White Paradise

Getting to the slopes was easy, with the bubble lift and train right across the road. Regular buses made trips into the main town simple, and there was a shop, bar, and takeaway pizza place nearby. Having the ski shop on site meant we didn’t have to carry our gear around. Everything felt convenient and stress-free. We were in La Daille, Val d'Isère, as a family of three. Of the three apartments we booked, ours was the smallest, but it had everything we needed and was more than adequate. We’d definitely stay again.

Getting around was so easy. Buses leave every five minutes from right outside, the ski hire shop is next door, and the gondola and funicular are across the road. The team were friendly and welcoming, and we loved the daily bakery order service. The baguettes were delicious. We also appreciated the cleaning kit with dishwasher tablets, cloths, liquid, and a sponge. A useful little touch that cuts down on waste. The apartment itself was almost perfect, but the walls were a bit grubby and could use a wipe, especially in the bathrooms. The extractor fan seemed to blow right in your face when cooking on the hob. Separate from the apartments, Spar in the commercial centre is obscenely expensive. I’d strongly advise shopping down the valley in Bourg or before arriving at the resort. We spent nearly €200 on sandwich fillings, snacks, and ingredients for four very basic meals, which was a shock.

I was disappointed and will look at the many other nearby options. The rooms are too small, even with just two of us in a room for four. The main bed is a sofa bed that takes up space, and the bunk bed in the entrance hallway felt cold. Getting in and out is hard. You have to carry luggage and ski gear up narrow, steep, slippery stairs every day, and this definitely isn’t ski-in ski-out. Reception is closed from 12 to 4, which makes luggage storage difficult because you can’t get to your bags. We lost a room key, and I accept that it was our fault, but the €80 fee is very expensive.

We had a great stay at balcons de Bellevarde. The apartment was spacious and in a good location.