Les Monts Charvin — Hotel in Albertville

When you think of skiing in the Alps, there is a culture which embraces the whole history of skiing, from the antique equipment, to warm fires and fondue, perhaps an innkeeper who knows you by name, and looks for ways not just to provide service, but to delight you with your visit. We met the owner Anne Marie upon arrival, where she was working with Genny at the front desk, attending to checking in her arriving guests, providing just that experience. Let that one sink in: the Owner was working and meeting guests, training staff, and checking on everything. A real person, not a corporate employee. ||||We would see her at breakfast, served buffet style in a sweet little room overlooking the gondola, with heart-shaped cutouts on chairs and plenty of gingham and lace, and old photos of the hotel's history and family roots. Genny or another member of the staff would make eggs for you, and make sure you had the coffee you wanted, and knew your choices. The room would be a mix of families and couples, some in ski clothes and others still in loungewear and slippers. ||||We chose a Superior room, which came with a jacuzzi tub, a queen-sized bed and a terrace. While a bit small by larger hotel standards, the cozy room was thoughtfully decorated in the traditional way, and the people who made it up each day made the most of it, from the ways they arranged pillows, and towels, and robes, to the attention they would pay to your own lazily tossed clothes or shoes, which would be folded or neatly arranged on the wall, waiting for your return. It was the attention to transforming the room each day that gave you a sense that "a way of doing things here" was ever-present, making you feel cared for, with constant attention to detail. Even our ski locker was cleaned each day, so as not to get musty.||||The location and price/value make Les Monts Charvin an incredible deal. You will walk with your equipment no more than 75 meters, and you are at the gondola to take you to the summit. It is probably one of the five best locations for closeness to the lifts and apres ski activities at Courchevel 1850. ||||So if you or your family want a cozy place with a perfect location that welcomes you and makes you feel wanted and valued, I can't think of a better place...

Six months ago we booked and paid the 30% deposit for a classic room with a balcony, and were looking forward to a lovely 8 night stay. I suffer with claustrophobia issues and always book hotel rooms with great care. We arrived at 8.45pm after a difficult journey through Moutier (often bad so not entirely unexpected). The reception closes at 9pm so we just caught the staff as they were getting ready to lock up and leave. We were exhausted and hungry when we were shown our room. We dumped our bags and headed out, on our return we realised that our room did not have a balcony as booked. After a difficult, restless night we spoke to the receptionist regarding our booking/balcony and where given a shoulder shrug and told that the hotel was fully booked and they had no other rooms, we asked that the receptionist speak with management and showed her our booking which she agreed was for a classic with balcony but still said that she couldn't move us. We had made the booking 6 months in advance! Later that day we asked the receptionist for an update, she said again that she couldn't move us (basically stay put or leave). As there was no availability in our price range we had no choice but to stay, we requested a room reduction which they agreed, this 'gesture' was not offered by the hotel merely agreed (20 euros per day)...and so on to the actual hotel. This is more of a chalet than a hotel, our room was boiling hot, even when the radiators were turn off it was still an oven, the window was high up and small and the room was tiny with barely any storage...but worst of all was the outside noise...all night, either party goers, or traffic, so you either had to boil in bed (our bed was so hard we had to sleep on our duvet to have some padding) at night or leave the window open and use plenty of ear plugs. One good point the hotel is near to the lifts and restaurants etc (but also late night bars, think 3am and revellers are shouting outside your hotel!). we think that the hotel could have offered some gesture of goodwill but they didn't only reducing the rate when pushed, very poor...

Currently staying in rooom 14 a standard room. Small but has everything. Staff have stored suitcases elsewhere to give more room. The ski room is great, you get and individual locker with a key and inside the locker has heated boot vents that you put your boots over. Less than 5 minutes walk to the main Verdons lift in the centre of 1850. The location of the hotel is literally central so anywhere in the resort is about 5 minutes, good for eating out in the evening. The rooms are cleaned daily and even the supplied dressing gowns are rehung daily. The staff are super nice and know enough English to to help you. The breakfast is great, between 8 and 10.30. Cereal, eggs, cheese, meet, yogurts, fruit, juices, bread including gluten free, milk and soya milk, etc. Room 14 faces the side of a restaurant so had to keep the curtains drawn when changing, but not so overlooked you could not open at other times. There is a tv but only french channels. There is WiFi but it drops in and out. Enough to post this review but not enough to download a single photo messaged to us. Hotel is very clean, has a separated coded door entrance by the ski locker so easier than going through reception. The pillows are big square ones and are thick. ‘Normal’ pillows would be better. Beds are firm but in a comfortable way, I.e not not ones you feel...