Relais des Alpes Hotel

3 readers found this review helpful

I have been going on budget boarding holidays for the last 9 years, for 1 reason or another i never went to Italy. I have definately been missing out. I found everyone without exception to be genuinely friendly and found the staff at the Relais really couldnot do enough for you. A complete contrast to France i feel. The rooms were clean and comfortable , cleaned and restocked daily. Maybe not 4 star but a very very good 3. The food was excellent and there was a huge variety on offer everyday, i struggle to understand how anyone would grumble on here. I was concerned also when i read that the hotel was noisey but i can honestly say i was never disturbed although the walls are quite thin. We may have just been lucky as we were top floor and neighbours were good as gold. As for a noisey pub down stairs it is shut by 12 and is below the resturant so again i never heard a thing. Although it was nice to have a good pub attached to the hotel as it meant you didnt have to go out every night. The boarding itself was quality ( brother may disagree as he broke his collar bone on the first day lol) Masses of piste but the map and markings are terrible and you will get lost. All part of the fun. Piste was well groomed and altough we had no fresh powder would imagine its great if your lucky. Lifts are a bit old and slow, but there was never a que apart from saturday. Half the time there was no one else in sight on the runs. All in all possibly 1 of the most enjoyable trips ive been on. Want to return to sauze and the relais next year to see if im right about the powder and to show my brother the rest of the resort montains. Oh 1 more thing . The ski room in the hotel has not got lockers and your not allowed to take it up to your room, so if you have good kit take a lock . Enjoy.

10 readers found this review helpful

I stayed in the Relais des Alps Hotel in Sauze Doux with a group of 8 friends, in late January 2009. I read the comments and was a bit worried that the hotel and resort as we got quite a good deal (cheaper than France most years) but we were all very impressed! The hotel is really nice, the staff and Crystal reps were brilliant, very friendly! The rooms were a nice size, cleaned everyday with new towels if you wanted them. There was a little bit of noise at night but only from people coming in from the pub! The breakfast was good, the usual continental cereals, bread, croissants, fruit, toast, cheese and ham, and then cooked breakfast too. We didnt have the afternoon tea, but it was available around 4 in the hotel pub `Queens Bar`. The dinner was always hot and different everyday, always 2 roast meats, 2 pastas, veg, potatoes of somekind, soups etc. The salad bar was the same but you cant really change much on that, still tasted nice! Wine wasnt included, but was quite reasonable at approx 10-15 Euro. There is a bus which takes you up to the slopes which is 5 Euro for the week, I think this is available from the local tobacconist. Otherwise the walk to the slopes is up a quite steep hill! Will take approx 10 mins, we left our skis at the ski deposit which is opposite the slopes for 18 Euro for the week, was well worth it! Great on way home too, as you can then have a drink in each pub downhill! There are alot of red runs which were ok for me (7 years skiing) nice and wide and sometimes through the trees. It snowed our 1st 2 days so we couldnt get across to Sestriere, but it made no difference really as plenty of nice runs on Sauze side. Our next few days were blue skies, and perfect skiing! I have only skied in France so wasnt keen on the amount of Button Lifts, theres quite a few!! I would defintely recommend this hotel, resort and Crystal staff as we really enjoyed our week, and will go back in a few years if the snow is predicted well again!

6 readers found this review helpful

First let me say that this is not a 'made up review' as someone, who obviously does not like people to disagree with her point of view may say, as I enjoued my stay in the hotel.
The Relais des Alpes was a very friendly, clean hotel, and the staff extremely helpful. The food was very nice, and the meal times more than adequate. I'm not sure what some people want from a hotel sometimes - maybe their home transplanted to a room that is basically used for a limited amount of time.
No, it is probably not 4 star, but certainly 3 star plus. I have travelled a great deal, from backpacking to luxury places, and for friendliness and helpfulness there are not many places that I have been that would beat the Relais. If you asked for something (eg a sewing kit), it was delivered to your door within 5 minutes)
The buffet at breakfast had something for everyone. It was the same every day, but you could still have something different every morning if you wanted to. The buffet in the evening was very well done, with a basic salad, but everything else different every evening. The staff in the dining room were very attentive without being intrusive.
There was some noise in the evening, but not much, and that only noisy brits who could not hold their drink and behave with manner - hardly the fault of the hotel (or village).
The hotel pub has cheesy entertainment, but it is fun for all that and not too noisy. Par for the course for a ski resort drinking place.
All four in our group thoroughly enjoyed the hotel and Sauze d'Oulx, and also the Italian hospitality.
It is handy for the ski bus, has good ski equipment storage facilities and is near to the centre of the village.
If the Hotel wants a character reference, they only have to ask me. Perhaps the people who give this place a bad review are making it up, for a rival establishment!

3 readers found this review helpful

We were quite wary having read reviews of this hotel and the comments regarding the noise, however we did not find there to be a problem at all. We were never disturbed at night or in the morning by noise from the corridors or outside and only heard chairs moving, people with heels on, during the time when we were also up and about. We were in bed by 10 pm most nights and breakfast was served between 8:00 am and 9:30 am which was an excellent time for waking naturally and not being rushed in the morning.
We have been to Livigno and Passo Tonale in Italy and find that in a 2 and 3* hotel salad and vegetables are generally not served with your main meal and you get a choice from a limited set menu. The Relais 4* was definately a higher standard when benchmarked against a 3*. Extensive salad self service buffet, two choices of soups, two choices of pasta dishes, two carveries plus one other meat dish, vegetable dish and a potato choice. Breakfast was the usual continental stuff plus full cooked breakfast choice and an egg chef making omelettes, eggs to order. You could get as much as you wanted and go back for more. Rooms were clean and comfortable with tea/coffee facilities and plenty of room/storage. Water was always hot and the Solarium/Sauna well worth a visit.

2 readers found this review helpful

We spent New Year's this year at this hotel. Trust me the reviews that are anyway positive about this hotel must be made up, there is nothing good about the hotel. It is a hostel at best. How they can attempt to pass this hotel off as 4 star is criminal. It does not have a redeeming feature. Your can hear the loo flushing next door and every other movement. I won't even go there about the hotels pub i'm still speechless. It is as if they just lease out this hotel for the season, through a few towels in the cupboard and get a handful of staff and there off. In all my years travels i would not have believed it had i not experienced it. Dinner has a one hour time slot 7;30 to 8;30 a joke, we only ate the first night and for the remainder of our stay ate out. Breakfast finishes at 9;30, it is definitely a food saving scam. I could go on and on I'm taken legal action soon, i'lll keep you updated.

1 reader found this review helpful

We booked this hotel last minute and having read some of the reviews did wonder if we had done the right thing. They are unfair! With really poor snow conditions and a general feeling of disappointment with Sauze overall the hotel made our holiday. The staff were really welcoming and did all they could to make it pleasant. The rooms were fine,and had all you needed. The food was superb for a skiing hotel with plenty of choice for all tastes and was always fresh and hot despite being a buffet. The Pub attached to the hotel was noisy earlier on but by 11pm it was quiet and we didnt have one night of disturbed sleep. Yes you do hear people shouting outside sometimes but this is a ski resort not a health spa so this is quite normal wherever you stay and is certainly no fault of the hotel. I would stay there again without a doubt.

1 reader found this review helpful

This is by far the best hotel I have stayed in while on a skiing holiday. I have noted that some people have complained about the noise, well we were in room 101, closest to the Queens Lounge pub, and apart froma little noise, it did nothing to detract from our enjoyment nor did we loose any sleep. The food was fantastic and varied every day, the scambled egg for breakfast was superb. All of the staff were very polite and as helpful as possible.
The room was very tidy and spacious. Again I have noticed that some people have complained about the temperatures, well maybe they should learn what a thermstat does. . . The room temperature is controllable, so no excuses.
I have to say, the walk round to the clotes chair lift every morning was somewhat tedious, but the hotel have no control over this. in fact we are incredibly close to the lift, it is vertually behind the hotel, but there is no way to get there other that to walk round the block. Maybe someone should invest in a large escalator fron the square?
All the Thompson Reps were great, polite and very helpful, Thanks katie for looking after us.
Overall this is a great hotel and we all very much enjoyed our time there.

I absolutely loved this place. Sauze is amazing and the hotel was great.
All the staff were very helpful and friendly. The rooms are a good size and are cleaned regularly and the bathroom was nice too.
Our room was a bit cold but I only noticed because some of my family who were staying in a different room had a room which was boiling. When you go skiing you don’t tend to spend much time in your room any way.
There is an English style pub downstairs that organised a quiz night which is worth going to as you can win day trips to other resorts.
The food was really nice, and there was just so much to choose from, with a mix of salads and cold starters as well as hot dinners.

I would definitely recommend this hotel and would say to try and get involved with stuff the tour operators organise because it’s well worth it.

I and my boyfriend travelled to Sauze D’Olux this year at the beginning of the half term at the end of May to April.
The hotel, seems to have received high reviews, however we were not happy with the service.
The actual rooms were really basic. We requested a double bed when we booked, however we got two single beds pushed together. The overall cleanliness of the rooms was quite good.
The food, has to be said was absolutely appalling. It was the same food for breakfast and dinner every day. Also once the food had been put out it would be left to get cold. The trays which were supposed to be keeping the food warm obviously didn’t work.
Also I happened to get locked in the bathroom for half an hour waiting for someone to come and get me out. They sent a man up, who couldn't unlock the door.
The waiters and receptionists were very polite and helpful, and the actual ski resort is a beautiful little village with some good restaurants in the old town.
The mountains were absolutely amazing and wonderful to ski on. Just a shame about the hotel.

My 3 girls and I had a great time at the Relais des Alpes. Reception and waiting staff were excellent and could not have done more for us.
It is a walk uphill from the bus stop to the hotel as tour buses are not allowed in the main streets. The luggage went by minibus.
The hotel is situated next to a bank and ski hire shop with other shops nearby. The meals we had were excellent with a good choice every night and breakfast the same. I did agree with a comment that the sausages were half cooked.
We experienced little noise as we were based at the front of the hotel. although it is inevitable that you get some noise wherever you go. The Clotes lift was an 8 minute walk, at a slow pace, uphill in ski boots.
The Sportinia lift was further away and the ski bus stopped virtually outside the hotel. All I can say about the comments of the Clotes lift being slow is chill out people.
They took 4 at a time, just enjoy the fabulous views, it isn't a problem. We were there for the last week of the season and it was very quiet, i.e., no queues.
We were fortunate to have had a metre of snow before arriving and a full day of snow midweek so the skiing was perfect. We would definitely use this hotel again.