5 reasons to choose a luxury chalet this year, instead of a hotel.
When looking for the ultimate luxury ski experience, one of the most frequently asked questions, and perhaps the first one you’ll ask yourself, is ‘chalet, or hotel?’ Choosing the right accommodation for your next ski holiday is the cornerstone to ensuring you’ve secured yourself the best possible experience, and getting it all wrong can make what should be an unforgettable experience into a week-long headache. Quite understandably, for ski-lovers who want to maximise time on the pistes, and minimise any extra responsibility, finding a hotel is often viewed as the most obvious accommodation choice – but, as we’ll look at in this blog, being too trigger-happy may rob holidaymakers of the opportunity to discover their best alpine holiday yet. Here are five reasons to choose a luxury chalet this year, instead of a hotel.
1.) Uncompromising privacy and space
Whilst spa hotels might offer large suites with private lounge areas, the living spaces afforded by these options will often pale in comparison to what you can find in luxury chalets. A stay in Consensio’s Chalet Le Grenier in Méribel, for instance, provides a generous 550m2 of private living and recreational space. Look for a 5-star hotel suite in Méribel, and you’re likely to find around 150m2 when booking a stay for the same group size – there really is no comparison here. Whether you want to spend a snowy day by a roaring fire or are dead set on heading out to the pistes – a luxury chalet gives you all the space in the world to choose.
2.) Exclusive use of private facilities
On luxury hotel websites, prospective guests will be flooded with magnificent shots of oasis-like swimming pools and wellness areas – with barely a soul featured in the picture. The reality, however, can turn out to be quite disappointing; hotel facilities, as experience will teach you, are rarely empty. A few relaxing lengths in a hotel pool after a long day’s skiing can quickly turn into a veritable slalom course for kids, families and holiday groups – and don’t expect to jump in a jacuzzi without there being a timeshare. A stay in a luxury chalet, however, helps you avoid this nightmare altogether; the facilities are exclusively yours, all hours of the day, and afford you complete privacy. ‘Peak times’ are an altogether alien concept to the luxury chalet experience.
3.) A flexible, personal, customisable experience
Luxury should never be a prescriptive term. What constitutes the perfect holiday will be something entirely personal to each guest – and it’s this idea that informs every aspect of our luxury-chalet service at Consensio. Where many hotels might offer a homogenised, one-size-fits-all approach to accommodating their guests, Consensio endeavours to personalise. Before a stay at a catered Consensio chalet, clients are invited to share their culinary preferences with our team, meaning that our in-house chefs can deliver unique, bespoke menus – created solely with the client in mind. A hotel concierge team can be handy, and helpful – but the reality is, they’ll have to cater for many other guests. A chalet manager, by contrast, is focused on you exclusively and will endeavour to turn your suggestions into reality – whether that’s curating unforgettable experiences out in the resort, or tailoring the in-chalet experience to meet your needs.
4.) No Hidden Costs
Hotels (and many chalet operators too) – neglect to include house drinks as part of their overall holiday pricing. A week-long stay can result in a rather hefty bar tab that unwitting guests will be expected to settle after the trip is over. A Consensio holiday, however, is not like other operators in that regard. House drinks – including free-flowing wine, cocktails and unlimited Perrier-Jouët Champagne – are all included in the price of the trip beforehand, meaning guests can sip in confidence, knowing that it’s all been covered beforehand.
5.) Comparable (and more often than not – competitive) pricing
When you look at all the benefits of a luxury chalet in comparison to a 5* hotel, it would be sensible to wonder whether this would all be reflected in the pricing – and that even though you may compromise on certain elements by staying in a hotel, you would save money by doing so. Amazingly enough, this is not true; when looking at a stay at Chalet Le Grenier at the end of March for instance, the overall price per person would be less than a stay at an exclusive suite at a boutique spa-hotel in Méribel.
None of this is to suggest, however, that there aren’t some natural advantages to staying at a hotel (or even a serviced apartment) rather than a luxury chalet. For one, the size of luxury chalets like Consensio’s are perhaps more suited to larger groups and families – and our chalet staff aren’t available in the middle of the night in the way a concierge would be (understandably so, I might add; our teams need to rest and recharge in order to provide guests with the quality and attentiveness of service that is their hallmark). But when you look at all the benefits a luxury chalet can provide guests looking for a dream alpine getaway, the difference is markedly clear. A Consensio chalet-stay combines total privacy with unbeatable service and focuses on creating an environment for clients where the luxury isn’t limited merely to the quality of the chalet facilities, but rather, to the finest of details. More than being simply luxury accommodation, it’s a unique client-led holiday experience – where, from the moment you book to the moment you arrive home, the focus is solely on you.