Location, location, location... NOT (Résidence MMV Les Chalets de la Valle d'Or (Valloire, France))

Member Name: grahamt

Product:	Résidence MMV Les Chalets de la Valle d'Or (Valloire, France)
Date:	04/03/07 (260 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Comfortable accomodation

Disadvantages: Inconveniently located

We have, for many years now, enjoyed an annual ski trip and so far the majority of these holidays has been with Crystal. The reason we have chosen Crystal has been that we have had good service from them and the holidays we have booked have been the holidays we have enjoyed.

Most years, also, we have gone somewhere new, not because we have been dissatisfied with the experiences that we have had but that the World is a big place and we want to see as much of it as we can before the opportunity ends. This year we decided yet again to ski Europe and in particular France. The actual location we chose was Valloire, located in the less well-known Tarentaise region south of the Maurienne valley. A couple of years ago we visited St Sorlin in the same region.

The accommodation we chose was Les Chalets de la Vallee d'Or, based on the information given in the Crystal brochure. The Vallee d'Or complex is owned by a French company, MMV (Mer, Montagne, Vacances), a company of whom I have had no previous experience.

As we are of “advancing years”, ease of access to the slopes is of prime concern so, if not actually, “Ski to the door” then as near as possible is a must. The Crystal brochure describes these apartments as being “Ski virtually to and from the door” and that “...the nearest piste is less than 1 minute away across the road” and that sounded good enough for us. It turned out that Crystal were being “economical with the truth”, and that was only the start!

Valloire is a village that has reached the limits of its location, at the confluence of three valleys, by expanding to fill every available “flat” space on the valley floor. To expand any further requires development to start the relentless creep up the valley walls. So it is with MMV development. A new road has been constructed from the roundabout at the entrance to the village that zig-zags up the hill to serve various complexes, of with the Vallee d'Or is the highest. It is situated “...approx. 900m above the resort centre...”.

Les Chalet de la Vallee d'Or is actually a complex of twelve separate blocks. The main block and reception is “Edelweiss”, which is actually its seventh block up the hill. On the next lowest bend is the “Dryade” building, which is Reception 3 and above, at the at the very end of the road, is “Aster”, which is Reception 2.

Passing below Edelweiss is the only piste (“Lutins”) that gives access from here to the rest of the ski area. This, it appears, is the piste referred to in the brochure description. As it happened, because of poor weather the week we were there, this piste was largely in very poor condition. We were only able to use it twice. Without this piste there is little option but to walk or take the bus down to the village.

From this you can gather that unless you are based in one of the lower apartment blocks, your ability to access this piste most certainly doesn't meet the “1 minute” criteria of the brochure description. Actually, getting onto this piste from Edelweiss is quite easy. A stony path around the side of the building takes you right onto the piste. This you can certainly do in one minute. Alternatively you can walk from Edelweiss down the road to the adjacent Pierre et Vacances complex and walk down the steps there to the next stretch of the road, under which the piste passes in a tunnel. Just before the tunnel you can access the piste. This will take you a fair bit more than 1 minute though.

We were based in the “Lis” apartment block, which is one of the highest in the complex, right next to Reception 2. From here there is no way on Earth you can reach the piste on one minute. The plan of the complex shows a path down beside Reception 2 to the lower Edelweiss building but no one in their right mind would attempt to use it, whether covered in snow or not and most certainly not in ski boots. It is loose scree and stones; treacherous in any conditions. The only safe way down is via the road and that will take you at the very least 5 minutes.

That, of course, is just to get out in the morning. The problem is doubled on the way back, with a stiff climb back up the hill. Carrying skis and wearing ski boots, you can double the time it takes.

The complex is served by one of the village's ski buses, this one a small bus with a capacity of about 25 people, mostly standing. This bus runs on a route around the centre of the village, stopping at the roundabout to take passengers up the hill, but only as far as Edelweiss. From here you still have to walk the rest of the way if you are in one of the higher apartments. Also, this bus only runs until 7.30pm. The bus does, though, simply shuttle up and down the hill from the roundabout if there are more potential customers waiting than it can take, a frequent occurrence. Of course, that does reduce the service to potential passengers around the rest of the town but then again there are other full size buses on overlapping routes, to carry the load.

In addition the Vallee d'Or complex has its own 10 person minibus that regularly runs up and down the hill from the roundabout right to the top so if you can get on to that then you do at least avoid having to walk. Trouble is, it's very popular and, with its smaller capacity, you aren't certain to get a ride and so either have to wait for it to come down again or walk. It does, however, run until 10.30pm and so can be very useful for a ride home after a night on the town.

So, what about the apartment itself? These apartments are clearly very new and have yet to suffer the ravages of abuse from years of skiers. Actually, the abuse should be minimised anyway since your are required to provide a deposit of 300 Euros (£200) against damage caused to the apartment and its equipment, which deposit is not refunded until after you have left and they have had a chance to inspect.

As I said, we were in “Lis” and had room 302 on the top floor. The building is served by a single lift that goes down to the underground car park, which is the preferred means of getting in and out. There is a ski kit room on the “Ground” floor, if there can really be such a thing when you are on the side of a hill! Here you have your own walk-in compartment, locked with the same key that opens your apartment. This kit locker is very large and would hold a lot of kit but has no hooks on the walls on which to place boots, shoes or bags.

The apartment door opens onto a lobby where you can hang your ski kit on big wooden hooks to dry. From here also is a flight of stairs that take you to the next floor where is found the second bedroom with twin beds, a toilet that you have to enter in a crouch, plus a shower room. There is a second toilet off of the lobby. The second bedroom is bizarre. It contains absolutely no storage space; no wardrobes, no chests of drawers! Anyone using this room would be forced to live out of suitcases or simply dump everything on the floor!

Downstairs, the main lounge is entered from the lobby. The lounge has a small kitchenette in the corner with an electric hob, microwave/grill, large fridge and sink. Below the hob is a dishwasher. An initial supply of washing-up liquid and dishwasher sachets is provided. We didn't need to buy any more. There is a supply of all of the usual plates, cups, glasses and cutlery. There were no large teacups when we arrived, only tiny “coffee thimbles”, though proper cups were supplied when we complained. There are no large glass tumblers though. So you'll have to drink your beer out of the bottle!

The lounge has a sofa-bed, dining table and six chairs plus a small table in front of the sofa. In the corner is a cupboard with a TV on top and a DVD player. I would strongly recommend bringing DVDs for if/when the weather proves impossible. You can also hire DVDs from the main reception at 4 Euros a day. What I would recommend is that you compile a CD of MP3s as the DVD player will play these as well. You probably won't want to watch the TV programs since the choice is poor. There is no satellite TV and no English language programmes.

The heating throughout the apartment is by way of wall-mounted electric convection heaters that proved perfectly adequate for keeping the place warm.

Outside of the lounge is a large balcony but the views from our room weren't spectacular; it didn't face towards the village. There is, however, a table and a couple of chairs plus a clothes airer, more likely to get used in summer than winter.

Off of the lounge is the main bedroom with a double bed. There are two wardrobes, one on each side of the bed, for your clothes though the space is somewhat limited. Initially we thought that there was no bathroom and were puzzled. Eventually we realised that the en suite was actually located behind the bedroom door and with it open you couldn't see it! Once we had found it we discovered that it had a small bath with shower attachment plus a wash basin.

What is it with the French and showers? They just don't seem to have a clue. Even in the shower cabinet upstairs the shower handle has to be hand-held. The French just don't seem to get the concept of a bracket on the wall into which to insert the shower head so that you can simply stand underneath it.

So, a comfortable apartment with most of the things your would expect but with some significant omissions. What really was disturbing though were some fairly alarming cracks in the fabric of the building. Bearing in mind that this is a new building, in places it looked like it was already falling apart, which didn't inspire confidence.

What else does the complex have to offer? The main building (Edelweiss) offers a heated swimming pool that is two thirds outside the building and one third inside. It is covered when officially closed and when this is the case the inside portion could not be considered more than a plunge-pool. In the same area there is also a jacuzzi.

Because you are so far from the village, with no shops, bars or restaurants between, you can order your bread and croissants from any of the receptions, for collection the following morning for your breakfast.

Although we had a very comfortable stay in our apartment, more so than many others in which we have stayed, in the end the location counts against it as far as we are concerned. Had we known in advance what the true situation was we most certainly would not have booked here although that alone would not have deterred us from visiting Valloire.

Although the owners of the complex have done their best to ameliorate the problems of getting to the pistes from the accommodation, as far as we are concerned the hassle is simply not worth it. Had the “official” transport run to the top of the road and therefore to our apartment and run later, so that we did not need to rely upon the MMV minibus, that might have been better.

Really the main problem is that you cannot consider this accommodation “ski in/ski out”, even if “virtually”, by any stretch of the imagination. So, it is with some regret that I would have to say that we would be very unlikely ever to book here again (assuming we were to revisit Valloire – I will be writing a report on the resort itself) unless it was by car. Even then probably not as you wouldn't want to have to use your car as a shuttle every day, especially if intending to have a night out in the village, including some drinking.

However, on that basis you will need to make your own judgement. At least you will know what to expect.

Summary: A new complex of apartments situated high above Valloire