Chalet RoyAlp Hôtel & Spa — Restaurant in Ollon

Pleased to have stayed at Royalap hotel in beautiful Villers. The hotel is Dubai expensive but overall lacks the quality and service it charges. Our adjoining rooms where spacious and very comfortable, on the down side no USB phone charger sockets and the room sockets power goes off with the lights so phones died in the day just when we wanted to take pics. No way to control the room temperature, far too hot at night so opening the patio door to cool seemed a waste of energy. The kids loved the games room apart from not being able to use the Xbox as controllers broken. The breakfast was perfect and managed to Swiss perfection by the very polite lady manager. The spa was also excellent though the larger than required pool did not leave much space for loungers so limited and all five of us never got to sit together.

The bar area was relaxing but the food & service was poor. We ate there twice and both times our order was wrong and overcharged when I challenged the manager on our second meal he seemed infuriated that I would question him. The food was below average, very expensive, incorrect and as they were so busy my son to sit on the floor to eat. We did not go back.

Our third and final night we ate in Villers town Mamma Lotta’s which was far better, the hotel arranged a shuttle for us but failed to advise that the shuttle stops at 7pm so the restaurant ordered us a taxi which for about 4 minutes ride cost £30! The taxi driver found this quite amusing.

We found the skiing part quite difficult which was very much set up for return visitors who knew their way around as very little signage to help. Our guide was late for the first morning due to the mountain train delay which is more like 1970’s British Rail than Swiss accuracy. Walking down steep slippery concrete steps to scan your ski pass for the train then back up again to the same level in ski boots and equipment with 3 kids was ridiculous.

The train was packed and soon stopped for no reason. After 20 mins or so wait we just got off, with all the delays we missed the first hour of our guide time.

The second morning our guide advised that we forget the mountain train as too unreliable and book the hotel shuttle minibus direct to the cable car lift. I was told by the hotel that they won’t book and we should come to the reception just before we want to leave which we did. We were sent down to the underground car park and sat on the floor for 45 minutes waiting, I went up to the reception twice asking for a time and again they do not like to be challenged, I was told they don’t have an eta and we should just wait. When we finally got to the cable car lift there was like 500+ people waiting and French speaking skiers do like to push in so we missed over an hour of our second day guide time too.

We found our guide Anne unhelpful. Straight away she was very unhappy we could not speak French even though we booked an English speaking guide? She often just left us and spoke to me as if I should know where everything was, I did explain we had never been to this resort before and I had to repeatedly insist that she shows us the ski route to our hotel so we don’t get lost, she eventually and reluctantly agreed. When she refused to help my children with their equipment and even carry a bottle of water for them in her back pack myself and my kids (who named her ‘the strict head mistress’) decided not to meet her on our final day which ended up being our best day on the slopes by far.

Me and my kids like to go skiing for FUN, we are not expert skiers and don’t want to be we just want easy & simple which Villers could not offer so we will be returning to friendly, value for money, great service, beautiful, easy access, friendly guide, afternoon cakes & tea...

The writer has stayed at this hotel three times in the past two years. Once during the summer months, Twice during winter (alone and with family). The hotel is solid and never fails to make the grade. The food, service and atmosphere have always been to a good standard.||The rooms are finished in a traditionally charming but modern alpine style. The rooms have timber floors and cupboards, good hanging and flat storage for ski/hike gear, a work table, and balconies with seating. The beds are of medium stiffness. The rooms are generally quiet but those facing the porte cochere can be a little noisy for light sleepers when it gets busy during the holiday periods. The room can be ventilated via a tilting verandah door. There is no mechanical ventilation except in the bathroom. Lighting in the bathroom and room is good. ||The bathrooms are generously proportioned and tastefully finished in traditional slate. The bathrooms and bedrooms have underfloor heating which can be adjusted. The bathroom have a good sized heated towel rail for drying wet sports garments.||The hotel has a good breakfast buffet spread across two rooms. Dinner is a table d'hote menu or a la carte provided at reasonable prices. Children are well accommodated with an early dinner time and menu. The chef is very willing to accommodate children's dining predilections. The main dining room lacked some atmosphere, perhaps due to covid spacing requirements. The service is however excellent. The staff were all charming, speaking many languages, and of different ages and ethnicities. The hotel also has a charming, traditionally decorated, very popular raclette restaurant with an a la carte menu. ||The hotel's bar was charming and popular meeting place for both lunch and dinner. It was close to the children's play room so that parent could enjoy a drink whilst the children entertained themselves. The menu was tedious but according to management due for overhaul post-covid as a result of guest suggestion.||The hotel's indoor pool, jacuzzi and spa were very good and a family favourite. Our children really loved spending time in the pool/jacuzzi. The gym is also good. ||The hotel had a great games and general recreation room for the children close to the lobby. ||Parking at the hotel was free outside. There was a small charge to park inside.||The hotel is close to the funicular that goes to the ski slopes. Skiers can ski back to the hotel after skiing with ease. The only negative is the ski kindergarten is about a ten minute walk. ||Overall the hotel is good value, clean, tidy and quiet. The staff are seasoned, warm and accommodating. There is nothing grandiose or ostentatious about the hotel. It is a sophisticated yet understated establishment executed to a very...

This has the potential to be a wonderful hotel. It is set in a great location, with mountain views that are well worth paying extra for. The property is spacious, offering numerous seating options by cosy open fires and boasts a fabulous pool room with an open fire, sauna, and steam room. The jacuzzi is lovely and relaxing outside of peak times (4 pm–7 pm), when it tends to be taken over by children.||The hotel is a 15-minute walk from the town centre, but a convenient driver service is available to drop you off and pick you up. There’s a fantastic ski shop called Sports House for ski rentals, and a skilled gentleman named Adrian expertly adjusted my own boots. Ski passes can be purchased at reception, and the ski train, just a 2-minute walk across the road, provides easy access to the mountains. There’s also a fabulous sledge run back to the hotel if you take the train up to the Golf stop, and you can ski back to the hotel via a path at Col de Soud.||However, the service doesn’t quite match the standards of other Leading Hotels of the World we’ve experienced. The staff seem a little short-staffed, and there are some inconsistencies. Breakfast service, for example, can be hit or miss. On one occasion, I asked the woman who showed us to our table if she could take a coffee order, but she replied that it wasn’t her job and I’d need to ask someone else. One day there was avocado, which was fabulous, but when I asked the next day, I was told it had been a one-off. It would also be nice if water were routinely served at the table and if drink orders were taken when you’re seated. Additionally, egg dishes come at an extra charge, which feels odd for a hotel of this calibre.||Bar service is similarly slow—you need to track down a menu and then ask at the bar for someone to take your order. In our room, bathrobes and slippers were removed by housekeeping but not replaced, and on another occasion, towels were taken without new ones being left. Water in the room was not replenished either.||The rooms are warm, but without air conditioning, and we couldn’t open the patio doors in the evening because of smoke wafting in from a chimney or fire below.||On a positive note, the lady at the spa desk, one of the men at reception, and the driver into town are all a credit to the hotel. Unfortunately, the rest of the staff seemed to have a somewhat nonchalant attitude, which detracted from the overall experience.||While the setting and facilities are excellent, these service issues, particularly at this price point, let this hotel down. |Would we go again? Probably not, I would look for a hotel with a better 5-star...