Luxury chalet or 5* hotel – Choosing the right accommodation for your next ski holiday
EXCLUSIVE, UNIQUE AND THE ULTIMATE IN PRIVACY AND SERVICE…
Imagine waking every morning to breathtaking mountain views whilst a delicious breakfast awaits downstairs, with the day’s activities pre-arranged by your chalet manager, all at your personal request. Unlike a hotel, a luxury serviced chalet offers the exclusive opportunity to create your dream holiday without the restraints of hotel timings and packed restaurant breakfast tables, with an added element of unparalleled privacy and safety.
A private chalet is synonymous with comfort and flexibility; whether you feel like spending the day lounging in front of an open fire, skiing your favourite piste or sampling the latest gourmet delivery cuisine from a Michelin-star restaurant, you are free to steer your own course.
Choosing a luxury chalet allows you the unique opportunity to enjoy accommodation that suits your own tastes, with a staff team working solely to your requirements.
There are many factors to consider when booking a luxury ski holiday. Upon choosing where to ski, one of the most significant decisions is your preferred style of accommodation. Getting this right can be the underpinning of either a brilliant or terrible experience. Obviously, good snow is the other essential ingredient.
The word luxury has become an overused term, lending itself to describe a wide range of quality and styles. Therefore, to begin, we will share our understanding of what we think a ‘luxury’ experience should include.
At the heart of any luxury holiday, there are three essential factors: destination, service and the client. Our small portfolio is a curated selection of the finest chalets handpicked and located in France’s top three ski resorts. Each chalet is unique in design and features an abundance of desirable features, ranging from hot-tubs and eco-friendly ozone-technology swimming pools to cinemas, wine cellars and cheese caves.
Chalet Marco Polo – Val d’Isère
A spectacular destination is one thing but the all-determining factor that sets a good tour operator apart from the masses is their service. If you were to research the details of most luxury ski holiday packages, the prescriptive nature of what is on offer quickly becomes apparent. However, true luxury should not be prescriptive: it is both subjective and personal and determined by the individual. As such, the service Consensio offers is entirely client-led and every detail is tailored to match the unique needs and preferences of its guests. Expect no hidden after-costs, because unlike most tour operators all house drinks on a Consensio chalet holiday are included in the booking price. This entails everything from a boutique gin and tonic or an alcohol-free cocktail to a glass of free-flowing Perrier Jouët Champagne. Ultimately, the guests make the rules and Consensio helps them curate the very best experience.
So how does the luxury chalet experience differ from a five-star stay in a top alpine hotel? And is the chalet experience suited to everyone?
An authentic ski holiday experience is without a doubt characterised by the cosy alpine setting of a chalet. Nothing quite compares to a welcoming roaring fire, some snug slippers to slip your feet into and a home-away-from-home ambience. Depending on the size of the property, chalets tend to be more suited to the needs of families and larger groups, whereas a couple or very small group might find that a self-catered luxury apartment or five-star hotel is better suited to their needs. It is important to remember that whilst a luxury chalet may be serviced and staffed, there is no 24-hour service on offer. Staff need to revive and rest for the day ahead. Guests are encouraged to grab a snack or make a drink at any hour.
In addition to the superior service, complete freedom on timings and added extras, and a truly bespoke stay, a stay in a Consensio chalet is also vastly cheaper than a similarly luxurious hotel in the same resort. See our infographic below to compare and contrast for yourself:
Explore our serviced chalet collection HERE, and self-catered Alpine apartments HERE.