READ SKIING EXPERT AND BBC CORRESPONDENT KURT BARLING’S REVIEW OF OUR HOTEL

BBC Correspondent Kurt Barling has been a skier since his first trip to Davos at the age of four.  He has skied all across Europe but now returns regularly to Les Deux Alpes to ski with his family.  Here he explains why.

Twenty five years ago on a sunny Summer’s day I took my girlfriend Kim (now my wife) on to the glacier at Les Deux Alpes.   In those days there was no Jandri Express so it took an age.    Kim thought the whole exercise was crazy.  She’d never experienced the thrill of facing down a mountain and letting go.  However, the charm of being on snow at that time of year was irresistible.  

My wife’s first wobbly knees skiing session whilst we were students at nearby Grenoble University created an emotional link with Les Deux Alpes which we’ve never lost. 

Skiing has changed a lot in the quarter century that has passed in between and the resort has worked hard to ensure there is still plenty to recommend it to families.

Ever since I can remember the Barlings have been independent travellers.  That was passed down from my parents, who since that first trip of mine to Davos in 1966, have always searched out their own recommendations for a good skiing holiday.   Now in their seventies my parents are still skiing at Les Deux Alpes.  

Tour operated holidays suit some families, but others prefer, like us, to do it under their own steam.  Of course the internet has helped the independent traveller by giving us access to a wider range of choice.  Now, the difficulty is, trusting the information that you can gather on the web.  Is the hotel really what it’s cooked up to be or could it be a house of horrors? 

Three generations of Barlings regularly return to Les Deux Alpes and this article, put simply, is our impression of the hospitality we have received at the family run La Cote Brune.  The hosts speak English so there are no language issues.

Two years ago we changed the habit of forty years and decided to search out a hotel to ease the pressure and enhance the relaxation of our annual ski holiday.  Getting the kids ready, making the beds, preparing breakfast and dinner and doing the washing up simply become too much of a chore.  Of course we still wanted to do things independently.  So we searched the very good resort website navigating you through what is available at Les Deux Alpes for accommodation.

The Cote Brune Hotel came up as a two star family run hotel.  It had some key attributes for us as a family.   Firstly it was extremely close to the ski school meeting point and the Jandri Express.  For anyone who hates a moaning child at the end of a day’s skiing, this was important.   It’s also sufficiently close to the slopes to guarantee skiing right to the front door most of the season.    Last Easter we skied to the front door for the whole 10 days.   But it is also close enough to avoid shin blisters from dragging legs weighed down by ski boots.

At the end of your skiing exertions there is a clean and warm place to store skis and boots securely right as you enter the hotel so that they are ready the next morning.  Gone are the days of damp boots from yesterday’s efforts.  We positively look forward to putting warm dry boots on in the morning!

There is ample parking if you are going to drive to the ski resort.  By the same token it is not far from the centre of the resort so if you are arriving by bus from Grenoble airport or Grenoble train station it is easy walking distance.

Better value for money is a key feature in booking direct.  We are a family of five and have always found it difficult to secure hotel rooms to accommodate us all.  La Cote Brune has a couple of options.  The first year we stayed here we took two adjoining rooms.  The following year we opted for one family room.  If you have three children or less and you don’t mind sharing with them this is good value.  In truth it’s more of a studio layout and suited us fine.  This cuts the cost of a key component of a ski holiday.

The rooms are comfortable and very warm and the family rooms have very good washing facilities.  They are cheerfully decorated in an Alpine style.  One of our usual complaints staying away from home is nearly always the beds.  La Cote Brune has really cracked that so that at the very least it’s not the bed that’s going to stop you getting a good night’s sleep.  We asked for there to be more hanging space the first year and the hotel responded by improving what was available in the rooms.

Breakfast is standard continental fare.  But it is plentiful and quick.   The service has always been cheerful and friendly.  We never missed a start at ski school for the children and we never needed refuelling before lunchtime.  In fact lunchtime was often spent on the sundeck at the hotel which is a great spot that many other people in the resort use during the day.  Of course staying at the hotel means you can slip back to the room whilst waiting for lunch to be served.  A full board option is not available but it amounts to the same thing.  This gives you the flexibility of eating elsewhere or staying on the mountain for lunch.

This year the Hotel Cote Brune has introduced a half-oard arrangement in the hotel itself.  In past few years you had to travel to its sister restaurant.  The evening meal was always enjoyable and we never felt any inclination to eat elsewhere.   Like most children ours tend to be fussy eaters and with a combination of wise choices and kitchen flexibility there was always a happy balance at evening meal times.

Although it’s difficult to say what the evening meals will be like in the new arrangement if they maintain the same standard we will have no complaints.   In practical terms being able to eat at the hotel will be a major improvement in convenience.  On the couple of occasions when we ate in another local restaurant with grandparents who were staying in self-catering accommodation, an amount for food was deducted from the final bill. 

The hotel is in a spot which is comfortably away from the hustle and bustle of the main thoroughfare.  If you want to stumble back in to the hotel after a night out it is very central and close to all the major resort hotspots.   Its our impression that La Cote Brune tends to attract hardened skiers though, who prefer to spend time on the slopes. 

The hotel is small enough to move about in and it never concerned us that we had to walk upstairs.  This year a new lift will get people to different floors, which is obviously useful if you have someone with mobility difficulties.    

ONE LAST THING.  I KNOW WE GO ON HOLIDAY TO FORGET THE OFFICE BUT JUST IN CASE.  THIS YEAR THE HOTEL OWNERS HAVE INSTALLED A WIFI NETWORK SO THAT YOU CAN SURF THE WEB FROM THE CONVENIENCE OF YOUR OWN ROOM, IF YOUR LAPTOP IS WIFI COMPATIBLE.    IF YOU NEED TO KEEP UP WITH WORK OR JUST GOSSIP VIA WEBMAIL YOU CAN DO IT HERE FOR FREE.  IF YOU WANT TO STAY IN TOUCH BY PHONE INSTALL SKYPE BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME AND YOU CAN USE THAT TO CALL VIA THE WIFI CONNECTION.

If you’re looking for comfort and convenience as opposed to luxury for your family ski holiday, Hotel Cote Brune is an excellent offering.   For a family of five sharing a room you can expect to pay around the 300 euro mark per night for half-board.   

After a twenty-five year association with Les Deux Alpes we have found ourselves genuinely happy with the level of service and friendly welcome offered to us and importantly our children at this hotel.   Perhaps tellingly our three children would not now want to stay anywhere else.   Despite the rigours of skiing we all return to England refreshed.

I hope you find this personal review helpful in making up your mind about where to stay in Les Deux Alpes.  Wherever you chose, have a great holiday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/features/my_london