We’re in the process of sorting out our family holiday for Christmas 2010, and were all set to book with Crystal for the Terra Nova Hotel in Plagne Centre.

Family-freindliness is important to us; we have two children age 8 and 5, who tend to tire early, especially after a day’s skiing / activity.  So in the past we’ve valued early kids teas, and putting them to bed with us listening via baby monitor and regular visits, whilst we eat in the restaurant during the adult meal time.

But after enquiring, the very helpful staff at Crystal said that early kids teas, baby monitors and leaving children asleep in the room will probably be stopping in many of their hotels.  They said that many family friendly hotels in the Crystal brochure have been taken over by new French owners so many of these facilities are coming to an end.

So - beware - if you’re thinking of booking with Crystal,  I’d suggest asking some questions if family freindly facilities are important to you.

Crystal did suggest the Hermitage in Alpe d’Huez as the best family freindly alternative - where all this will still be available -  but we’ve been there before.

I’m now thinking we’ll try to find a nice self-catering apartment with a pool - maybe in Arc 1950.  We’d love to book a chalet hotel with Esprit as they do seem very family oriented - but the prices they’ve quoted just seem astronomical for a week’s holiday…

...decisions, decisions….

I suspect you have booked now…. but I can recommend the Chalet Christina with Mark Warner at Plagne Centre ... right near the ski school and they have all the things you mentioned in your post. The chalet itself is no great shakes (basic but comfortable) but the food and the fun are good and the kids have a great time ...

They do some good deals outside of the school hols but you may be tied to those ... Also ski esprit do some great last minute offers ... but I know that#s risky when you have little ones in tow (my lad is 9) as you generally want to know where you are going well in advance and have made sure you have good accommodation.

Be nice to know where you are going
AJ

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.  I think we did look at the Mark Warner website amongst others and remember seeing the Chalet Christina - will certainly bear this one in mind for future holidays.  In the end we plumped for Esprit - their whole set up seems very child friendly.  We booked their Chalet-Hotel in Courchevel over Christmas.

First time we’ve booked with Esprit (previously gone with the likes of Crystal or have booked independently).  Esprit are generally not cheap (although for Courchevel the prices actually seems very reasonable compared to other operators - strangely other resorts in the Esprit brochure worked out a fair bit pricier than this one), but if their child friendly approach lives up to their brochure hype, then it will be worth it - for example they ferry the kids from the hotel to ski school and back each day, put on an early tea for kids and ‘patrol’ the hotel to check kids are OK whilst adults have their meal and so on.

The pool in the hotel also swung it too - a useful back up activity just in case there’s no snow!