Le Chalet Des Neiges Arc 2000

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Group of 6 adults and 6 children ranging from 3 to 6 years old. Stayed in Arcs 2000 the week before half term. Adults had all skiied before, children were novices.
Chose Esprit on recommendation for childcare and proved worthwile. They seemed to have a lot of staff (all British) and very polite and helpful too. Younger children joined spritelets afternoon ski lessons and older children joined morning Sprites ski lessons shared with Club Med. Instructors were ESF and therefore all French. Older children were able to snowplough down simple blues by the end of the week, younger children still needed holding.
The rest of the time the children were in Snow Club leaving adults free to ski from 9 till 5. Did things like snowballing, tobagganing and a trip to see huskies as well as indoor stuff like making up a play. They enjoyed Snow Club more than the skiing and still recount the various songs they were taught.
Chalet des Neiges is a block of chalet units. We were in Bordeaux which is one of the larger units although all of the Esprit chalets took 12 people. Accommodation was modern, clean and comfortable although a little cramped in the bedrooms. Lounge/kitchen/Diner upstairs and bedrooms andbathrooms downstairs. Be aware that Bordeaux has rooms downstairs used by staff from other chalets. They come and go through the evening but kept quiet and made a point of introducing themselves at the start of the week.
No ski lockers so needed the balconies to store skis. Swimming pool was freezing. Very good location with lift pass office (weekends only) in reception, Ski-Set ski hire next door, and a few steps from the 50m or so button up to the resort centre.
Childcare was in Chalet Altitude 50m or so in the opposite direction to the button. However, bus drop off and pick up at the start and end is the opposite end of the village so have to walk through with cases, helped by chalet staff. Arcs2000 is not well laid out for walking around but there was a lift in the building opposite which got you into the resport centre.
We had a chalet boy and girl catering for us. The boy was older than most chalet staff and proved very polite with good standard of food and attention to our needs. Breakfast of cereal, porridge, toast, cheese, ham, and croissants. Cake, bread and tea ready for when you got in in the afternoon. Children ate child friendly food, e.g. fish fingers, pasta around 5.30. Adults ate 3 courses with wine around 8.30.
Thursday was chalet staff night off so we ate out. We fed the children burgers and chips in the bar next door, put them to bed and went out ourselves. Esprit provided a babysitter, one of the staff from Snow Club in the daytime, who was excellent at calming our distraught 3 year old down when we went to leave. Eating out in 2000 was disappointing. On reflection we should have taken the free Cabriolet lift down to Arcs1950 and had dinner with the kids (from 7pm) in one of the better class restaurants.
Despite a very poor year for snow Arcs 2000 was fully open with good conditions. There were no moguls becuase of the reduced snowfall. The lower resorts on the otherside (Arcs 1600 and Villandry) were having to scrape snow down from the top to keep some of the lower runs open.
The Aguille Rouge at the top of Arcs 2000 was a cattle market. Nice view but horrible to ski down the busy narrow tracks. Arcs 1800 remains a favourite with gentle tree lined blues criss-crossed by more interesting reds. Used the link to La Plagne twice where you could cover greater distances but often found more ice.
All in all a great week and we've booked to go again next year.