Le Samovar Hotel & Chalets

This is a great hotel. Facilities are good, staff are helpful and friendly and the location is excellent. The shuttle bus service to val centre is right outside and is very reliable and fast. And the lift and funicular are 5 minutes walk away. Perfect.

We stayed in Chalet Athenaise for the Christmas week and loved every moment. The hotel is in a great location in La Daille, 2 minute walk from the main bus stop and only 15 minutes into the main part of town. The chairlift and funiculaire is directly opposite so its easy to gain access to the slopes- the return journey isn't ideal for novice skiers but most of our group found it relatively easy. The chalet - amazing!! The décor is of a very high standard, the kitchen has everything you could possibly need and the bathrooms are well stocked with supplies. The top floor ('snug') was ideal for those lazy afternoons and we loved watching all the action on the red run and the slalom course. We were fortunate enough to have the master room on the ground floor - it is a fabulous room with a spacious bathroom. The chalet was immaculate on arrival (thank you so much for going to the effort of decorating it with Christmas trees, really appreciated that extra touch!) and was cleaned twice during our stay. The facilities were spot on - washing machine, dryer and a boot room on site for our ski gear. We had breakfast at the hotel each morning and were very happy with what was provided - fresh produce, bread and enough variety to satisfy everyone in our group. We ate in the restaurant on Christmas Day (raclette and fondue) - again, a lovely meal and the staff were really welcoming especially considering they were working on what is usually a family and friends occasion. My friend and I booked massages through the hotel - blissful!!! I felt very relaxed afterwards. The only negative I would say is that the pool/spa area is only open from 3pm so if you book an earlier massage you don't have the option to laze at the pool before/after your treatment. But that is a minor detail.. The staff were great, very accommodating with what we needed and happy to help with any issues / questions we had. There is a lovely family-run restaurant opposite (La Barillon), we had a delicious meal there on Christmas Eve and the bar in front (La Rosee Blanche) is ideal for après ski! We used Skimium (near the bus stop) for our ski gear and there is well stocked Spar alongside for anything you might need (note it is closed from 1-3.30pm though!) If you are driving, be aware that the incline into the parking garage is quite steep if its icy and you'd need to remove your roofbox to get in. Parking is quite tight for a 4x4 but there is an underground public parking garage next to the hotel which might be an easier option.

We booked the Samovar pretty last minute, based mainly on it’s great location - right at the bottom of the La Dalile slopes, an easy walk from both the funicular and the new gondola. Due to travel delays we didn’t arrive until 2am, but the hotel were so accommodating. We communicated by email during the day, and they called us in the evening to make sure we had all the information to be able to park the car and get to our rooms, as reception was closed by then. It all went smoothly. The room itself was great - really comfortable bed, plenty warm enough (we had to turn the radiator down), and a balcony overlooking the slopes. If I’m being picky, the bathroom had a “spa bath” which could probably do with replacing, but no issue as we were only showering. We had breakfast in the hotel each day which was fine; delicious bacon, eggs, or the usual bread, cheese, ham, cereal, fruit and yoghurt etc. One amazing member of staff (I didn’t catch his name) noticed my quirk for peanut butter (I brought my own) and by day 3 had provided peanut butter as part of the breakfast service - thank you ! Boot room is great - private lockers and boot driers and seats for putting on boots. A short walk to the slopes. We ate in the restaurant in the evening a couple of times and the food was delicious. The lounge area is a nice place to sit for a pre dinner drink and chill. The spa is good too- sauna, steam room and a huge jacuzzi. I think the bubbles had been running for a while when we got in the jacuzzi because the water did feel a bit chilly, but the steam room was amazing. All of the staff members we spoke to were really friendly and helpful, and they couldn’t have done more for us. We will be back ! Thank you Hotel Samovar.