Silou Retreat — Hotel in Champdepraz

We had a great time on our holiday in the Alps, and the hotel itself was nice, but if I were to plan this trip again I would have chosen a different hotel. |The positive:|-Front desk personnel was very nice and helpful (everyday they were available for suggestions. I also wanted to surprise my husband on our arrival with a dessert, and they prepared a delicious berries and cream cake that was waiting for us)|-The outdoor pool/jacuzzi (NOT hot tub, as the water is just warm, but it was perfectly comfortable for soaking in the amazing view of the mountains)|-Clean and new rooms with a chic Alpine vibe (and whatever the general fragrance is that is placed in the halls around the hotel, it’s absolutely delicious). Our room was a very comfortable size and had a balcony. |- It is located at the literal doorstep of the Mont Avic Natural Park ||The negative:|-The most limited breakfast I’ve ever encountered. We were there for 4 mornings, and the offerings remained exactly the same. Very limited in terms of savory (2-3 types of cold cuts and cheese each), no vegetables at all, the cakes were excessively sweet, and no hot dishes - not even eggs, which were only available a la carte at an extra charge. |-On two nights when I wanted to shower after a long day out trekking (around 22:00) there was no hot water. The staff said it might be due to changing the pool water... there were also some issues with the air/heating in the room not working properly. |-The Hotel is at the tip top of the mountain. It takes a full 18-20 minutes to just go up and down the mountain! Making it rather an effort to just go out for dinner. (We did not try the hotel restaurant, and if it were a little more in line with the price, it certainly would have been easier to have the option of staying in). Having a car to get around is non-negotiable, and it’s a good thing our rental was diesel. The nearest town is about a 25 minute drive from the hotel. ||Other things to note:|-The rooms do not have a mini fridge. We bought some cheese and they were happy to keep it refrigerated for us at the hotel bar |-The spa is small (nice, not the most luxurious, but in line with a 3 star hotel). They try to control the amount of people that use it at a time by keeping entry by reservation. If there are 2 couples using it at the same time it’s fine, but 3 already feels crowded. The combination of Finnish sauna and plunge pool filled with cold water was...

This is one of those places that on one hand we would keep to ourselves, so lovely and cosy it is, yet on the other hand we want to share it with as many people as possible, because it deserves the whole world to know about it…||It all starts accross the Alps, in a marvelous country: Italy!|| 🇮🇹 Thanks to a great couple-friends who told us so much about it that we decided to go! ||||We have gone two times so far, just a couple of days at first, then several more, and we plan on coming back!!||||This place we talk about is called the Mont Avic Resort & Wellness, and as they say: "Il silenzio è il nuovo lusso!" ||It is located in Covarey (Champdepraz) at the beginning of the Mont Avic natural park. It has it all for you to LOVE your vacation… Wonderful crew of people who love what they do (and you feel it!), splendid mountain location, superb hiking spots, breathtaking views, charming restaurant with scrumptious food, finest selection of wines, and deserts cooked in front of you… A peaceful beautiful spa… Lovely rooms… Calm, kind atmosphere, which is difficult to find nowadays… The nature is simply stunning… Imagine having your breakfast at the sound of bells on wandering cows and the deers that you can see just a few steps away in the wild…||||If you want to really relax, enjoy great food, breathe mountain air and just feel good - this is the place for you! It’s a real pearl! ||#montavicresort, #greatstaff, #greatspa, #greatfood, #italy #besthotel, #nature, #hiking, #greatviewhotel, #amazing, & #bestvacation sum up...

Disappointing Experience for Our Honeymoon

My husband and I stayed at Silou Retreat for two nights at the end of our honeymoon. While this was the most expensive and highly anticipated part of our trip, it turned out to be the most disappointing.

We arrived two hours before check-in and, even though we knew the room was already available (we’d tried to book it for the night before), we weren’t allowed to check in early—not even ten minutes before the official time. We weren’t offered access to the pool, a place to leave our bags, or even shade while we waited in the sun.

What hurt the most was the complete lack of warmth. No congratulations for our honeymoon. No effort to make us feel special. We were seated at dinner at the only table without a view, despite there being many open ones, and weren’t allowed to move. It all felt unnecessarily cold, snooty, and transactional.

Compared to the mountain huts we stayed in—which were simple but full of heart and kindness—this place felt like a business chasing luxury status without the hospitality to match. We almost left early to return to the huts, where we felt genuinely cared for.

This retreat has potential, but the lack of basic kindness and customer care really ruined our experience. I...