Rifugio Lo Scoiattolo

Getting to the cottage takes a little planning: the cable car runs until 5 pm, or you can book a scooter ahead of time. There’s no wellness centre at the cottage itself, though once you take the cable car down to the valley, a gym, massage and wellness centre, and swimming pool are just across the intersection. The setting is wonderful, with magnificent views, and the staff were consistently kind and helpful. Dinner was excellent, four courses, plus a self-serve vegetable bar. Breakfast tasted good too, though the choices were limited: eggs and bacon one day, scrambled eggs and bacon another, or the much more varied sweet breakfasts. The croissants were tasty, and coffee came from a machine. The cottage also has spacious communal areas, a games room, and ski storage with a boot dryer. My main bother was the noise in the morning. Our windows looked onto the slope, and at 6:30 I woke to the radio, then the snowcat and the other sounds of the morning routine before the slope opened. That was the only major downside for me.

You get good value for the food here. Service is quick and well organized, and they’re consistently friendly too, which you can’t always take for granted.

From the sunny spot you get stunning views in every direction. The refuge is well equipped, and the food is great, with plenty of mountain dishes at fair prices. Recommended.

Really nice setting, just a stone’s throw from Pejo kinderland. The refuge itself is nice too, though it can get a bit too crowded.