January 12–19, 2025
Couple with two daughters (8 and 10 years old)
We spent one week at Club Med Pesey Vallandry.
I would summarize the experience as wonderful, albeit with minor points for improvement. Starting with the transfer from Geneva: We arrived at the agreed time, but some people sharing the transfer had a delayed flight from London, which made us wait for an hour and a half. Only when I threatened to make our own way did they promptly arrange a van just for my family. Upon arriving—already late, around 5:00 PM—our room was not ready. After a short wait and a complaint, we were finally given the keys, with our luggage left at the door of the rooms.
We rented two adjoining rooms with a balcony offering a partial mountain view. The room was very spacious, featuring a sitting area with a sofa. The mattress was very comfortable, as were the pillows and the quality of the bed linens. The bathroom included a bathtub and a shower with good water pressure. The amenities were of good quality. The room provided tea and coffee, which were replenished daily, and the closets were ample for a week-long stay—especially with connecting rooms. I found the size of the room to be excellent. On one of the days, when I had back pain and couldn’t ski, the cleaning service wasn’t possible because they couldn’t return in the afternoon.
The view from the balcony was quite interesting—not panoramic, but you could see the approach of two slopes to the hotel. The hotel’s location is very good. From the lockers to the nearest lift, you need to climb a few steps. It is a bit uncomfortable having to climb stairs with ski boots, but it’s nothing major. After those few steps, there’s a gentle descent with skis attached right to the lift.
Breakfast was excellent, offering plenty of variety with new items every day, and lunch and dinner were equally impressive. I found some options spectacular and uncommon in resorts. Only at lunch did larger crowds occur, due to the synchronized arrival and departure of the morning and afternoon ski lessons. To avoid this, I recommend arriving right at the beginning, although I never had any trouble getting a table on any day. The wine served was of good quality, but being in France, it’s worth exploring other options separately.
The hotel offers a variety of amenities. I used both the dry sauna and the steam sauna, and both were set at a pleasant temperature. The pool, however, was cold by my standards; my daughters couldn’t tolerate the temperature, and I saw many guests complaining. There were plenty of towels available for both the sauna and the pool, along with good showers at the entrances and exits. The arcade room was very fun—even though the games were paid, they were quite inexpensive, which I believe helped ensure a good selection. There were also always busy ping-pong tables. The gym was small, featuring two treadmills (one of which was broken) and only a few exercise machines. On the plus side, there was a large stretching room where yoga and similar classes were held.
The staff deserves special mention for being extremely friendly overall. I was very well treated by everyone without exception. I made a point of speaking with the manager to compliment him; he, too, was extremely dedicated and always present. I experienced just a hint of disorganization at the mini club when a child accidentally took my daughter’s boot, leaving her alone and unable to ski for over an hour—separated from her sister and the other children, which understandably upset her. The next day, another child mistakenly took her skis; although they were promptly replaced, it was still a stressful moment at the time of departure for the lessons.
The bar in the main lounge was excellent, offering a diverse selection of drinks. The beers served were of outstanding quality. Snacks were adequate and available at suitable times. The wine list was good with honest prices, and I should note that the house wine was free and of reasonable to good quality. There was also a shop selling ski clothes and other interesting gear at fair prices. An interesting feature was the photographers roaming the mountain, with photos later available for purchase. Although the photos are pricey, their quality is spectacular.
The group ESF ski lessons were very good, with generally polite instructors. The groups were divided according to proficiency. It is evident that for the less experienced, taking private lessons for individualized technical corrections is advisable. In general, the price for private lessons is much lower than in the United States. We had private lessons with Jean Pierre, and my daughters with Fanny—I couldn’t recommend them more strongly. Extremely polite and technically skilled, they helped us have a spectacular week, even though I was quite apprehensive about getting injured. I managed to ski down slopes I never imagined possible, and it was exhilarating.
The lifts are very conveniently located—one right at the exit of the lockers (after a few flights of stairs) and another behind the hotel, past the mini club. There was a good variety of slopes, including some easy blue and red runs with few challenges, which are great for beginners and intermediates. There are also nice rest stops on the mountain and La Folie Doulce, which features a classic electronic party. Every morning upon arrival there was an après-ski, albeit modest, with good Prosecco available and a barbecue that isn’t always the best option in the snow.
I found the ski shop excellent, with new and high-quality equipment. For the children, there were some slopes offering plenty of fun and entertainment, as well as good training areas.
The village of Pesey is very modest and lacks alpine charm; there aren’t many good shops, and this is definitely something to consider when choosing your hotel. In summary, we had a memorable experience. The management makes a great effort to keep everything running smoothly. You truly feel that the staff is committed to delivering high-level service in a genuine and spontaneous way. The food exceeded expectations, as did the quality of the rooms. In my view, maintenance was excellent—aside from a few minor organizational issues at the mini club (which I understand given the difficulty and complexity)—and I rate it with the highest marks. I highly recommend this resort and would certainly return.
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