What you need to know to book a chalet at Les Airelles Courchevel?
Did you know that the famous Chateau de Les Airelles in Courchevel offers massive chalets within the heart of Courchevel? They have a handful of extraordinary suites which explains the limited availability, exacerbated even more so by the “repeaters” – families that return to the same suite year after year, leaving little to no options to anyonoui e new on the scene. Probably a good strategy for the hotel as a way of maintaining utmost comfort for their usual clientele. They actually tell you: “we are sorry but these suites will not be available as our repeaters will be returning” thereby admitting that the hotel does not have a first come first serve basis, which I must say is fair enough. I definitely enjoy being prioritized if I keep choosing the same hotel, after all it is only fair, they keep choosing me in return.
After trying out a few of these suites over the years in the off season – availability is much better and more booking flexibility such as you don’t have to check in on a Saturday and there is no minimum stay: during the high season clients are limited to checking in and out on Saturdays, which means you cannot arrive nor leave on any other day, for example I once tried to book a 10 day stay and that was not an option, my choices were limited to a week or 2 weeks, but nothing in between – the entire resort operates according to this unwritten rule including the independent chalets.
These stringent policies are only applied during the Christmas period or winter break when half the world travels to Courchevel. We used to avoid it quite successfully while enjoying all the same perks, before our kids hit school age, which means we are now lumped in with the rest and stand to beg for the suites of our choice and hope for miraculous availabilities. By some twist of fate this year we were offered the highly sought after and several times requested Chalets by Les Airelles.
Choosing Chalet Ormello over Chalet 1992
To say that I was excited is to say nothing, I looked forward to trying one of these for a long time and to my surprise I was even given a choice between 2 different ones 1992 and Chalet Ormello… guess which one I picked? If the title doesn’t give it away, I’ll tell you;)
I chose Ormello based on nothing more than the floorplans, which were preferable to me since the size and price of the chalets were rather similar. I expected all the bells and whistles upon arrival that a chalet of this magnitude should offer, after all the Les Airelles Courchevel hotel is nothing if not the embodiment of exceptional service. Prior to booking their chalet I had looked at a few others, and my choice was not only due to my long-standing relationship with the brand but also due to my belief that even if everything else falls short the level of service will be guaranteed.
The staffing reality: where Les Airelles Courchevel falls short
I was a little wrong in that regard. You see the fact that the chalet belongs to a hotel meant that a lot of the staff was interchangeable and not actually live in dedicated chalet staff, which of course meant that our very capable, in fact more than capable team was severely understaffed.
The team was wonderful and the level of service provided by them was top notch, unfortunately they were shorthanded. The over 1000sqm chalet of 9 bedrooms, with a gym a spa and pool were serviced by a team of 4 (including the chef) which I found shameful. The proposal mentions a dedicated driver, ski valet, butler, dog walker, housekeeper and a few other perks, turns out it’s an all in one – your butler must play hop scotch while juggling because he in fact is the driver, the ski valet, the dog walker and more – poor guy!
Trust me he got a good tip on top of the fact that we had come with our own staff, who were trying to be as helpful as possible, but that should never have been the case at a chalet provided by such a prominent hotel costing an arm and a leg (tripled).
This isn’t the first time a palace has fallen short of expectations — as I shared in my Ritz Paris review, exceptional branding doesn’t always guarantee exceptional service.
The magic of Chalet Ormello
Now, having acknowledged how understaffed the team serving us was and giving them a big tribute for trying and succeeding, I must say that the week we spent at Ormello was magical. The chalet was the embodiment of winter charm, beautifully maintained, with gorgeous furnishings and the famous Les Airelles scent… yes, yes, it is THAT hotel, they have their own scent which also happens to be my favourite – amber!
The breakfast was set up beautifully every morning, with a vast variety of breakfast staples. The rooms were spacious and cozy with spectacular views. I loved opening the floor to ceiling balcony doors for 10-15 minutes every night and take in the fresh mountain air while admiring the snowfall, leaving the curtains open only to wake up with a smile on my face and enjoy my morning coffee looking out that magical window (there really is no other word for it), our time in Courchevel and Ormello was magical.
Much like Orient Express first class experience, the full board experience at Les Airelles is a highlight in itself.
The ski experience: expectations vs. reality
The beauty of the chalet however does not make up for the fact that we lacked many services that the hotel normally offers, which is a ski in/ski out option that Courchevel is famous for. Of course, we knew that when we booked the Ormello however since it mentioned a Bernard Orcell ski room and a ski-valet I wasn’t worried about the chalet being across the road from the slope because I assumed that our skis would be beautifully laid out on the piste prior to us starting our day on the slopes of the trois vallees and we would just need to cross the street, disclaimer: the hotel itself is located on the piste so when you go for your ski day, you pass through the ski room where several very capable ski valets prepare all your gear for you, and help take it off and store it upon your return while offering hot chocolate, coffee and other treats.
The chalet ski experience wasn’t remotely close to anything I just described, which was probably our biggest disappointment. I understand the lack of facilities such as being directly on the slope but I did not understand the lack of help and service, once again our own staff handled it for us, which significantly differs from the proposal when booking it and is not relative to the price.
Is Chalet Ormello by Les Airelles Courchevel worth it?
However, the price is somewhat justifiable by the fact that the weekly price of the chalet includes full board at all of the Les Airelles venues, which I must say is a lot of venues. On top of the fact that all the meals in the chalet are also included in the price, this was probably the lowest “extras” bill that I have ever paid for a destination of this caliber.
Now, the main question, is Chalet Ormello by Les Airelles worth it? Given the range of facilities and number of rooms in the chalet, along with the full board option inclusive of wines from the company’s vineyards and the week-long ski passes for 3 valleys, I can say without a doubt that financially it is worth it, after all it is a large, beautiful chalet located in the heart of one of the most sought-after resorts in the World, Courchevel.
However, is it worth the wait? I requested this chalet several times over the last couple of years and was only offered it now, and I cannot confidently say that I would not have preferred a large suite inside the hotel. While I enjoyed my time at Ormello, I believe I might enjoy my time at Les Airelles next year slightly more.
