Val Thorens, France with Club Med by Dave Hodgkinson (December 2017)
FAM REPORT
CLUB MED FAM TO VAL THORENS SENSATIONS
VAL THORENS, FRANCE
DECEMBER 10-15, 2017
This FAM allowed me to take a guest so I traveled with a skier friend, Terry.
We left Boston on Saturday, December 9 on an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin that was scheduled to depart at 9:30 pm but was delayed 3 hours because of a snowstorm. The delay caused us to miss our connecting flight from Dublin to Geneva the next day. Europe flights were delayed everywhere because of snow. We changed our flight to a connection through London to Geneva which ended up being cancelled. At that point we asked for our luggage to be removed from the plane and returned to us. While I changed our tickets for a flight the next day, Terry waited for our bags but mine never showed up!
Aer Lingus transferred us to a hotel outside of Dublin for the night and we returned to the airport the next day, flew to Geneva and transferred to Club Med Val Thorens.
My bag did not get delivered to Val Thorens that day. I checked out the skis and equipment provided by Club Med and spent the afternoon trying to track my luggage. Finally I decided I should buy some clothes and equipment for skiing so that I could ski the rest of the week. I purchased the necessary equipment: helmet, goggles, pants, ski socks, thermals, shirt, gloves as well as some toiletries.
I joined the resort tour for our group at 4 pm. The tour included several rooms, the dining facilities, bars, disco, ski room, spa. Club Med is a vast resort with access to a ski trail that takes skiers directly to a lift that services the entire area as well as connecting lifts to other resorts such as Courcheval and Meribel. Guests can ski directly to the resort from a variety of lifts and the resort is close to the famous “La Folie Douce”, a dance party and outdoor concert for skiers featuring musicians, DJ, and entertainers. It is also found in Val D’Isere and is known throughout Europe and popular with the “Jet Set”.
Club Med Val Thorens features:
*A truly all-inclusive concept with options for more upscale food and beverage choices for an up charge
*A welcome desk in the first level with drive up access to the front doors and easy access to the elevators
*A main dining facility “Yurts” featuring various creative chef stations and a large comfortable dining room with great views
*A relaxed dining area and bar “Epicurious” featuring chef stations and a casual rustic “modern” atmosphere
*A bright and ultra chic bar and entertainment venue “Oxygen Bar” featuring comfortable lounge chairs, an outdoor terrace and Jacuzzi, with great music and entertainment nightly
*A skiwear and casual wear shop on the 4th level
*Modern, nicely appointed rooms, each with a terrace and class doors to enjoy the views of the mountains and ski runs
*A spa facility for massages and spa treatments
*A fitness room with assorted machines, weights, mats and workout area
*A large steam room and dressing rooms and showers
*A large “Rock climbing wall”, staffed by trainers, in the main 3-story lobby
*Comfortable seating areas throughout the hotel for individuals or small groups to relax
*A large ski room for gearing up and an equipment center for rentals and repairs
*Hot chocolate and non-alcoholic drink stations in the main lobby areas.
*Hot wine and hors d’oeuvres daily in the ski meeting area for access to the lifts
The resort was modern, clean and bright with colored lights and accents. The staff was helpful and engaging and I enjoyed many conversations with staff members throughout my stay. The waiters, bartenders, and facilitators were also the entertainers in the party venues at night. They held lively stage shows and musical entertainment every evening. The evening started with pre-dinner cocktails, followed by dinner and ended in the Oxygen Bar. The resort was geared towards an adult clientele and any children that I observed at the resort were teens or young adults and I never observed them in any bars or clubs.
On Wednesday evening, Dec 13 we were treated to a special dinner and wine tasting at Epicurious Lounge. The chefs prepared special dishes and wine selections in conjunction with the sommelier. The food was exceptional this particular evening. It should be noted that the food at every meal was delicious and wonderfully served.
The town of Val Thorens is a mixture of modern and rustic alpine architecture. There were numerous restaurants, shops, and markets spread over a large area, accessible by one mountain access road and numerous smaller streets and walkways. Most of the shops featured ski apparel and ski equipment and gear associated with all-season mountain sports. Most items in the stores I visited were extremely expensive. For example, I needed some tape for a small injury and a roll of adhesive tape cost the equivalent of $12 USD. The resort is at a high altitude so many visitors experience altitude sickness and difficulty in walking and climbing stairs accompanied by shortness of breath. After a few days, visitors acclimate somewhat to the altitude and it becomes more comfortable.
During the days our agenda included breakfast between 8-9 am followed by ski departures when the lifts opened about 9 am. I was able to ski for 3 days, Dec. 11-13 and enjoyed one sun-filled day and 2 days of continuous snow. Val Thorens area constitutes an extensive ski area connecting multiple villages and resorts such as Courcheval, Meribel and Les Menuires as well as others and making it one of the largest ski resort areas in the world. We were able to ski from Val Thorens to Meribel on the sunny day since trails were clearly visible but on the remaining days we stayed in the Val Thorens area due to poor visibility and the danger of avalanches. Snow levels were high and Val Thorens had trucks throughout the day hauling away the piles of snow blocking the streets and sidewalks. The snow was continuing when we left the resort.
It is worth noting that my missing duffle bag was delivered to the Club Med front desk at 11:30 pm on Thursday, Dec 14 and I left on Friday morning at 5:30 am for my return flight to Boston. I never opened my bag!