This was our first time in Les Arcs 1950, first time with VIP Ski and first time at Bear Lodge. Overall, we had a SUPER holiday!
Things that worked especially well were the;
- Super-friendly and helpful staff - they really were standout good (especially Lucy, Jed, Max and Rhys)
- Ease of ski hire
- Ski in / ski out location
- Comfortable beds
- Excellent massage & hammam facilities
- Pool table and games available (eg Scrabble) which our teenagers really enjoyed!
- Decorations the staff provided in the bar area to celebrate New Year's Eve
- Close proximity to 1950 village (which is pleasantly designed, especially given the resort is only 20 years old!)
Things that were disappointing were;
- The limited range of food on offer for breakfast, afternoon tea and supper. Having stayed at The Almhof Hotel in Gerlos Austria (I'd encourage you to look at what they do!), we've been spoilt by a VAST array of options at all mealtimes. Some basic improvements would be to offer some savoury topping options as part of afternoon tea (eg cheese, cold meats, tomatoes, cucumber) vs simply sugary options and a kid-friendly option as part of the adult dinner menu selection (eg lasagne, spagetti bolognaise, breaded chicken, fresh pizza, plus salad etc).
- No complimentary tea and coffee facilities or light bar snacks available during the day. The former should be very easy to fix and is a simple 'win', especially if anyone gets injured (as happened to one of our party on the first day). If you are unable to leave the hotel, it's not a 'VIP' experience to have to pay for tea or coffee between 9.30am and 4pm... or to be unable to get anything more than a bag of crisps to eat at lunchtime!
- The bedrooms are small and of the 4 rooms used by our party, only one had a wardrobe with hanging space. This is not what I'd expect from a hotel claiming to be premium accommodation.
- The atmosphere in the bar area was fairly sterile. You need to create more of a cosy feel, like Oso Suite's lounge area, with a flame-effect fireplace and more atmospheric lighting.