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Chatel Resort Reviews


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Visitor reviews for Chatel Ski Resort

Chatel Ratings

Overall: 4.4. Based on 55 votes and 65 reviews. Vote

Snowsure: 4.5

(1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Chatel is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Variety of pistes: 4.7

(1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Chatel has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.

Off-piste: 4.3

(1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.

Scenery: 4.8

(1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.

Access: 4.2

(1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Chatel.

Public Transport: 3.8

(1) There are no buses or taxis to Chatel, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.

Accommodation: 4.8

(1) No places to stay in/near Chatel, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.

Cheap Rooms: 4.3

(1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.

Luxury Hotels: 4.1

(1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Chatel.

Ski in/Ski out: 4.0

(1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.

Childcare: 4.4

(1) There are no child care facilities at Chatel, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.

Snowmaking: 4.7

(1) Chatel relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.

Snow Grooming: 4.8

(1) There are no snow groomers at Chatel, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Chatel are groomed daily.

Shelter: 4.3

(1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Chatel is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 4.3

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Chatel, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.

Regional rating: 4.5

(1) Chatel usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.

Lift Staff: 4.4

(1) The staff at Chatel are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Chatel are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.

Crowds/Queues: 4.0

(1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.

Ski Schools: 4.7

(1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.

Hire and Repairs: 4.9

(1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.

Beginners: 4.5

(1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.

Intermediates: 4.8

(1) No intermediate terrain at Chatel, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.

Advanced: 4.5

(1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.

Snow Park: 4.2

(1) Not even a kicker at Chatel, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.

Cross-country: 4.1

(1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Chatel, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.

Luge/Toboggan: 3.1

(1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Chatel has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.

Mountain Dining: 4.8

(1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.

Eating: 4.7

(1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.

Apres-Ski: 4.1

(1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.

Other Sports: 3.9

(1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.

Entertainment: 4.0

(1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.

Winter Walks: 4.2

(1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.

Ski Pass Value: 4.4

(1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.

Value (National): 4.3

(1) Overall, Chatel is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.

Value (Global): 4.4

(1) Overall, Chatel is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

Show all 35 ratings

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November 25, 2003
carol from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Chatel is a great resort for families and couples. The skiing is superb in one of the largest areas in Europe - something for all abilities. The area is made up of several different resorts on the french/swiss border - each one has its own snow park to play in - Super Chatel has a particularly good area if you fancy some jumps. There are many good restaurants in what is still a very pretty resort. Its not far from Geneva so very easy to get to - we're off there again in January.
December 27, 2003
Lawrence Toogood from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
What a gem! Chatel is a well keep secret from us Brits, but speak to anyone who has been and they say it is one of the best experinces in the Alps, as the saying goes i liked it so much i bought (the village ) ok an apartment.Linked to the worlds largest cross boarder ski area(portes Du Soleil)the skiing is endless covering all abilities.The main reson that we bought is for the summer activities to mention just a few hiking , mountain biking with downhill runs for all levels just let the ski lift do the work and gravity do the rest, paragliding , white water rafting,outdoor pool with childrens pool/slides, go-karting, horse riding and many more thingsto many to mention just checkout www.chatel.com and see for yourself not forgetting the superman ride on a cable from one mountain to another and if all this is for you and you want somewhere to stay checkout my web site www.ski-fly-bike.co.uk this is not a buisness its just for a select few to rent to help with the running costs but most of all to share the Chatel experience.
January 25, 2023
walter from Ski Italy Italy
Spent a day in Chatel. What a lovely place. The skiing was incredibly varied, superb views onto the Dente de Midi(at the top), really well groomed runs and we had lunch in town at a place that was very close to Michelin star quality. Highly recommend this place. Easy access from the Swiss autoroute and a quick drive up.
March 22, 2017
Dave from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Thank you to the very nice lady running the Rochasson lift who took down the barriers to let us on, even though we had turned up 5 minutes late to get back to Avoriaz. [note from editor: post will remain in place for a short time.]
December 29, 2012
rpl from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Chalet Cateriane over xmas, perfect. 6 days and saw all 4 seasons, warm, cold, snow, rain, sun, fog and wind. However, no complaints at all. Skiing great, natives friendly, prices reasonable. On the whole. proper winter skiing and an xmas treat.
August 05, 2010
Paul from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
We have stayed in Chatel for our last 3 skiing holidays. The village is exactly what all Alpine villages should be, picturesque with beautiful shops, bars and restaurants. We used to stay in Morzine but find that has now become too much like an English town, and enjoy the 'Frenchness' of a real Alpine village. The skiing here is fantastic, the local Super Chatel area is beautiful and ideal for beginners and people taking it easy (although there are a lot of drag lifts there) and the Linga and Pre La Joux areas are just a couple of lifts away from other places such as Avoriaz and Switzerland with plenty of skiing for the whole family. We always holiday in early April and the snow has always been fantastic (apparently it's to do with the micro climate?) We have stayed with a company called The Alpine Chalet Company for the last 2 years and they are fantastic, they pick us up from the airport, cook and take care of us all week, and their chalet (and hot tub!) is beautiful...just booked again for next April, and can't wait..!!
March 26, 2009
Victoria from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Chatel is a lovely resort. It is very picturesque and family friendly. I have been to Chatel for the last 5 years or so and I have always been able to find snow. It’s a great base to access the whole of the Portes du Soleil, with easy links to Avoriaz and beyond, and I have no trouble finding new places to go even after all this time. The runs are also beautiful and there is plenty of manageable fun off-piste. There is also an amazing selection of restaurants, which I am slowly working my way through. A word on drags – Yes, there are a few in the Super Chatel area, but really, they’re not horrendous and some of them get you onto some fab runs, both on and off-piste. I snowboard and ski at an average level and I have no problems.
January 27, 2009
Jenny Truff from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Some friends and myself have just spent a fantastic week in Chatel at chalet L'Optraken run by Steve Hutchinson Adventures, which is a private family run business. The couple who run this chalet, Steve (Hutch) and Becky met us at the airport and looked after all our needs, from guiding us around this fantastic area which is absolutely huge, to even taking us to the bar in the evening. The food was fantastic and the chalet very clean. Nothing was a problem. This was our first time in Chatel but we are definitely going to come back, hopefully very soon
December 30, 2014
Dave from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Pretty place with lots of potential but ruined by poor organisation and lack of investment. Lifts shown as open when actually closed. Insufficient lifts causing massive queues. People choosing to walk up the mountain, in large numbers, rather than wait forever (not just a short walk but a 40 minute climb). Insufficient buses, massive queues and total lack of crowd control. This causes people to use their cars, causing traffic queues and further slowing the buses. Sort it out please. Advice is not to go to Chatel during school holidays.
January 26, 2009
Adam from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
My Family and I also stayed at the ClubHotel Soldanelles at Chatel. We were there from 9 Jan 09 for 7 days. The food was excellent, the weather fantastic and the piste conditions were very good considering there hadn't been a major dump for three or so weeks. All members of staff were helpful, polite and great fun, there were also two school parties staying at the hotel; they had different breakfast and dinner sittings so you hardly noticed they were there. The local lift pass at Chatel is good for beginners and people who enjoy drag lifts (or are scared of heights) otherwise get the full area pass. Hope to return soon.

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