How to find your perfect chalet holiday in the snow

From classy and comfortable to cheap and cheerful, there are hundreds of chalets out there and finding the one that suits you can seem daunting. Lucy Crisp lays out the top 10 questions to ask to ensure you book a chalet holiday that’s right for you.

1) How well do you know the product?
A thorough knowledge of services is key and this is where smaller operators and owner-managed chalets excel as they know the exact details of their individual chalets inside out, rather relying on the same vague brochure information on countless chalets which you have.

2) Have you seen the chalet?
Ask whether the sales agent actually seen the chalet you are interested in booking, or whether there is anyone else on the team you can talk to who has. This can be invaluable so you can clear up any worries about sleeping arrangements, en-suites, the seating area and realistic distances to the lifts, restaurants, bars and other vital amenities.

3) Tell me about the resort.
Ask as many questions as you can to check it meets your needs. Good questions include: is it snowsure for the time of year; is it the right level of skiing for my group; how much is the lift pass; does the resort have the après ski/nightlife/restaurant scene I’m looking for and is the resort beautiful or purpose built?

4) What’s it like on the slopes?
When it comes to the skiing, ask about the transport to and from the pistes. There may be a mini bus service, but is it regular and reliable? If you like long leisurely lunches, check you won’t be stuck with canteen style sandwiches and soup. Smaller operators usually specialise in a few resorts so they know their resorts well as they’ll have been to the resort, skied the area and know the ski instructors, restaurants and nightlife like a local.

5) Are the pictures real?
Sometimes, brochures and website use generic or stock pictures to represent a typical chalet or meal. If you’ve been sold on beautiful interiors or sumptuous looking food, check it’s actually what you’ll get as top quality operators like The Alpine Club (thealpineclub.co.uk) only include images that are of their actual interiors and cuisine. Check also that the plans are accurate regarding the size of rooms and the number of en-suites.

6) Who are your staff?
Although gap year students and people in their early twenties are often enthusiastic, energetic and keen to learn, inexperienced teams can lead to problems. This is because they usually have a steep learning curve which is often at your expense as they learn how to manage their roles and responsibilities. In addition, inexpert staff often find themselves foundering when it comes to problems, complaints and crisis which can be even more dramatic in the accident-prone context of the mountains.

7) Is the chef qualified?
While we’ve become a nation of Jamie Oliver’s who can whip up a dinner party for six, it takes a qualified chef produce gourmet cuisine at restaurant standard six nights a week. The ability and flexibility to change the menu based on guest’s requests is a skilled job and in the same way that you take your car to a mechanic when it breaks down, it pays to choose a chalet company like Purple Ski (purpleski.com) who employs professional chefs.

8) What’s included?
Although booking a chalet holiday usually means that six days meals and linen are included, there is a lot of variation between operators regarding what else is included from flights and transfers to lift passes and equipment hire. Most of the time, it should be clear what you’ve paid for from the brochure, but it’s always worth double checking so you don’t get any nasty surprises.

9) What’s my back up?
It can be extremely frustrating to go on holiday and be disappointed because the standards aren’t high enough, the chef is late or the chalet is dirty. A good chalet company or tour operator will have a system in place to sort this out, but this is where owner-managed chalets where the owners are resort-based really come into their own. This is because owners-managed operators like the Alpine Club are passionate about ensuring their guests have a holiday that meets or exceeds their expectations. They make it a priority to be in the resort everyday instead of relying on a corporate head office in the UK staffed with sales agents separate from the operation in the Alps who have to manage from afar. This means it is usually very easy to get any issues resolved quickly and satisfactorily.

10) Can I have your name?
Taking a note of the sales person’s name can be useful for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it can save time if you have to phone back with another query. Secondly, it means that you have a record of what you’ve been told and by whom. In larger companies, the person who sells the holiday is not necessarily responsible for delivering the service, so can promise things that may not end up being delivered. Having the name of the operator gives you a back up, but also finding out to whom you’re talking to can be very reassuring. Knowing that you’ve booked through an experienced sales person or the owner can provide reassurance that you will receive the holiday you’ve been promised.

For more information, visit Thealpineclub.co.uk or purpleski.com.