There is no getting around it; skiing is now an expensive past time. Budgeting for your ski holiday takes most of us months and then on a white out up the mountain with hungry and tired children you fall into the nearest restaurant for some much needed food only to be faced with a €200.00 bill at the end. Well, it needn’t be like that. With a truly all inclusive ski holiday everything is covered and you don’t have to spend a single euro in resort as you have paid for everything up front and there are no nasty surprises.
Many hoteliers and suppliers talk about their all inclusive ski holidays but in truth there is only one company that offers this fully inclusive ski experience, that is Club Med.
Club Med are the originators, pioneers, and developers of the all inclusive ski holiday experience. From more modest beginners Club Med now offer a plethora of 4 and 5 star all inclusive ski hotels across the Alps and now even Canada and Japan too.
So what makes a Club Med holiday?
The basics.
Flights – choose from any UK airport
Transfers – dedicated to meet your flights, choose from shared to private
Accommodation – 4 or 5 star, pool & spa facilities, gym, ski in ski out…the choice is yours.
Food and beverages.
As you would expect from a French company, food is high on the agenda at any Club Med resort. Whether you are a gourmet thrill seeker or a plain Jane Club Med has your back. The buffet is expertly delivered by a team of international chefs with numerous dishes being cooked to order at stations within the restaurants. The beauty of the Club Med buffet means that less adventurous diners may trial more gastronomic courses and if it is not to their liking they can revert to the safe haven of the less exciting. As well as the staples of chicken, beef, vegetarian, and lamb on a Club Med buffet you can also experience oysters, dorado, vegan, shellfish, and no to mention the amazing cheese buffet. Here you will see Beaufort, Comte, Emmental, Munster, Reblochon, Roquefort, Tomme, Brie, Camembert, Chevrotin, and much more.
Of course, buffets are to everyone’s liking so Club Med will always have a waiter served fine dining experience in their speciality clubs serving locally themed dishes such as fondue (cheese or Chinoise) , Savoyarde gourmet burgers, tartiflette, raclette, and other contemporary dishes.
Lunches are taken care of back at the hotel with some resorts offering a choice of restaurants from within and others may have local mountain restaurants where guests can dine on the all inclusive basis without the need to come back to the hotel at lunch. Then there is also the reciprocal dining where, in certain resorts, you can eat at a neighbouring Club Med hotel.
All drinks at Club Med, except premium brands, are included. Choose from the cocktail or mocktail menu, a gin and tonic, Hugo, Aperol spritz, whisky, or rum. There will be a choice of cidre, bottled beer, beer on tap and wines too. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, juices, or fizzy drinks; the choice is yours.
Lift passes.
Club Med include lift passes with all of their holidays so you can enjoy the domain’s pistes and off-piste in the knowledge that you have paid for this in advance.
Tuition and ski guiding.
Qualified instructors with expert knowledge of the terrain will take you on group ski or snowboard lessons. You can choose from full day tuition to half day. In the advanced groups instructors can take you off-piste with suitable equipment and act as more of a guide. You don’t need tuition? Well think of this as social skiing with fellow guests of the same standard. It’s so much better than just skiing with friends as you will gain much local knowledge from your qualified guide learning from tips given and of course you jump the lift queues by taking advantage of the ski school lanes.
Private tuition is also offered at an additional cost.
Club Med for younger guests.
Wow, where do we start ?
Baby Club - 4 to 23 months. During the day children aged 4 to 23 months with tailored activities like outdoor walks, nursery rhymes and music appreciation, while you enjoy time as a couple.
Petit Club - 2 to 3 year olds. Club Med has a club tailored for the smaller guests. Children, aged 2 to 3 years old, age-appropriate activities featuring sports, crafts and games. Supervised by the dedicated G.Os (Professional staff), they will have the chance to discover sporting activities, masquerade games, and even take part in a show!
Mini Club - 4 to 10 year olds. The Mini Club Med experience is all about fun and learning, tailored to kids aged 4-10. Split into three age groups, children enjoy a variety of daily activities like sports, creativity, and games. Flying trapeze, ski lessons and many more are included in your package.
Teens Clubs - 11 to 17 year olds. Club Med, have designed an amazing programme for our older child guests. Club Med Passworld offers exclusive areas where teenagers can chill out playing video games, bar football, pool table tennis or even try their hand at being a DJ on the mixing desks. Then we have the Club Med Teen Programme, crafted for ages 11-13, offering a wide selection of an array of activities helping to make new friends and grow in a social environment. Children aged 14-17 benefit from the Club Med Chill Pass which provides a space to enhance social skills or enjoy magical evenings with various age appropriate activities.
Non-skiers.
It’s not all about the skiing on a Club Med winter holiday. For those that don’t ski or simply want to take a day off there is so much to do. Guided winter walks with an expert leader, Snow shoeing guided walks, yoga or pilates lessons, aqua-aerobics, swimming, usage of the spa with hot tubs, steam rooms or spa treatments. Try sledging or husky rides, watch a kitchen demonstration or simply kick back and read a book in the fresh mountain air.
Entertainment.
Whether it is a festival gala meal or throwing some shapes on the dancefloor Club Med has you well catered for. In the evening Club Med comes to life with welcome cocktails, apres ski snacks, and canapes. Watch a show in the theatre or experience themed evenings such as a magic acts , a casino night, or a live band playing.
All in all, Club Med is the only true all inclusive ski holiday it has been much copied but never rivalled and it is truly the number one ski holiday for singles, couples, families, and groups of friends.
