinoa salad. Some guests complained when serving plates were empty or dishes ran out, but staff brought more as quickly as they could. When I asked for more melon, someone went to get it from the kitchen. The windows were dirty and needed washing to make the most of the views. Brunch starts like breakfast and gets more lunch-like, and you can make a picnic from it. There's water, plastic containers, cutlery, and everything else. We brought reusable boxes, which were easy to wash in the room kitchenette and better for the earth. Dinner could get busy, but we found the early sitting relaxed when they offered two services. The later one sometimes turned into mayhem because people seemed worried the food would run out. Take your time, they'll bring more when plates are empty.