Some people like to cut every corner possible when planning for a ski holiday in order to get as cheap a trip as they can, but I’ve reached the stage where I want to really enjoy my ski trips so am on the hunt for best value. That doesn’t mean splashing the cash, but it does mean travelling with an operator that can provide everything you need for a great ski trip, all with a one-stop-shop approach and at a fair price.
I headed out to Morzine, one of the most popular resorts in France, located at the heart of the wonderful Portes du Soleil ski region. It’s an amazing ski area that encompasses 650km of ski runs, linking a dozen ski villages right over the border into Switzerland.
The operator I chose was TG Ski, who have recently renovated the seven-bedroom Chalet Les Pierrys and added to its premium “Summit” range. Les Pierrys, which sleeps 14 and is located a five-minute shuttle ride away from the resort, is focused on high design standards and has a luxury feel, including the employment of a Michelin-star restaurant trained in-house chef. All this combines to create a contemporary twist on the traditional chalet.
While TG Ski offer a great base for the Portes du Soleil, holidays in Chalet Les Pierrys are that much better than the norm as you can have your ski equipment delivered and fitted in the chalet, there are visiting spa treatment and beauty treatment services and even preferred private ski or snowboard schools on hand. In short, all the things you normally waste time organising and trailing around resort to organise come to you without any effort on your part. Excellent!
All the other modern comfort touches are here – Nespresso Machines, BOSE sound system, Wii MotionPlus, Apple TV, lift, wi-fi, hot tub …
Culinary joy is a big part of the TG Ski experience, starting every morning with a choice of French pastries, homemade smoothies and a full cooked breakfast, then continuing each evening with five-course meals created six nights a week by Michelin-trained Executive Chef Dan Draper, who also oversees the chefs at TG Ski’s other chalets.
After graduating from catering college, Dan started his career in a number of high-profile London restaurants including Social Eating House and L’Autre Pied. The experience gave him a huge insight into ingredients, flavours and working under pressure. However, after a few years, he wanted to escape the confines of a structured kitchen and feed his other great passion of skiing, which brought him rather nicely to TG Ski!
Superior wine, champagne, cocktails, beers and premium spirits are also all available, and Chalet Host Alice Smith ensures everything is running smoothly and that everyone is happy. Finally, Chalet Driver Will Prince is available to take you wherever you want to go (within reason!), if you can bear going out …
Info
TG Ski – tgski.com
In-chalet equipment hire: Doorstep Skis – doorstepskis.com
In-chalet spa treatments: Indulge Massage & Beauty – indulgemorzine.com (average price £35 for half an hour)
Airport transfers: Mountain Bus Company – mountainbuscompany.com (from £35pp return)
Ski lessons: The Snow Institute – thesnowinstitute.com (private lessons from £19pp per hour)
Snowboard lessons: Mint Snowboarding – mintsnowboarding.com (private lessons from £20pp per hour)
