Testimonials

Just returned from a perfect week in Bellacima Lodge. The chalet was wonderful, especially the hot tub after a day on the slopes. We love skiing pre-Christmas as the pistes are virtually empty and the snow conditions were great. Emily and Lorna were the perfect hosts, they looked after us extremely well and the food was exceptional. Well done to all the team.

We enjoyed excellent food and the chalet was well designed with comfy sofas and beds and good bathrooms. The drivers coped well with the fact that the closest ski lift was not running and were always available. All staff were professional, well trained and well informed, with none of the teething problems we often encounter early in the season. Our only issue was with the use of Monarch for flights - possibly the worst airline. We were delayed on both journeys - almost 5 hours on the return flight. In our experience this is usual with Monarch and would seriously detract from using VIP Ski again. Time for a change of airlines please!

VIP SKI - Unfortunately one of our aircraft developed a technical fault on the stand at Gatwick which led to a delay of 1 hour and 50 minutes. A subsequent breakdown of part of the Gatwick baggage handling system and the resulting mayhem then caused widespread disruption for the rest of the afternoon to both outbound and inbound aircraft. By the time some of our returning guests actually received their luggage, the baggage chaos had compounded their delay by several hours. This was clearly thoroughly unsatisfactory. We are advised that Gatwick are currently investing substantial sums in their ageing luggage systems and that reliability will improve in the future. We are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience caused on this occasion.

Overall a very good holiday in an excellent chalet. However, a few things for you at VIP to work on. Overall VIP delivered on commitments but the wow factor that was our previous VIP experience was missing; no over delivery on promises! Sam, our chalet host, was excellent but chalet manager Sebastian was not very visible and Jack on the coach did his job but with no evident enthusiasm. Uncertainty seemed to prevail - may be they are all just new. Little touches absent - eg daily newspaper used to be provided to each chalet, now 3 are shared across all chalets. Important specific issues to address: - coach used for transport back to airport was wholly unsuitable, with inadequate leg room for all but the shortest passengers; nearly everyone struggled with this. - Monarch, on return flight, failed to organise baggage handlers at Gatwick. Official announcement advised that all other flights had been prioritised over ours with result that bags were not delivered until over 90 minutes after landing. Why did this unacceptable situation arise? We hope that VIP are back to your normal exceptional standard when we travel to St Anton in February.

VIP SKI - Unfortunately one of our aircraft developed a technical fault on the stand at Gatwick which led to a delay of 1 hour and 50 minutes. A subsequent breakdown of part of the Gatwick baggage handling system and the resulting mayhem then caused widespread disruption for the rest of the afternoon to both outbound and inbound aircraft. By the time some of our returning guests actually received their luggage, the baggage chaos had compounded their delay by several hours. This was clearly thoroughly unsatisfactory. We are advised that Gatwick are currently investing substantial sums in their ageing luggage systems and that reliability will improve in the future. We are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience caused on this occasion. 

The team (Nick and Rich) were fantastic. The cooking from the moment we arrived was first rate. Also, the accommodation itself was brilliant. Plenty of sofas, lots of room, and the bedrooms, although small, were nicely finished. If only the coach and Monarch airlines realised that some people are human sized it would have been perfect. I'm only 5' 11" and I couldn't fit properly in the coach seat. It's a 3.5 hour transfer so not pleasant. VIP really need to work on this as it's the last thing you remember when you go home. Also the Monarch planes have very small seats - please go back to BA!

We have pondered the issue of coach transfers long into the night and spoken to our guests at length over the years. We have done our best to acquire modern comfortable coaches with a sensible seat pitch, working loos and reliable drivers but there is no doubt that a coach journey is never going to be the most enjoyable aspect of a ski holiday. Unfortunately, the cost of private transfers can appear a little breathtaking (it is easy to forget that a one way taxi to Val d’Isere occupies a vehicle and a driver for an entire day), particularly if you don’t have at least four in your group, and most of our guests have said that they simply do not feel that the cost is justified for the sake of a few hours of additional comfort. We therefore include coach transfers in the standard price of our holidays for the majority of our customers that have said that they are happy with this small inconvenience at a pragmatic cost. Nonetheless, we recognise that some guests, and particularly those of larger stature, or unused to coach travel, would rather the convenience of a private vehicle to and from resort, and we are therefore delighted to arrange this service at an additional cost.

From the pick up through to the drop off, VIP were outstanding. The chefs Lorna and Finn went above and beyond helping us with a broken board, through to cooking the most amazing food. Harriet and Sophie were delightful and could not do enough. It was our honeymoon and the whole team made us feel special. We are definitely returning next year.

The chalet was amazing and the chalet staff were very friendly- Ellie Benson I thought the chalet was great. It had lots of room. The chalet staff were great cooks ,and I loved the wake up hot chocolate!! Thank you!!- Millie Greenlees I adored the whole experience the skiing, the staff and the chalet (especially the staff - Seb and Beth!) I will miss all of it! Thank you. Merry Christmas! -Lucy Barton The chalet was absolutely amazing and the staff were awesome this is the best holiday ever!!!!! - Millie Barton The staff were very friendly and very kind one of the best skiing holidays ever:Edward Greenlees This chalet is epic, with a hot tub and a sauna it's really relaxing when you get back from skiing. The chalet staff are brilliant and the food was great, I would love to come back to this chalet and have the whole experience again-Tom Benson