Club Hotel Le Totem, Flaine, France
Hotel Information
Hotel Description:
Located in a perfect position in Flaine Forum, the Club Hotel offers skiing virtually to the doorstep and just a couple of minutes' walk to the Grandes Platieres cable car. The Totem is the perfect base for skiers who want to ski the wonderful ski bowl and also offers fantastic facilities for families with the Nanny Service, Whizz Kids Club and Pyjama Cub based in the hotel.The hotel offers a total of 89 bedrooms and a range to suit all needs.Nearby Hotels Viewed by Other Travellers
Club Hotel Le Totem Reviews
" go to flaine and stay at le totem "
Submitted By: easytiger110@hotmail.co.ukAdvice: good transfer time from airport, excellent resort for all
Activities: only ate out once at the brassiere and had excellent meal
Good for: Ski
- Date of Holiday:Mar 2009
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" Don't stay here if you want to relax... "
Submitted By: skinnydipIf you wanted cake at 4pm, than be prepared for a scrum..my advice-nip over to the bakery accross the square.
We met some lovely people and the general feeling for all of us was, that Crystal should not allow such large groups, and/or at least ask the parents to keep them under control.
The staff were great, i don't know how they keep smiling!
The 3 course dinner in the evenings tasted great and looked good...
The accomodation isn't great, but it is clean and warm...
Advice: fantastic skiing for internediate and beginners..doing the cascades blue run is a must!
Activities: try a vodka sorbet at the Chez Daneil restuarant!
Good for: Ski
- Date of Holiday:Mar 2009
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" A superb family holiday "
Submitted By: DoddersWe took our two kids 7 and 9 and we felt very safe letting them go off and meet other children and make friends playing on the Wii, Pool table, table football as well as the many activites the staff organised. Yes the rooms are basic but who wants to stay in their room..?
Take a bit of time to chat to the staff and you will reap the benefits. They are very helpful, young but not 'kevins', and keen to help. Will book again next year so enjoy it..!
Advice: Great skiing for family
Activities: Jam park awesome
Good for: Ski
- Date of Holiday:Feb 2009
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" Ignore 2008 comments, 2009 sorted ! "
Submitted By: demanding family skierAccomodation - we saw a 2 adult + 2 child room (ours), 2 adult only and a 2 adult + 3 child adjoing room and all were of a good size with loads of storage space to get the gear out of the way, and all were clean and warm.
I can't say enough about the quality of the staff - attentive, friendly and always available. There was no mucking about and they were there to help. This was service that was more than you should expect and made the holiday a really pleasant experience. Having done a similar holiday in a similar type of hotel in Morzine in 2008 (which was really very poor), we approached this with some trepidation, and apart from a hiccup on the transfer (down to flight delays and bad logistical planning - where we had no rep on the bus), the holiday experience was near perfect.
A good manager has created a good team - credit due there. Adult food was excellent - really good standard for this type of accomodation and catering for children was good as well.
Hotel has a good sized bar area, Wii for the kids (and adults) 2 x pool tables, a few arcade games and Sky TV - what more could you want from a really well thought out place.
The resort isn't particularly pretty, but the location is A1 and the off piste variety is fab.
Why not a 10 ? Don't really know - maybe a 9.5
Advice: Not great for variety of black runs, but loads of off piste if you get the snow (we did)
Activities: Most mountain restaurants were good - probably avoid the one at the bottom of the Aup de Veran bubbl
Good for: Ski
- Date of Holiday:Feb 2009
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Crystal Ski
" le totem "
Submitted By: childgarage3 INTERMEADIATE SKIERS,3 NOVICE
HOTEL IN GREAT POSITION FOR SKI SCHOOL AND LIFTS FOR REST OF RESORT
THE HOTEL IS WARM ,ROOMS ARE BASIC ,BUT CLEAN AND HAVE VERY ADEQUATE WARDROBE SPACE
STAFF WERE VERY FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL.
MEALS WERE VERY GOOD WITH A VARIED AND REASONABLE CHOICE
OF STARTERS ,MAIN AND SWEET,WITH 1/2 LITRE OF RED/WHITE WINE
AND SOFT DRINKS FOR CHILDREN
ONLY MINOR GRIPE FOR US WAS BECAUSE WE ALL WANTED TO EAT TOGETHER
AND NOT AT THE EARLIR CHILDRENS MEAL TIMES A LOT OFF THE CHOICE OFF FOOD DIDNT SUIT THEM ,PERHAPS ANOTHER CHOICE FOR OLDER CHILDREN WOULD HELP.
THE HOTEL DOES HAVE A KIDDIES CLUB,WHICH LOOKED TO BE WELL ATTENDED AND WELL RUN
WE HAVE BEEN TO NUMEROUS HOTELS AND CHALETS,ALL HAVE GOOD AND BAD POINTS FOR VARIOUS
REASONS BUT I WOULD PUT THIS UP IN OUR TOP 10,SO YES I WOULD RECOMMEND IT.
Good for: Ski
- Date of Holiday:Jan 2009
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Forget last years reviews! "
Submitted By: RMHAdvice: Ugly but purposeful.
Activities: Limited restaurants and other activities besides skiing.
Good for: Ski
- Date of Holiday:Jan 2009
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Crystal
" Hotel Club Le Totem "
Submitted By: aggletonWould go back next year -
Good for: Ski
- Date of Holiday:Jan 2009
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Having stayed in Totem several years... "
Submitted By: Mrs HJ Chaudhry- Date of Holiday:Mar 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:crystal
" First Of all I would like to say,... "
Submitted By: Mr B M AnnasI have been to La Totem in Flaine once before now, and that was 3 years ago...Quite frankly, the difference is unbelieveable...
The room we had was great, just what i would exspect for 3 stars. As before it was clean when we arrived and although it was not cleaned during the week (down side i no) My family and I didnt spend much time in it anyway so the clean towels where the only thing that we majorly missed during the week.
The only bad side is we noticed that there were two school groups staying at the hotel, thats fine dont get me wrong, im not old myself and id of loved to off been able to go skiing with my old school, but the teachers had master keys, and so they were able to get into any bedroom in the hotel, even if they new it or not, i dont think thats right, fair enough the hotel having a key, thats just safe and its there hotel, but a teacher who gives a key to the kids? i dont think thats fair on the rest of the guests some how
The staff were amazing! they are all aged between 18 - 30 and most are taking gap years before and after uni...This might sound strange, but it acutally worked really well, they are all great with kids and have more than one kids club! so this hotel is extremly well organised regards to ski clubs, ski schools, and evening clubs for the children so they are always occupied, weather it be pajarma club, kids disco, evening meals, or "Whizz Kids" the club that runs all day so you can ski with out having to worry what your children are doing
The Staff are all willing to help with anything, i personally made friends with one, and im going to go and ski with him next year, so its a really friendly enviroment!
but unforuntly as regards to the hotel, its enough about the GOOD stuff and start to talk about the problems...
really there is only one....and thats the Chef!
He/She should be kicked out and made to work at Mc Donalds...the food was stupid...
Each night there is a menu inwhich you choose a starter, main course, and a pudding, fair enough
there are 2 starters (soup or a somthing left over that they want to get rid off)
3 main meals (one meat, one vegatarian, and one fish)
2 puddings (anything they have in the freezer
The problem we experienced, is that after a long hard day skiing, cold food, thats been shoved from freezer to plate in SMALL quantitys, just really did not fill me or my family up...or for that matter any one of the guests! even the manager and manageress WILL NOT eat at the hotel, and so go over the road to the extremly good restaraunt on the other side of the square...
Its not like me to be annoyed as we did have a amazing holiday, but dont go at the end of the season, as literaly everything is the last of what they have, the management are tight with money, and so even though we pay the same as everyone else, we just get whats remaining from the season, or just get told that "were sorry but im afriad we have run out for the season"
so unfortauntly compared to the last time that i went to la totem, the food is awful, but the hotel is as friendly as ever!
PLUS! THERE IS ALWAYS SNOW! *2ft dropped nearly everyday!*
hope this helps, if not contact me if you want to ask any questions on
ben_annas911@hotmail.co.uk
Ben
- Date of Holiday:Apr 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Crystal
" Good points were the fantastic snow... "
Submitted By: Mrs SEM GillHere it stops - this was our 4th visit to Le Totem and will be our last trip with Crystal although Flaine was fab.
Le Totem was clearly run on a very tight shoe string and if the current manager was brought in to improve things then I dread to think what is was like before.
1. Hot breakfasts were cold - little choice of 'hot' food and when I received a bowl of porridge it tasted like it was scraped from the bottom of a burnt saucepan.
2. The 'chef' was obviously on an over inflated ego trip serving the likes of Kangaroo casserole on arrival and later in the week a kebab of Ostrich, Venison and Kangaroo that the staff were labelling 'zoo on a stick'! Hilarious but revolting food - in fact the menu the whole week was bizarre to put it mildly.
It didn't inspire me to see a member of the kitchen staff with a cigarette in his mouth when the door was open.
3. Bar staff were less than diplomatic at times and we didn't appreciate seeing staff getting drunk in the hotel bar during quizz night.
4. The hotel was grubby throughout with little evidence of maintenance - Health and Safety was not a priority.
Shame on you Crystal.
- Date of Holiday:Mar 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:CRYSTAL
" First, the positive stuff. Flaine... "
Submitted By: Mr A T- Date of Holiday:Mar 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Crystal
" There seems to have been a huge... "
Submitted By: Mr G Campbellyear and we were fortunate with the timing of our stay. Food was excellent with tasty soups and roast dinners on offer each night after a long day on the slopes. Hotel staff couldn't do enough for you and location in relation to the slopes for a family ski trip second to none.
Only down side was cleanliness of rooms - our room wasn't hoovered all week and towels were only changed on request. This is a very simple thing that the hotel should
easily rectify.
- Date of Holiday:Mar 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" We had heard bad reports on this... "
Submitted By: Ms M AnonThe staff were helpfull and tried their best, but my gut feeling after a few days that this was a holiday camp for some not all of the Crystal staff, some lacked proffesionalism when their shift over and it's party time, and cusotmers what customers !!!. Respect for customers is of prime consideration. If they want to party be more discrete.
It all started for me with a member of the bar staff played bongo drums for his own pleasure and certainly not anyone else's for over one and half hours, not even in time to the music being played. Totally selfish. This was on a day when the hotel was full with guests as it rained, so no skiing for most people. It drove me and many around mad, but we were too polite to complain. The guy on the bongo drums just happened to be the son of the manager, even more annoying.
The hotel is in an ideal location with wonderful skiing and ideal for families and youngsters. rooms basic but fine overhaul. the holiday was wonderful, just needs time spent with staff and training on behavours of some not all.
- Date of Holiday:Mar 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:ThomsonCrystal
" having read previous reviews of this... "
Submitted By: Mr A Lee- Date of Holiday:Feb 2008
- Board Basis:Full Board
- Tour Operator:crystal






The food was very good, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The hotel was warm and there was plenty of hot water.
The Bad
The hotel is very shabby, the public areas are grubby. There is not a comfortable chair in the place, lots of very low back seating. A lot of children so food droped all over the place. If you want afternoon tea be prepared for a bun fight.
The Ugly
Black mould on the ceiling and wall in our room.
Hopefully an isolated incident but two members of staff squaring up for a fight in the dining room, with liberal use of the "F" word. They were quickly ushered back into the kitchen where judging by the noise the fight continued.
Good for: Ski