Club Hotel Le Totem

1 reader found this review helpful

The hotel was very disappointing. The staff all tried to be very helpful but lacked direction, as a result the organisation of the meals and afternoon tea were unorganised and generally unprepared. At times guests were waiting over an hour in-between courses, food arrived cold, served prawns which were not cooked, drinks had to be ordered three times, tables were not laid with correct cutlery......the list is quite endless. The service and food was the running joke between the guests. We did not meet one family who were satisfied with the food and service.
On a positive note everyone praised the crèche and whizz kids.
The rooms were adequate but not particularly clean for example the bathroom in our room did not look like it had been hoovered for a month and it was a lovely surprise to have the previous guest’s towels left in the bathroom.
We stayed the week over New Year and it was apparent there were staffing issues and we gathered that there was new management arriving soon. Hopefully with new staff these issues could be rectified but I would not go back again but I would go to Flaine as the skiing was great.

Just returned from my first Crystal holiday and the first in a "club" hotel and I have to say I was none too impressed!
I booked with only 2 weeks to go as I was on my own with 3 kids (wife was away looking after her mother and not that keen on skiing anyway). I relied on what was available through the agent so I can’t say that I chose “Le Totem” or did any research!
As many other reviews have noted the location within Flaine is difficult to beat, ski school and most of the major lifts right on your doorstep (a huge plus point). The majority of the original Forum resort is cast in 1970’s concrete and Le Totem is no different. The hotel itself seems a little tired inside and overdue for refurbishment (our rooms had a couple of small patches of broken plaster in the bathroom, etc).
The catering seemed disorganised and random with no consistency. For example every Breakfast was different in what was available and the quality of the food. The first afternoon tea was excellent with chocolate torte, on another day the only option was croissant and that was 20 minutes late, almost as if they had forgotten and nipped out to buy what was available! Having read other reviews about the management leaving over Christmas I can understand why this was but cannot excuse it.
Overall, I would defiantly go back to Flaine but probably not to Le Totem.

I didn't find Flaine dead exactly after 11pm. I think the bars stayed open longer than this.
The staff at the Totem were mostly OK and helpful. The rooms were basic but comfy enough.
The food was mostly good but even though we pre ordered sometimes our choice had run out and the portions were small with no extra bread. Many in our party brought bread from the shop over the way to supplement it.
You shouldn't have to do that in a French Hotel. The breakfasts were large enough but here was always something you had to wait for (tea, coffee, bread again, milk bacon etc).
The skiing was good though, especially later in the week.

Excellent skiing with brilliant ski school. Flaine is dead at night with nothing to do after 11pm. The Totem is a good base close to ski school meeting place and all main lifts.
The hotel is dated and a little unkempt, but the staff try to make-up for this with their friendly, helpfulness. The rooms are basic but comfortable.
The food was nicely prepared with a good choice but the evening meal portion size was sadly lacking for skiers with a healthy appetite following a busy day on the slopes. Breakfast was self-service with a wide choice (eggs bacon sausage etc or fruit and cereals).
The Totem is great for families with kids but if you're a couple it might not be for you.
Overall we would definitely go back to Flaine and take lessons from the ski school but probably not to the Hotel Totem.

We went for a week on 28th January 2006.
Contrary to previous reports the staff at the hotel were very helpful, hard working and cheerful. We could not fault them at all.
The skiing was excellent for all abilities, and the snow conditions meant that we could ski to the door.
Food at the hotel was of a very high standard with something for everyone.
Flaine has very little to do in the evening, with all shops shutting by 7.30pm. very limited range of restaurants and bars, although the hotel had plenty of organised events to keep all ages entertained during the day and evening.
Ski school was good for both children and adults, instructors spoke very good English. and were more accommodating than we had previously found at Meribel.
There were 7 in our group, 3 adults (1 beginner skier, 1 advanced skier and 1 snowboarder) 4 children (1 aged 6 had not skied before, 1 baby, 1 aged 10 that had skied once before and 1 aged 13 who had skied 4 times before) every one of us was catered for brilliantly by the hotel and ski school.
The hotel was a little basic but very comfortable.
The only fault we have is that 6 of our group had a sickness bug for most of the holiday and we understand we were not the only ones. I would be interested to know if anyone else had this problem...
Met some great people and would definitely go back next year.
Laura Osborne.

This was the second time we have been to this hotel. the first time we went in Jan 2005.
The accommodation was basic but clean enough. We had a family suite with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, one wc and quite a large lounge area which was great with a 3 year old child to have some space.
The hotel staff were much more professional this year and the ladies in the crèche and pyjama club were really helpful and looked after our son in the afternoons so well that he couldn't wait to get there!
The only down side this year was the food. Last year the food was excellent but after one meal in the hotel restaurant we did not go back for more! This was a shame because we had paid for half board and meant we had to eat out for 6 nights which is not cheap in Flaine. Apparently they have a different chef this year and it shows. The food was badly cooked - very hard veg and burnt and dry fish and meat.
They have also changed the breakfast. it is no longer self-service hot buffet. Now it is brought to you eventually, and it is very small, particularly for people who are about to go out skiing for the day. However, you can supplement it with cereals, yoghurts etc.
There was a much better schedule for entertainment this year - more organised in general and you can do as much or as little of this as you please.
We travelled on 7th Jan and the slopes where eerily quite - no queues for the lifts even! For us as beginners it was fantastic and I would recommend this time of year for beginners or those who don't like to queue. The snow was good and the sledging was great.
They have made a proper sledging run this year and have made the ice rink bigger.
We are going back again next year because overall we are happy there. I just hope that the food improves before then!

1 reader found this review helpful

Flaine may look like an ugly concrete resort but it has fantastic skiing when the conditions are right. We had a mixed level of skiers in our group and all enjoyed it. The accommodation was super.
Very children orientated but even though we were all adults in the group we cannot criticise the service or the hotel facilities. The rooms were quite small and a little noisy with thin walls but the food and service made up for that!
Skiing almost direct to the door which was great and meant we could come back for lunch- very reasonably priced.
Definitely a hotel and resort with something for everyone except those who are just there for a lively après-ski!!