Residence Vioz

We're a fairly large group of families with children, and this was our third year coming to Peio around this time. We'd stayed in three hotels, Vioz being the latest. We chose it for the nice spa and paid a premium compared with other very nice places in the area. The hotel is pleasant overall, but the family spa was the worst spa experience we've had. We're skiers, not perfectionists or purists, and weren't expecting ultimate service or conditions. There were good things: the rooms were cleaned very well, though the showers and bathtubs felt cheap and tricky to use and should be changed. The hotel has generous parking, nice children's areas, and someone there each evening to keep an eye on things and calm the kids if they get too excited. It's not entertainment, but that monitoring was welcome. The food was okay, not the best we'd had in Peio, but fine. The bar was very nice, with a great, pleasant bartender. Reception staff were friendly, helpful, smiling, and lovely with children. Breakfast and dinner staff worked hard and were constantly busy, but still made time for a smile or a friendly word. The cleaning staff were excellent too. There are separate adult and family spa areas. We only used the family one because we had a four-year-old. One evening, four adults and four children from our group were in the pool. The kids were talking a little louder than adults whispering. The spa attendant came over several times to tell us they were making too much noise, that we weren't welcome there, and that we should move to a smaller closed room with two little pools for small children. This happened to several people in our group on several evenings, and I wasn't the only one who complained. Although the spa was open until 7 p.m., the attendant turned off the sauna around 6. Another time I was showering with my child in the sauna area, and she opened the outside door wide, letting cold winter air blow straight onto us. On a different day, my child and I were in the changing-room shower, the only one there, and she knocked three or four times in the six to eight minutes we were inside, telling us to hurry. I felt harassed. There were other showers she could have used if someone was in a hurry, but I felt she was leaning on the authority she thought her role gave her. When I tried to speak with her, she told me to complain at reception if I didn't like it because she had no time to talk. She kept harassing us throughout the week. We go skiing two or three times each winter and have never had such a bad experience. It's a pity, because in my view one person is letting down an otherwise nice hotel. So many kind people are overshadowed by a frustrated woman who seems to think she can harass guests during their family vacation, when they're paying to be there.