For parents who have trudged through the snow carrying children’s skis on one arm and a backpack bulging with gear on the other, the all-inclusive winter holiday is literally a weight off the shoulders.
There’s no early morning dash to get the kids to ski school, no arguing about who goes back to pick them up at lunchtime, no queuing at a ski rental shop or for lift passes, and no hassle — because it’s all taken care of.
Club Med might be more often associated with all-inclusive holidays to hotspots such as the Caribbean, Mexico, Greece and Turkey, but the concept works just as well for family ski holidays, allowing time-poor families to enjoy entertainment, activities and unlimited amounts of food and drinks for a set price.
Several resorts offer the all-inclusive ski concept through France, Italy and Switzerland, with Club Med Alpe d’Huez in France receiving an £85 million renovation last year.
Sitting 6,100ft up in the Grandes Rousses mountains, it reopened as a 4 Trident resort on December 15, 2019, and I set off to road-test the upscale property earlier this year.
Standing on the hotel’s sun deck, which doubles as a day-time open-air disco, there are views to die for and 300 days of sunshine per year to enjoy them.
The 3,300m summit of Pic Blanc is the highest point in Alpe d’Huez and to the east, the skyline is studded with magnificent peaks including Mont Blanc. To the west, the Massif Central stretches as far as the eye can see.
Like most of Club Med’s all-inclusive Alpine properties, it’s a ski-in-ski-out resort, which means minimum fuss and bother and maximum time on the slopes — and since my visit, there are also new measures to keep guests safe, including a current maximum two-thirds capacity and additional cleaning.
After a 90-minute transfer from Grenoble (or alternatively 150 minutes from Lyon) we were greeted by one of the hotel’s GOs — or gentil organisateurs. Having donned our wristbands, we registered for a week’s ski lessons and got kitted out with our gear in the hotel’s dedicated ski shop, all included in the upfront cost.
Ski lessons are provided for children age three and up and there’s a wonderful team at the Petit Club who will babysit your kids all day while you enjoy the slopes.
Downhill skiing and snowboarding are unsurprisingly the favourite activities during winter at Club Med Alpe d’Huez but there is also biathlon with an ESF instructor or dog-sledding, snow-shoeing or cross-country skiing.
Whether guests bring their favourite gear from home or rent it at the hotel, they can hit the slopes straight after breakfast and take in the scenery throughout the day.
The ski area, L’Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine, has options for all levels too, with more than 155 miles of runs at altitudes ranging from 5,905ft to 10,925ft, including 18 black trails, 28 red trails, 31 blue trails and 34 green trails.
All guests — even those as young as four years old — can take advantage of complimentary lessons and ski lift passes with their stay.
At over 11 miles, La Sarenne is the longest black run in the Alps; in truth, most isn’t that tough, comprising steeper red-like sections and gentle blue-like stretches. The last three miles is a more-or-less flat cruise through a forest but as it’s a black run you still gain those all-important bragging rights.
As well as the tempting pistes, don’t miss a tour of the Grotte de Glace ice cave. Non-skiers can arrive by the Grandes Rousses (DMC) cable car, or it’s an ideal 15-minute break for skiers.
Set at 2,700m, the Alpe d’Huez ice caves are a magical grotto of glistening sculptures and fairytale figures, with an exhibition created by expert ice sculptors, on a different theme every year.
Taking the cable car to the top of the Pic Blanc is also well worth it on a fine day, with unbeatable views.
There are plenty of things to do to pass the time back inside the 441-room resort as well, for guests of all ages. There are specific rooms to entertain and invite children to use their imaginations, starting from baby rooms right up to teenagers, with a library, board games, playground and many other indoor activities for kids who want an alternative to skiing.
For adults, the Club Med Spa by Payot, the luxurious French skincare brand, is a must. As well as indulging in a treatment, there’s a relaxing lounge area and steam room. If you’ve more energy to burn off, there are also fitness classes available throughout the day, including workouts and yoga, along with a pool and hot tub.
By night, there’s apres-ski, like La Folie Douce for music and dancing on tables (pandemic permitting), or the chance to relax back at the hotel in the large lounge with its live music, DJs and shows, as well as in front of the big screen showing films, not to mention all-inclusive drinks in the bar.
And between meals at either Les Alpages Gourmet Lounge or Le Pic Blanc, the main restaurant, guests are constantly invited to indulge in delicious drinks and snacks throughout the day, from cake on the balcony at 4pm to canapés, while kosher and vegan diets well catered for too. For something more intimate, gourmet lounge stocks an impressive range of Savoie wines.
Exhausted after ski and apres-ski? Each of the spacious bedrooms has a balcony to chill out on and enjoy the Alpine views or gaze up at the stars — and dream of another blast down those spectacular slopes to come.
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