Chalet RoyAlp Hotel and Spa

This has the potential to be a wonderful hotel. It is set in a great location, with mountain views that are well worth paying extra for. The property is spacious, offering numerous seating options by cosy open fires and boasts a fabulous pool room with an open fire, sauna, and steam room. The jacuzzi is lovely and relaxing outside of peak times (4 pm–7 pm), when it tends to be taken over by children. The hotel is a 15-minute walk from the town centre, but a convenient driver service is available to drop you off and pick you up. There’s a fantastic ski shop called Sports House for ski rentals, and a skilled gentleman named Adrian expertly adjusted my own boots. Ski passes can be purchased at reception, and the ski train, just a 2-minute walk across the road, provides easy access to the mountains. There’s also a fabulous sledge run back to the hotel if you take the train up to the Golf stop, and you can ski back to the hotel via a path at Col de Soud. However, the service doesn’t quite match the standards of other Leading Hotels of the World we’ve experienced. The staff seem a little short-staffed, and there are some inconsistencies. Breakfast service, for example, can be hit or miss. On one occasion, I asked the woman who showed us to our table if she could take a coffee order, but she replied that it wasn’t her job and I’d need to ask someone else. One day there was avocado, which was fabulous, but when I asked the next day, I was told it had been a one-off. It would also be nice if water were routinely served at the table and if drink orders were taken when you’re seated. Additionally, egg dishes come at an extra charge, which feels odd for a hotel of this calibre. Bar service is similarly slow—you need to track down a menu and then ask at the bar for someone to take your order. In our room, bathrobes and slippers were removed by housekeeping but not replaced, and on another occasion, towels were taken without new ones being left. Water in the room was not replenished either. The rooms are warm, but without air conditioning, and we couldn’t open the patio doors in the evening because of smoke wafting in from a chimney or fire below. On a positive note, the lady at the spa desk, one of the men at reception, and the driver into town are all a credit to the hotel. Unfortunately, the rest of the staff seemed to have a somewhat nonchalant attitude, which detracted from the overall experience. While the setting and facilities are excellent, these service issues, particularly at this price point, let this hotel down. Would we go again? Probably not, I would look for a hotel with a better 5-star experience.

An exceptionally well run hotel. Breakfast stars promptly on time with everything prepared and ready to serve. Staff are welcoming and genuinely keen to make your stay as comfortably as possible. General Manager on hand and keen to engage with guest to ensure that their expectations are met. We will go back.

Family of 5 (kids 10, 11, 13). The transfer from Geneva was 1 hour 20, very easy. From the moment you arrive you are made to feel so welcome, the chalet is simply gorgeous and magical as it was dressed for the festive period (our stay was 28 Dec to 2 Jan). The layout is easy to get around. Beautiful bar and lounge area serving a range of foods. We had two interconnecting junior suites which are huge and have plenty of room. TV has British channels and ability to beam your phone for netflix etc. Wifi very good. Games rooms for kids and adults. There are several restaurants in the hotel and plenty of great restaurants in town which the hotel can book. If coming during February half term, I would suggest booking ahead. The spa is phenomenal. I would highly recommend emailing them to book in advance especially at peak times like February half term or Christmas and New Year as they get booked ahead of time so avoid being disappointed - there was little to no availability for walk in’s. The pool is lovely too. Dressing gowns and slippers are all in the rooms. Lift passes - get from hotel reception. We hadn’t pre-booked skis but this was straightforward. There is a rental place at the top of the mountain. The train stop is directly opposite the chalet and takes 15 mins to the slopes. Very easy. I would also recommend booking a locker in the ski shop so you don’t have to traipse with skis and boots / it’s a godsend and about 25chf per day and it fits 6 persons gear. Well worth it. We hired an instructor from ESS in advance. There are several restaurants on the slopes but a very popular one is Hotel du Lac / again book ahead or book for the following day. Great family restaurant. All in all it’s an amazing hotel with top notch service - you cannot go wrong and we will return.

The hotel is elegant with lovely rooms but my visit was ruined by 2 things. 1) my IPad was unable to connect to the guest internet and no one was able to help. I was told it was ‘illegal’ for the hotels IT person to help me. Someone also mentioned there have Benn problems with Mac laptops and IPads because of some security issues. I spent hours trying to sort it out as I needed the IPad for writing…my iPhone worked but wasn’t up to editing docs. I would not recommend using this hotel if you rely on your IPad until they figure out what the problem is. Note it worked fine at the man in conference hotel (Villars Palace) and every other hotel on my trip. 2) even worse was that at the first breakfast buffet several of us got sick ( we suspect sausages) with a debilitating tummy upset that meant frequent trips to bathrooms during conference and ruined a subsequent hiking holiday. I had to go to pharmacy doc and it still isn’t ok. Sorry to be so negative as I usually give very positive reviews.