DESTINATIONS — SKI & SNOW
Follow the leader: private lessons can be booked through the hotel
...and relax: soothe aching limbs in the indoor pool
All smiles: Marijke and Tom on the lift
Club comfort: interconnecting rooms are perfect for families
TESTED: Club Med Valmorel
TRIED & For adults, the ski area is vast,
over multiple valleys, and while not truly challenging, there’s a real range of terrain. Parents can ski independently, or join a Club Med group, with options for different ability levels. On our last day, we booked a
private instructor through the hotel. Marijke hadn’t left the snow garden during her lessons, but our amazing instructor Annick took us straight on a gondola to the top
of the mountain. It was fantastic to be up and out on the slopes, cruising on flat green and blue runs. From the ski lift we’d spotted the twists, turns and bumps of the border cross track – like BMX for skiers – and the kids wanted to go on it. I was going to say no way, but Annick said yes, and so we did. I couldn’t believe it – I’d never dreamed that after just a week my kids would be skiing the Valmorel border cross with me. I’ll never
forget the smiles on their faces – skiing has to go down as one of our favourite family holidays ever. Book it: Seven nights’ all-inclusive at Club Med Valmorel starts from £2,335 per adult and £1,845 per child over four years old, with flights departing December 21 and including ski tuition for kids. A week’s ski equipment hire starts from £105 per adult and £53 per child.
clubmed.co.uk TW
This long horseshoe-shaped hotel sits at the foot of the slopes overlooking the resort. Facilities are really deluxe, from the boot room – one of the most spacious I’ve ever seen – to the buffets, where anything you could possibly imagine is available at both lunch and dinner. The live cooking stations offer gourmet choices, but there are also basics such as chips, pasta, burgers and soup for the kids. Amazing afternoon teas are on offer every day too – all part of the all-inclusive package. It’s worth warning clients that French skiers seem to dress up more for dinner than we Brits do, and some nights have a suggested dress code. We stayed in interconnecting
rooms, which were well thought out from a skiing and family point of view. Both bedrooms had French doors opening on to balconies, and the two bathrooms both had baths, and plenty of drying space for our ski clothes. Children’s clubs, divided
Mountain view: Club Med Valmorel
by age group, operate six days a week, with evening activities on offer too. On the last night, there’s a ceremony with ski instructors awarding certificates and medals to all kids – a lovely touch.
18 September 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 55
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76