XC Chamonix — Local services in Bonneville

I usually don’t bother leaving bad reviews, but after seeing how these hosts operate, I feel obligated to warn both future guests and property owners considering entrusting their apartments to them.

Let’s start with the facts. I initially considered canceling my trip due to ski conditions and switching resorts. Plans changed, and I ended up going to Chamonix after all—completely irrelevant to what happened next.

The nightmare began the moment we arrived. After 20 hours of travel, we stepped into a freezing apartment, only to realize that the “central heating” promised in the listing was a work of fiction. For those unfamiliar, central heating means a proper hot water system warming the entire apartment—not a few weak electric heaters struggling against the Alpine cold. The real kicker? The hot water in the shower ran out after 10 minutes.

Frustrated, we opened a case with Airbnb. And that’s when Olivia and Sari put on their well-rehearsed show. First, they promised to relocate us to a “suitable” apartment. Then, they claimed there was a “technical issue” they were working on. They strung along Airbnb support for two days before we finally gave up—because we were there to ski, not waste our vacation arguing with incompetent hosts.

Their lack of professionalism didn’t stop there. We requested extra sheets. They assured us they’d bring them. They never did. We ended up using spare pillows from the closet—without pillowcases. Disgusting? Yes. Did we complain? No. At that point, we had given up expecting anything remotely professional from them.

We left the apartment spotless—arguably cleaner than when we arrived. And what did Sari do? She waited until the very last hours of the 14-day review window to post a negative review about me, claiming I had wanted to cancel. Excuse me? Fortunately, Airbnb removed her absurd review because, unlike Sari, they understand that guest reviews are supposed to be about how well a guest takes care of the property—not some bizarre personal vendetta.

Now, if you look at their reviews, you’ll notice something interesting. Many guests leave positive feedback—because, let’s be honest, Chamonix is an incredible place, and most people leave happy despite these hosts, not because of them. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a pattern: a growing collection of one-star horror stories on both Google and Airbnb.

So here’s my advice: • Property owners: If you want to protect your investment, find better people to manage your place. Olivia and...

Firstly, let me start by saying the apartment we rented from these guys was great and we were so pleased to stay there. Until the last day.

Unfortunately, we were out on the ski slopes and lost the spare key in the woodland, in the snow. On the last day of our holiday, I exchanged messages with Sari from XC Chamonix, to apologise and offer to reimburse the key. What followed was a quick-fired barrage of icy messages from Sari telling us off, which eventually ended in her saying we owed 250 euros for the key. Apparently this was the key deposit, although it was detailed nowhere on the Airbnb listing before and during our stay.

It was added afterwards, obviously after this event, and Sari tried to gaslight us by telling us it was there all along (We checked. Multiple times. It wasn't!). We pointed this out and she didn't deny it.

The owner has decided all the locks need to be changed in the entire apartment block because of the loss of the spare key. We suspect the real issue here is that it had a tag on it which said 'Paradis'- something that XC Chamonix should have removed and now we are paying the cost for. I work in Real Estate and the most important rule of holding keys is NEVER to have any identifying information on them.

We declined to pay 250 euros for the replacement of the keys for the entire apartment block, offering to pay for the one key we lost (£150 euros). In response, Sari fabricated claims that the flat required extra cleaning after we left. We were genuinely stunned by this and asked for photos. Apparently a clean knife in the bottom of the dishwasher, some fingerprints on the stainless steel bit of the microwave, an oven tray we had forgotten (OK, this one was our bad) and water marks from wiping the hob amount to two hours of extra cleaning charges. They are also accusing us of blocking the shower but it was like that when we got there and we didn't complain because we didn't want to make a fuss (oh, how we regret this now!).

In summary, what a shame for this mess to have overcast what was a brilliant holiday. The key issue could have been resolved so straightforwardly had XC Chamonix acted in a professional manner and their subsequent false accusations were shocking to say the least.

So, book XC Chamonix at your own risk and if everything goes smoothly, hopefully you will have a wonderful holiday, but if not, don't expect to be treated with integrity by...

If you want to truly get the most out of your stay and experience the full bliss of Chamonix, I warmly recommend getting in touch with XC Chamonix! Sari and her team are true professionals who know the area like the back of their hands, making sure to plan even the tiniest details and guaranteeing you a super trip.

My extended family spent a wonderful week in Chamonix in July 2022, and XC Chamonix helped us in finding a perfect chalet, great restaurants and planning the most amazing activities ranging from hiking to white water rafting and downhill biking. We’ve visited in winter time, too, and thanks to Sari and her tips we knew exactly how to maneuver in the valley during the busy winter week and make the most of our time...