Hotel Residence Universo

The garden was a perfect spot to unwind in the afternoon, and the staff were super nice and helpful. They even spoke English better than I do. My room was clean, with a spacious balcony and a gorgeous view of Mont Blanc. The windows faced in a direction where the sun didn’t wake you up, so you could sleep as late as you wanted. This was my first trip to Europe, and my first hotel stay after a TMB journey. Hotel Beau Sejour was a wonderful experience. It’s in Palleusieux, about 10 minutes by bus from Courmayeur. Palleusieux is a small residential commune without restaurants or grocery stores, but you can have dinner at the hotel or take an easy, obvious trail for 10 minutes to Pre-Saint-Didier. I highly recommend staying here.

The hotel was well located, with beautiful mountains right outside the window. The beds were comfortable and there was enough space, plus a small kitchen that could come in handy. It was safe and did what we needed, but the rooms felt dated and had a slight smell. The throws were quite crusty, some wallpaper was peeling, and the shower was small with grubby-looking grip stickers on the base. There was no shower mat, so the floor got wet. The food wasn’t great either. There wasn’t much variety, and I even found hairs in my food sometimes. The starter was often nice, though still plain. It was an okay hotel, but it could use an update in style, a deeper clean, and better-cooked food.

The host was friendly when I arrived in the early evening and told me about nearby ski resorts. Later, I mentioned that the quilt in my room felt a bit thin, and he generously gave me his own heat radiator. I highly recommend the place. It’s super convenient for getting to Courmayeur and La thuile by bus.

The rooms are big and the house wine is good, but that’s about where the positives end. The food was very basic, just about edible, and the service was poor. If you don’t speak Italian, you’re in trouble. The staff speak no other language and get very angry when you ask for anything, even basic things. The rooms are very outdated and not the cleanest, with wallpaper peeling off, holes in the wall, and no blanket. There was no shower gel, just a tiny bar of soap and two shampoo sachets. When those ran out, I had to ask at reception. This definitely doesn’t deserve three stars, more like one.