Ski Esprit-tell me your experiences!

[twizzler]

Sorry, am being a pest with all my questions but want to gather as much info as poss before booking!

A lot of MNers seem to have used this company.

Can you tell me which resort you went to and what chalet/hotel you stayed in and what your experience was-good or bad!

Thank you.

[happymostofthetime]

Stayed at Tigne Terril Blanc. ds (6) had a great time, it was the first time he had skied, he loved it. daughter aged 2 didn't do so well. Hated the creche (she goes to nursery here)staff ok(ish) but didn't really try to settle her and we ended up only skiing for an hour or so a day. Creche is mixed ages and we were unlucky as the others were younger. We had booked with esprit as we had heard really good reports but I didn't rate the creche staff very highly at all. If your child can go to ski school then they are great.

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

I've stayed in Morzine. Think eSPRIT HAVE LEFT mORZINE NOW THOUGH. It was good holiday but the resort not the best.

Have stayed at the Terril Blanc in Tignes. DD was in the creche which was good. Skiing was good but it was a bit of a walk to the cable car (carrying heavy skis).

DH and DD stayed with them in Selva and had a great week.

We stayed with them in a chalet (they don't use that chalet now) in Courcheval 1300. Loved the chalet and resort but the staff were a bit sloppy (guess staff change every year though). DD was in ski school and had a good time.

Stayed at the Mont Blanc at La Plagne - really nice living accomadation in the chalet, lovely resort. The bedroom was a bit small. Food was fantastic. Huge balcony of th esitting room where you could sit and watch the action on the piste.

We went to Plan Peisey last year and it was great. Fantastic food again, very helpful staff. DD had a great time in ski school. Fantastic resort.

I would say that we've always had a good holiday with them. Sometimes a few little niggles. They have a habit of making you leave on your last day at the crack of dawn and dumping you at the airport long before you need to be there. I suspect they do this so they can get the chalet ready for the next set of guests. I think the meals and general experience depend on the staff. Certainly at Courcheval we got the impression they couldn't give a toss (inc resort manager), food was not up to usual standard and no afternoon cakes, etc. Think they were too busy skiing to cook! Oh and one morning they were hungover and late to do breakfast so I ignored the sign on the door saying no guests in the kitchen and got all the breakfast stuff out for everyone. Then I got told off. I think what could be a dodgy chalet one year could be great the next and vice versa.

One thing to look at closely is how far away the chalets are from the nearest ski lift. Also is the chalet in the main resort - they have a habit of having the chalets in the cheaper, out lying villages. Like at Courcheval they are at 1300 not 1800 which is OK there as the cable car gets you up to 1800 really quickly. But at other resorts you may only have a chair lift taking you over to the main resort which means you have to be confident enough to ski back, etc.

[twizzler]

Thankyou happy and Stripey!

Fortunately as DS is 4 he will be in ski school and with us the rest of the time so we won't need any child care.

Stripey, good point about where the chalets are. I noticed some of them seem to be out of the village centres.

Like you say, it's difficult to have consistency sometimes which so many changing staff.

[barbiehouse]

stayedv at les gets last year - chalet staff and kids club staff were great. had a 2.10 yo old though - seemed too old for the nursery, but was too young for ski lessons etc

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

Am going to the big hotel at La Plagne in a few weeks. Only realised today though how big it is - 167 beds! Am suddetly worried that I won't like a hotel that big, I hope they still sit us with other people as I like sitting and nattering to people over dinner. Heaven forbid I have to sit and only have DH to talk to every night at a cosy table for 2!

[slalomsuki]

Came back yesterday from a Esprit holiday in La Rosiere.

My comments would range from very good with the 7 and 5 year old and great with the 3 year old. Chalet was spacious and fun but that was more down to the people than the staff. Food was OK but kids meals were a little to fancy for the kids and most got left...the chef threw a strop at this! Biggest proble is that Esprit have moved from fresh to frozen bread this winter and being in France we expected the bread to be great and most days it was cold or burnt.

Would I go back with them....yes while the kids need to have lessons etc since they are well looked after and supervised but when they can ski with us then probably not.

[liath]

I had a terrible experience with Esprit a few years ago but friends of ours have skied with them several times & found them fine. As far as I can tell if your holiday goes well then Esprit are perfecty OK but if anything goes wrong then don't expect them to give a sh*t about customer care. I doubt that marks them out from a lot of holiday companies but I for one wouldn't travel with them again. I posted a review here www.mumsnet.com/Reviews/TravelSki/28-chalet-des-neiges-les-arcs-2000-france-ski-esprit

[Legacy]

Skiied with them every year for 5 years, and no major problems.
HOWEVER
we have just come back from a ski holiday with Ski Famille, and they seemed so much better! Try Ski Famille in Les Gets (Chalet Majorie) the staff were awesome!!

[OneLieIn]

We have skiied with Esprit for a few years and always OK, until last year. It was a DISASTER, they were awful. They really were beyond awful childcare (left DD with 103 temp asleep on the floor under a bench, said they had called us, they hadn't). They also totally missold the accomodation we had - chalet was far too small for the number of people we had there and people sleeping in kitchens. Check the details very very very carefully because if you need to complain to them either there or afterwards, it is really hard, they lie, they try and cover up big mistakes and they are very accusatory. We spent a lot of time and effort getting any money back.

Even though I have had some good holidays with them, I would not recommend them at all following the disaster we had.

[liath]

That's pretty much what we found, oneliein. When I tried to complain I was met by a real "F*ck you" kind of attitude.

[thereferee]

we have stayed in la rosiere (chalet braconniere) several times, and always really enjoyed it.

how motivated etc the staff are varies a bit year to year, as of course does the company of the other guests! but the chalet is comfy and you can ski in and out (we always had a room with french windows - meant kids can pop in and out while we warm up/ relax in the room). in addition the little green run outside means the children can go off on their own to some extent because it's like having your own private run outside! and we can watch them go up and down from the chalet.

we have always had really good childcare - in fact exceptionally good really, and the lessons have been good for the children too. the food has always been fine...sometimes really great, and the wine has always been nice! although, i would agree to some extent that they don't quite pitch the kids' food exactly right - in a way i'd rather they had junk that they ate for the week, rather than trying to make it as healthy as possible with half the children leaving it!

in addition we have left things at the airport, and been with others who have lost passports etc, and esprit have been great at sorting everything out.

so we have never had a problem with esprit and are in fact going again (somewhere else for a change) in a few weeks

[teahee]

We've been with them twice to Courchevel, a chalet near the lift to 1850 and had a good experience both times. Great chalet, nice chalet staff and the children enjoyed themselves. Keener on the Spritelet/Snow club set up than the creche arrangements.

[pralinegirl]

Kaprun last year in march with our 4 yr old, his first time. Staff friendly and good with kids. Not enough food at meals in chalet for me or DH, we had to ask to get coffeee percolator fixed as we were being expected to make instant. Rooms average, bit run-down but chalet otherwise nice. Don't think our DS learned much as he's having dry slope lessons now before this year's and the instructor was amazed how little he could do considering he's had a week on snow! Kaprun last march very warm at resort level though. Up high great but bus ride a pain.

This sounds quite negative but overall the main thing was he had great fun and they were great with him. We are going to Belle Plagne this year, as a chalet hotel has more facilities and more food!

[twizzler]

Thanks so much for all your messages. Am still looking!

There seem to be quite a few offers on the go and if we have the nerve, might try and hold out to see if prices go down a bit more!

It's been really helpful reading what everyone has to say re chalets they have stayed in - have had a look a them all!

[toomanyprojects]

I'm watching the prices too Twizzler and trying to hold our nerve for an extra bit off - we want to go 1st Feb - but to be honest with three children all the extras add up to more than the holiday by a long way. We need 1 x nursery, 2 x lessons, 1 x Snow Club, and a family lift pass plus all the equipment.

I don't think Esprit ever discount on the childcare itself - can anyone correct me - please!

[twizzler]

Hi toomany!

Yes, I think you are right re the childcare discounts.

Everytime I check on the Esprit website though there seems to be more chalets on the special offer section.

Has anyone heard of skiline?

Had a look last night and they have quite a few of the Esprit chalets on their site offering everything Esprit offers but cheaper!

[OneLieIn]

Twizzler, I don't know them, but would love to find another company as opposed to esprit....

[twizzler]

Contacted skiline...turns out they are just agents for Esprit and with all the extras etc. they are the same price anyway.

OneLieIn, was reading your post. Sounds like you had a terrible time of it.

I have had a look at Skifamille, Skipeak, Skibeat, Familyski, Markwarner etc. but they are either a lot more expensive or we don't fancy the resorts or chalets.

[octaviasmum]

Hi Twizzler - One way of cutting the price of skiing with three children (depending on the age of them) is to go to Saas Fee in Switzerland as the ski passes for children up to are 9 are free.

I have this morning just booked to go to the Terril Blanc with ski esprit on Sunday 10th Jan with my son. I only read the reviews after the booking but the total cost of the holiday including morning ski lessons and a supervised lunch for my son - all of the ski hire (although I have my own boots)and ski passes is £1,269. The accomadation alone was only £571 for us both! For that price I am not expecting the accomadation to be brilliant but hopefully that will not effect the skiing.

I have been with ski esprit before to a small chalet in Peisey which no loner features on the website. The conditions were squalid, the chalet filthy and we heard the chalet host vomiting outside the door during our dinner - he had a bug which was subsequetly passed to half of the chalet. I complained on my return with photographs of the filth and received an appalling level of customer service. Fingers crossed this won't be the same.

I have also been skiing (and on summer breaks) with Mark Warner which is really a cut above ski esprit - but you do pay for it and this year I can't afford it! The Hotel Tarentaise in Meribel is in a fabulous location as it is on the piste and the standard of food was fantastic. The childcare is always brilliant and the staff cannot helo you enough.

I hope that this has been helpful.

[OneLieIn]

SaasFee is a great and lovely resort but getting up the mountain is such a royal p in the a that it ruined it for us.

[twizzler]

Thank you Octaviasmum!

We have now booked and are going to La Rosiere with Esprit.

Hope you have a great time in Saas Fee. Come back on here and let us know what it was like.

[octaviasmum]

Hi Twizzler - we are going to Tignes - will post a review when we get back. A friend of mine has been to La Rosiere to Chez Robert with three children and they all had a fabulous time. Look forward to finding out what it is like this year.

[twizzler]

Oops sorry-so you are!

Had a look at Saas fee after you posted and it looks beautiful.

Will be interested to hear what you thought on Tignes on your return!

[lacarete]

been once to chamonix with esprit - gen the set up is good, but v regimented (as in bedtime before 8pm so grown ups eat together - impossible for us!) and everyone was v ill with a vomiting bug! but other than that fine. Saas Fee is incredible!

[MrLSG]

Went with Esprit at Christmas. Set up was okay, but chalet staff very inexperienced (it was their first week), so bread was never ontime (why cook your own bread in France????), and too few vegetables most nights, yet one night there was twice as much meat as anyone could eat.

Childcare staff seemed very willing, but again their inexperience showed: for example if the child (we had an under 2) didn't do the expected thing then they seemed to have no alternative strategy.

That said, the sheer convenience of their set-up means we would consider using them again.