Au Charmant Petit Lac • Spa & Park Eco-Hotel — Hotel in Ayas

Our expectations of a 5 star hotel were definitely not met, too much was missing. The hotel is quite stylish and you can enjoy a few relaxing hours in it. The wellness area is inviting as well as the patio. Unfortunately, however, the negative points far outweigh them, which we list here:

Staff: Check-in was rather cramped. The responsible person has probably tried to do everything as planned, but is not really up Accommodated our needs and kept pushing, right away to park the car away. In the middle of explaining the hotel, the phone rang and she answered the call without hesitation, leaving us there. Welcoming someone is different.

Unfortunately, the staff has no local knowledge. They don't know at the reception which mountain railways are in operation in summer and don't bother to find the answers for us.

Unfortunately, when we checked out at 08:30, there was no one who knew how to check out at this hotel. The person present first had to find a person who can do the check-out. Although we wanted to check out at a normal time, we had to wait an uncomfortably long time.

In general, throughout our stay, the staff was rather arrogant, distant, and incompetent. We didn't get the impression that our well-being was at the heart of their motivation.

Room: The rooms are very badly soundproofed, noises from other rooms penetrated directly into the room through the ventilation. In addition, the trampling of the children who lived above us was so audible that sleeping was only possible with earplugs.

The minibar was empty except for a bottle of water.

Unfortunately, the curtains only partially keep out the light at night.

The electronics in the room shine very brightly and the fire alarm flashes constantly, so that the room is not dark at night. A blindfold is recommended here.

The electronic room control does not work.

The furniture in the room for the clothes rack is more reminiscent of a youth hostel than a 5-star hotel.

The open fire on the terrace outside at night is certainly nice to look at but makes opening the balcony door impossible as all the smoke from the fire enters the room and fills it with smoke.

There is no information about the hotel in the room.

Breakfast: If you are looking for a rich breakfast you are wrong in this hotel. Breakfast was a no go for us. There are various boring little bites in little plates that you either like or don't like. Certainly nothing for an active day in the beautiful mountain area that awaits you here. This was in our opinion the worst and stingiest breakfast served and in any hotel on many trips.

It is obvious that we cannot recommend this hotel as a 5 star hotel. If you're looking for mediocre and stylish accommodation, this is the place for you. The question then remains whether you want to pay these high prices for it.

We moved to another accommodation after two days and really enjoyed our further stay...

Au Charmant Petit Lac has charming modern but rustic (ski resort feel) architecture and décor, with everything geared to giving a first-class sensation in a sports setting. The food was excellent - I saw another reviewer below grumbling about a lack of "international" food which is untrue as there are choices but there is indeed a distinct emphasis on "local" specialities, and produce from "the hunt" is an important part of local cooking. To the more sophisticated (or down-to-earth) traveller this is actually a plus - for pity's sake, it's a mountain resort not a city-centre hotel, you would hardly expect deer steaks or locally-made Italian country cheese in a New York hotel, so enjoy it while it's on offer in an alpine setting. Dare to be local. Breakfast is great fun as a whole spread is laid out on your own table instead of on a large public buffet (this also caused some grumbles from a reviewer below - why? Do you particularly want your breakfast sneezed on by other clients?) There are the usual breakfast classics but also some (to the non-Italian) more surprising choices including sautéed vegetables, and fewer French-style pastries. Bread is provided although is not their specialty but there is no shortage of cold cuts, smoked salmon, cheese, granola, and fruit. Added to which they serve tea and coffee and delicious nibbles in the rustic lounge area late afternoons, so skipping lunch seems entirely possible and you need to work hard to keep the calories down. Which you can do in the spa which has a truly lovely WARM pool (no need to grit your teeth on your way in), as well as the usual sauna and steam room and an "Emotional Shower" (beware, your emotions come when the cold water hits you). A charming masseuse takes care of the massages and facial treatments, tested both, and both were a treat. At the end of the day, it is the staff who really stand out in this pretty establishment - they are all very welcoming, unfailingly helpful and unendingly patient with clients. Five stars to all of them and our deepest thanks for giving us such a...

We stayed as a family of 3 at this hotel between Christmas and New Year and were extremely impressed.||The food was incredible. We were on a half board stay. Breakfast is called “a gastronomic offering” and simply could not be improved. It was vast and meant we really didn’t need lunch on the mountain. We ate in both the hotel restaurant and their bistrot which is a few minutes walk from the main building. Both were exceptional. In Lo Bistrot the portion sizes were almost too big!||Every late afternoon on return to the hotel, they are a selection of complimentary savouries and cakes on offer. Make sure you have a drink in the bar before your evening meal as they bring out a selection of incredible appetisers with your drinks.||At every meal there was plenty of delicious gluten free options for me - I have to say the gluten free croissants I ate each breakfast time were simply the best I’d ever had.||We went to the Spa each day too which has so many different facilities and one afternoon I enjoyed an excellent massage. The aromatherapy products they use there and in your room smell amazing and we brought some during our stay to remind us of this great hotel once home. ||On the 1st morning we asked for our car (it’s valet parked when you arrive) as we wanted to start our day at the Frachey funicular. However there was no need for it, as they will drive you there and back with no extra charge. ||What really makes this hotel outstanding is their friendly customer service ethos. You feel as a guest very welcomed and valued. We’d particularly like to commend Roland in the restaurant and Rencho the very kind driver.||We used the ski hire shop Telemark which the hotel recommended and received once again such individual friendly service each day (they store your gear overnight) - they even will help you put your ski boots...