Chalet Hotel Tarentaise

We have just returned from a week at the Tarentaise, and are pleased to report that it was an excellent week that worked on a number of levels. We took our 2 year old son, who had a superb time with the other toddlers in the kids club. Beautifully clean and staffed by well qualified nannies, he was extremely well cared for, partatking in all manner of wonderful activities durng the week. The food in the hotel was of a consistently high standard, with lots of choice for the children at high tea, and the adults' meals did not disappoint. In our group of 9, we had a corndon bleu cook who was very impressed with the choice and standard of the food. Afternoon tea, with stacks of homemade cake, biscuits, soup and fruit were a welcome sight after a day skiing without an overpriced lunch on the mountain. Wine at dinner was plentiful and very drinkable which was a nice surprise. The only downside was that the hotel is a tad on the tired side (it gets a lots of wear), and as we were above the kitchen, it was noisy. However, we were so impressed with the overall package of skiing/food/childcare, that we will probably return either late this season or next year. Dan in Customer Service is a great chap - very helpful and switched on, and the manager, Hannah, visble and professional. The hotel has a very friendly atmosphere, is relaxed and well organised. The hotel worked well for everyone in our group which comprised of 2 couples without kids, my parents (60+) and us with a small child. We paiud full rpice and felt satisfied with the value offered,

Mark Warmer are good for those who are of a high standard at skiing, the hosting is apparently very good. But if you are not confident at doing red runs at a fairly quick speed then you cannot even join the lowest group. Which to me seems mad as there are 3 groups. The reason i booked was because there were the 3 standards but as it was i couldn't join in. I had lessons which i really enjoyed but they were from 11.30-1.30 so never got to meet any one for lunch. After the lesson you are on your own to do your own thing which is not great when you have no one to ski with. I was going to go on my own but my friend booked after me. Thank fully she met me a few times and skied with me as other wise i would be going back to the hotel every afternoon on my own as would have no one to ski with. Although she would have to leave the ski hosting to do this. On my first lesson i was told i had to ski to my first lesson which was on my own. It took me an hour as i was drawn a map on how to get there. Was very nervos and wasn't told i could get a bus there. A couple in the same hotel were told the same and they had only had 3 dry slope lessons before hand. Was far to hard for people that didn't ski well. Was very disappointed with the service for new skiers as there was no service. The hotel was an average standard. Nice big rooms. Comfortable beds and a nice shower. Could do with a bit of modernising but still very comfortable. The staff do what they can to please you. Vey polite and friendly. If you are into apres ski this is not the place for you as there are no bars walking distance it's more for young family's. But great if you are not worried about this and are just into skiing and want a ski in ski out hotel. The food was very good but very English. If you are vegitarian you do not have a choice there is just one dish per night.

First time MW and won't be the last. The in-house childcare takes the strain off. We have two young girls learning to ski and both of them thoroughly enjoyed the fact that they knew the other children in their ski groups and played with them in the chalet - a problem we had when we booked our first holiday with them in ski school - lovely chalet in Morzine and hired in a Morzine based Nanny company to do the school drop off, though we always collected. After this holiday the negative was 'they don't speak our language'; meaning the other children in the lesson. With MW they all knew each other from the chalet so it was great. The room was very good, one large room with one double and two single beds, whilst they are young we prefer to have them in the same room as ourselves. The chalet staff were very attentive and polite. The food was very good too. Afternoon tea almost too much, often didn't have anything as it can put you off the main meal. Bar area large and comfortable with a central fireplace. Location of the chalet was also excellent, ski in/out though for our time of year the slope down to Mottaret would get slushy in the afternoon and be tricky on young legs - not a picky comment, just fact, what else would we expect for heavens sake! Better to take the free quad lift down to the village for access to the village centre - the kids loved the lift anyway! The ski hosting was exceptional too. Excellently organised, lovely to leave the brain on the pillow and be guided around all day. Shame other companies don't do this as standard (Esprit).

"snow heaven" the gods where with us this year ! It was our first Mark Warner ski holiday.We was met outside the hotel by a large number of smiling staff who took all our luggage to our rooms! "nice touch" . the hotel is bang on the slopes linking to a great ski hub of motterret . The hotel Itself was a little tired on decor however very clean with a large friendly bar area with log fire every night.The restaurant had good decor and the food was of a high (ski standard) Great breakfast hot & cold . afternoon tea was great with home made soup / cakes/ fruit. Evening meals where relaxed and very organised lots of nice combinations and great service.The free wine was very drinkable and kept coming its not reserva but it wont give you a hangover.The kids club was great and my son enjoyed every minute with varied activities on offer. The hotel manager Hanna was a class act making sure things went smoothly very friendly and professional and nice outfits (not unoticed ) even to the point of sending my sons teddy air frieght when left on transfer coach on return journey. Lets hope the economy picks up so we can return next year. Dan on reception was a top bloke ! Dealing with my rejected credit card and a good translator in french .Good effort Dan! (Paul O'Gradey

We've just come back from a week at this hotel, booked through Mark Warner. As I am pregnant, I was unfortunately not able to ski. For those who might just be in the same situation as I was, be warned, the staff will be unable to answer non ski related questions, which wasn't particularly helfpful. Luckily, I speak French fluently and made my way down to the Office du Tourisme in Meribel to find out what I could do. The location I must say is amazing, and occording to my husband and friends, their ski host Jess was absolutely brilliant. On the very bad side, the food is bland (no sign of the great French regional food - only British) and the cleanliness of the rooms was appauling. Our room was cleaned twice in a week and our frien'd' bin (full or nappies) was empitied once. We complained three times and nothing was done. We thought we paid a lot of money for not very much. I noticed other reviewers mentioned the rooms had been redecorated. We must have stayed in the non redecorated bit as the rooms were shabby (apart from the shower which was great). The bar area is shabby and dirty but the bar manager was great. Everyone has a day off on a Thursday so don't expect any dinner that evening or room cleaned but there a few nice bars and restaurants around. Overall, I found it too much like home away from home and like to experience the culture of the country I'm visiting, so based on this experience, this will be my first and last Mark Warner holiday. I was very unimpressed with the manager, the customer services stafff and the food. Ski host and our waitress were both great though and the location is perfect for skiers. Expect to spend a fortune on lunch and drinks at the bar and don't expect hotel standard service. YOu won't get it there.

We traveled as DINKYS but still always find Mark Warner fits what we are looking for. Overview: Good ski-in-ski-out location, reasonable rooms, fair food, nice bar and great freindly and helpful staff. Pretty much everything that you would expect from the Mark Warner brand. Transfer: As normal. 2 1/2 hours from Zurich. Good standard of coaches and everyone is going to the same hotel and thus no stop off's on the way. Staff take your bags at the coach and deliver them to your hotel room the other end - a very good aspect of Mark Warner customer service. Location: At the top of Meribel Mottaret. The exit to the boot room is on the non-slope side of the hotel which means that you have to walk 10 yards before you get your skis on but you really can call this ski-in-ski-out. The nearest supply shops are a few minutes walk up into the very top of the resort and the main bars and restaurants are an okay walk down to but would advice against trying to walk back - bus or the in town cable car are a much better option. Accommodation: As you would expect in the mountains. Get a slope view room for great sun-downer balconies and awesome view in the morning. Rooms have recently been refurbished and quality if fair of the location. Good showers and enough hot water for endless baths. Rooms cleaned thoroughly each day except Thursdays.....staff day off. Food: Good food and good service. Option not to have to sit in a group if you are just feeling too tiered to socialise or if like us you like to eat with just the two of you on holidays as it's the only chance we get to see each other all year. Food ranged from duck breast to roast beef; basically good English / Italian style food. Herty breakfast and afternoon tea also on tap. The bar is large although little in the way of lively atmosphere but there is enough of this down in the town if required. Did not obviously try the child care or the ski guiding but understand that this was up to scratch. There is also a spa on site - massage etc. Didn't make use of this either but heard some good reports. Ski hire shop is a few yards away which is a plus - you can get your skis when you arrive and head straight off the next morning for the slopes. The staff organise the lift passes on the transfer and you can pay by card for them at the hotel reception. The region is extensive and a great place to ski. The Tarentaise is an excellent place to base yourself and I would highly recommend it. Would certainly go back to the region and definatley back to this hotel.

my husband and I spent a week at the Tarentaise in Jan 2008, we were quite lucky with the snow conditions but even so were very impressed with the hotel. The location is ideal for exploring the 3 valleys and the hotel itself is right on the edge of a nice blue run (although I would say one that a nervous beginner could struggle with due to gradient and level of traffic) The hotel looked to have been recently refurbished and was nicely decorated. I heard that the sauna and hot tub weren't working but never used them. The bar area was great, large area with big fire and happy hour every evening. Our room was nice, very warm with good strong shower and decent sized bath, the only english speaking tv channel was CNN which made you want to scream after a while! We took our laptop and used the hotel wifi (10 euros for the week), was great for backing up photos and listening to radio. The ski hosting was absolutely brilliant and has to be the big selling point for mark warner holidays, great fun and we covered far more miles than we would do on our own. Lunch stops weren't the cheapest but always great quality. It is a long walk to the village centre (easier to ski down & get the lift back!) but to be honest there's not much reason to leave the hotel. There were a few restaurants and bars and a small supermarket within a short walk in the top half of the village. Yes there were a few annoying stuffy people but the vast majority of the other guests were great fun to ski and socialise with I should also say that we booked last minute and had almost 50% discount, I'm not sure I would pay full price for the holiday

Just back from a wonderful stay with Mark Warner at the Hotel Tarentaise in Motteret, Meribel, France. The hotel has clearly been recently refurbished based on last years reviews. We stayed in two inter-connecting rooms with our three young girls and enjoyed the benefit of two beautiful bathrooms, one with an enormous shower and the other with a a bath to rest my aching ski legs! The rooms were tastefully furnished and spacious with plenty of storage space. We recieved a fantastic welcome on arrival from all of the staff and our bags were carried to our rooms directly from the coach as we were served afternoon tea. Ski hire, lift passes and schools were handled efficiently by the hard working staff. The food throughout our stay was stunning! We enjoyed the varied company of other guests on a different table every night giving a real 'chalet' feel to week. The location is perfect for exploring the extensive 3 Valleys ski area and enjoys the benefit of ski in ski out positioning. Finally, the kids were looked after by a amazing team of nannies! Our challenge was to get the girls 'suited and booted' for the 8.30am ski school pickup in reception. The kids were then looked after and entertained well into the evening and had an absolute ball. We can't wait until we return next year!

Stayed a week here Jan 07 - the location is great, you ski straight into the hotel. The food is very good. We got it as a last minute discount deal and didn't quite 'get' the Mark Warner thing, everyone was a bit on the posh side to be honest which is fair since they paid a lot more than we did, so for that reason it was a bit difficult but the hotel itself is great and as long as you are the Mark Warner type then it is a great place to be

I booked a last minute ski holiday through Mark Warner at (--) and stayed at this Hotel with my husband. We paid half the advertised brochure price which I was glad about as I would have been horrified if I'd paid full price. The Hotel is in a great location right next to the slope, and the village of Mottaret in Meribel is lovely. It is an attractive traditional alpine chalet from the outside, but inside it is more 1970 youth hostel. The room we had was awful. The bed was really uncomfortable, the decor was dated and very shabby, the only heater in the room looked about 50 years old. We met other guests whom heating didn't work at all. (not good for a cold january night in the alps). The bathroom had holes in the tiles where things had been ripped out but not replaced, some tiles were cracked and the grouting looked like a three year old child had fancied a bit of DIY! I have not seen a hotel bathroom so bad in many years. The rest of the hotel was clean but again the decor is very outdated and makes you feel like you might be in a motorway services. The dining room in particular has a very strange decor. The food in the dining room was also a bit motorway services, and the portions tiny. BE WARNED they expect you to sit on big mixed tables and make friends with complete strangers. We asked for a table for two which they provided for the week after joking with us that we were unsociable. One thing the hotel does have is very good staff. They will do anything you ask and go out of their way to help you. Although you get the feeling that they too struggle with the inadequacies of the hotel. This Hotel needs complete refurbishment. Only stay there if you too have paid half the brochure price and can cope with all mentioned above.