Alpe d'Huez Activity Review: 17th September 2009
Since last week’s prediction that the first snows of winter were not far away, the alpine weather has launched us back into summer. Over the past few days we’ve had temperatures in the mid- twenties and very little breeze. The early mornings have been a little foggy, but that’s been burning off by 9am. It’s perfect weather for all the DIY that needs to be done before the winter season starts again.
As always, there are changes afoot in both resorts as businesses rise and fall with the tourist economy. It’s predicted that British tour operators will fully feel the pinch of both the falling pound and the ‘economic crisis’ in Winter 2009/10. Last winter, bookings had already been made by the time the extent of the recession was felt in the UK and as a result we did see a fall in the average spend per person on arrival in resort. For example, in Winter 2007/08 a restaurant order would most likely have consisted of three courses and bottle of wine; in Winter 2008/09 that fell to maybe two courses and a glass of wine.
In Les Deux Alpes, the main four tour operators – Crystal, Neilson, Skiworld and Mark Warner – seem to be taking very different approaches to the coming season. Neilson’s flagship hotel in resort, The Aalborg, has undergone a major restructure, with a new floor added and an extensive refurbishment inside. In contrast, Skiworld has lost the contract for its only hotel in resort, Le Cret. Crystal – which took on many of the First Choice chalets last season, as a result of the amalgamation of the two businesses – has dramatically decreased its number of chalets in resort to seven.
In Alpe d’Huez, Crystal’s Vallee Blanche has moved within the organisation to Ski Bound, which specialises in school trips. Hotel Les Cimes has been dropped, as have many of the chalets, meaning a dramatic decrease in the amount of staff in resort.
But the scaling down of major companies in resort could actually be good for tourists. Independent businesses now have access to a larger share of the market, as tourists are using the internet to book more aspects of their holidays independently. The benefit of travelling independently is flexibility making short breaks more manageable as you don’t have to take a chartered flight on a Saturday.
Hotel La Meije, in Les Deux Alpes, allows arrivals and departures on any day of the week. Their service also allows you to book full-board or B&B before departure, eating in the newly opened restaurant on the nights it suits you.
New on the independent scene this year in Les Deux Alpes is Le Cret. Fresh from a refurbishment in the Spring, Le Cret’s owners have taken the reigns from Skiworld and will be running the hotel on a similar, half-board basis. Catering for Italians as well as Brits, the hotel will have an Italian chef and bookings will be Sunday to Sunday.
In Alpe d’Huez, Hotel Le Chamois has been running for five seasons and sets the standard for independent British hotels in the area. It has a full-board service, similar to a tour operator, with an après-ski menu available if you’re feeling peckish. If you prefer self-catering in Alpe d’Huez, the guys at Mountain Experience will step-in where the tour operators left off, finding you accommodation, organising discounts in resort and even picking-up your lift passes for you!
For independent travel, both resorts are easily accessible by public bus from Grenoble and in the winter you can link to Grenoble’s Gare Routiere from the major local airports of Grenoble, Lyon, Chambery and even Geneva. On Saturdays, Ben’s Bus runs transfers to both resorts from Grenoble airport.
So, just because the tour operators are scaling down, it doesn’t mean you need to compromise on the quality of your holiday in the Southern Alps. There are plenty of British-run businesses gearing-up for Winter 2009/10 and getting ready to welcome you to Les Deux Alpes and Alpe d’Huez.
PS: The berries on the trees are getting fatter and redder by the day... a sure sign of a long, cold winter!
