Hotel Martin

We were a group of seven on a ski holiday, and the staff were friendly and helpful throughout. They even made a cake and brought out Prosecco for my wife's birthday. The rooms look dated, but there was plenty of heating and hot water. In the evenings, the bar was a lovely place to sit, with board games and live sport on TV. The boot room has heated racks and steps up to the road from the bar. It takes about ten minutes to walk to the Jouvenceaux lift in ski boots, or the hotel minibus costs 10 euros for the week. Town is a steep walk, and the buses stop at 17:00. We also enjoyed the tea, coffee and cakes after skiing, a good breakfast, and the generous five-course dinner.

The best parts were the friendly feel of the smaller hotel, some lovely dining room staff, and how clean everything was. But the room was nothing like the photos: it was cramped, with crumbling plaster, paper-thin walls, a tiny window without a view or blinds, and too little headroom to use half the space. The towels weren't changed, the hairdryer and fluorescent bed light didn't work, and there wasn't even furniture to set down a phone while charging it. The food was poor, like school dinners. The location is neither in town nor especially convenient for skiing, with a 5-10 minute walk to the chairlift and 20-25 minutes uphill to town. I knew that before booking, but the reviews had persuaded me anyway. For a supposed three-star hotel, I've stayed in better hostels. I felt misled by the reviews and photos and wouldn't recommend it.

We are both vegan, and the chef made us a varied selection of fresh, healthy and imaginative meals, which was a real treat on holiday. They were always polite and friendly, and checked in with us. Sylvia and Mea gave us a warm welcome at every meal, and getting to know Sylvia made the hotel feel like a home from home. We stayed for two weeks and enjoyed it so much that we're already considering coming back next year, even though we don't usually return to the same place. The bedroom was warm and comfortable, with a good-pressure shower. If you can, ask for a room with a mountain view or balcony, the view is phenomenal. It's an authentic Italian hotel, with a welcoming bar, open fire, reasonably priced drinks, games, and good storage for ski and boarding gear. The hotel is well placed for the slopes and the wider resort, with a great range of routes for beginners and advanced skiers. Snow was great throughout our stay. They also offer a reasonably priced day trip to France, which is worth doing.

The family who run the place were the standout for me. They were kind and clearly cared about making us comfortable and welcome. Dinner is served as several courses, and when one person in our group didn't realise and asked for seconds, they happily brought him more. We had a great time overall. The rooms are quite small, and the hotel sits down a steep hill from the town centre.