General Holiday Information
These general terms are for all our brands and include iGOSKI holidays, as well as Alpine Elements winter and summer holidays.
Complimentary Airport Transfers
We offer complimentary return airport transfers for early bookers, which operate between Geneva airport and the resort of your choice. Our transfers run at set times and will take you to the door of your chalet or hotel, or as near as we can get you! This leaves you free to book your own flights from your favourite UK airport.
Complimentary airport transfers are provided as standard with most of our accommodations and deemed a ‘minor’ item, therefore they do not constitute a package. As such, they are free and there is no charge, but the seats on our transfer buses are limited, so don't leave it too late to book your transfer. Do check the individual property pages on this website to see which properties come with complimentary transfers
You can often hold an ‘Option’ for 24hrs on your chosen accommodation and transfer slot so you are able to secure your flights before paying us a deposit. Please do not book your flights until you receive our iGO SKI Confirmation Invoice or Confirmation of Option and make sure you follow our recommended guidance on booking flight times to coordinate with our transfers.
ABTA membership
iGOSKI Ltd is a Member of ABTA with membership number Y6740. ABTA and ABTA Members help holidaymakers to get the most from their travel and assist them when things do not go according to plan. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct.
For further information about ABTA, the Code of Conduct and the arbitration scheme available to you if you have a complaint, contact ABTA, 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ. Tel: 020 3117 0500 or www.abta.com
Prices, Discounts & Offers
All holiday prices quoted on this website, or in any of our promotional literature may be subject to supplements. Any offers or discounts advertised, (including discount codes), may be withdrawn without notice and at any time. Offers and discounts cannot be applied retrospectively and cannot always be combined.
Exclusive ‘email sign up’ discounts and ‘promotional codes’ can only be applied to the main holiday cost and cannot be applied to any extras added to the booking.
Price Match Guarantee (Ski & Board hire)
We like to think that the ski and board hire we offer through our third party suppliers is some of the best-priced and the best quality around. Therefore, if you manage to find a cheaper offer elsewhere (for the equivalent level or quality of skis or snowboard) then we pledge to match it on price! We simply ask that you send us some proof of your comparable package so that we can not only try to ‘match’ its price, but beat it too.
Languages
As a UK based company, English is our primary language for all communications. However, if you have a language-specific request please contact us.
Activity Information
Ski Extras, Lessons, Summer Activities & Excursions
You may be able to purchase ski & board hire, lift passes, lessons, summer activities & excursions directly with our suppliers or through us (for certain extras) after you have made your initial holiday accommodation reservation; and as part of a separate booking contract, via our MyHoliday portal. As part of our service, we will always contact you directly after your accommodation reservation has been made to discuss any requirements for extras, lessons, summer excursions and activities, so you don't have to worry about contacting us.
For summer activities & excursions, we can take ‘expressions of interest’ for any extra add-on activities you may wish to book in addition to those included for free in your Active packs. You can then pay for these directly with our suppliers on arrival in resort with our Active reps during your Welcome Meeting. Our Active Team will help you build a programme with any extra activities you may wish to do on top of the inclusive activities in our free Active Packs. All activities whether included in your Active Packs or booked as chargeable extras (in resort) are run by third party activity suppliers. Payment is done in resort, which we will help you to do directly with the supplier.
We usually have no onward involvement after booking or helping you to book your ski & board hire, lift passes, lessons, summer activities & excursions, except for helping you in resort to find and prepare for your extra or activity, or pay the supplier directly. The third party suppliers we use are entirely independent of us and their terms and conditions will apply, (copies of which can be sent to you on request). As such, the ski & board hire, lift passes, lessons, summer activities & excursions do not form any part of your contract with us even where we endorse or recommend a particular operator/ third party and/or assist you in booking such extras, activities or excursions. Please see our individual activity pages and our terms and conditions for more information.
Please note: The single component holiday arrangements we offer and make for you do not constitute a “package” and accordingly, the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 do not apply to them.
Winter Activities
Alpine Elements ‘On the Snow’ Service
Buying your Ski Extras through us, allows us to provide our “On the Snow” service, so that we can give you help and assistance in resort to make your life easier. It only works if you book through us, using our specially selected suppliers, with whom we have strong relationships.
- Lift pass:
We will deliver your lift pass straight to you. In fact, it will normally be in your chalet or hotel for when you arrive. We will also help with lost/stolen* and other general lift pass queries throughout your week. - Ski and Board Lessons:
We will help you to book lessons directly with our ‘tried and tested’ ski and board schools. We know where they meet and how they operate which can be a great help, because even finding your ski school meeting point on the first morning can be daunting! We also help to assure the quality of lessons is as good as it can be, by using trusted suppliers with whom we have a long standing relationship. - Ski / Board hire:
You can book your skis and boards through us, with Skiset. We’ll make sure it’s to the Skiset shop closest to your accommodation. And we don’t mark-up our prices! In fact, we sell at public prices with a further discount if you book online with us.
Ski & Board Lessons
If you would like us to help you book ski and board lessons using our recommended suppliers then all we ask is that you also book your ski pass and ski or board hire through us, as well. This way, we can align everything for you in resort. We use “tried and tested” ski and board schools and giving you assistance in resort can be a time-consuming process for our team. Once booked, lessons are not always refundable from our suppliers and of course their terms will always apply!
Alpine Elements Virtual Reps
Our On the Snow service is managed by your Alpine Elements Virtual Rep or Concierge: an office-based rep that you can call or email with any queries you may have. We feel this works better than having a ‘rep-in-person’ as an office-based rep can give you more support and quicker results.
*Lost or stolen passes cannot always be replaced, the individual Lift Pass Office terms will always apply
Our ‘Snow Assurance’
At Alpine Elements we cannot guarantee snow, but it is our mission to endeavour to get all guests skiing whatever the weather. All our resorts are chosen for their reliable snow records and high altitude status, and most of our resorts have the benefit of access to glaciers which ensure snow almost all year round. Snow conditions can change dramatically overnight, so if conditions are exceptionally poor then we will do our best to change you to another resort, and this will be done at the last minute.
Our Snow Assurance covers complete resort closure of the extended ski domain. So, when you book an Alpine Elements holiday we will arrange for transport* to another ski area with more than 20% of the runs open if the lift company and ski school decide you are not able to ride or ski the resort and extended area in which you are staying, (e.g. the Portes du Soleil, 3 Valleys or Paradiski).
Transport will be arranged to a local resort in France where the skiing/riding is deemed better than your own and which is less than 2.5 hours drive away. This will be subject to the destination resort terms of business, their local ski conditions and their ability to take extra skiers. It will not include transport to a resort more than 2.5 hours away, by coach.
Our Snow Assurance only covers skiers and snowboarders, it does not cover cross-country skiers. It does not cover lift closures due to pandemics or similar events (like Covid-19), high winds, adverse weather or too much snow! Snow Assurance does not include limited lift pass sales, (e.g. due to a lack of snow), if, for example, the resort are restricting skiers on the mountain.
*All transport to other ski areas, by way of coach, minibus or taxi to another ski resort under the terms of this Snow Assurance will incur an additional local charge to guests.
Liftpasses, Lessons and Ski Hire
Our Snow Assurance will not cover any additional costs required for ski and board lessons, lift pass or ski and board hire. Any additional costs (if required) must be paid locally and such services will be subject to availability. It may well be the case that the resort in which you are staying will transfer liftpasses for little or no extra cost and/or a refund on your existing pass for lost days skiing. We will assist you in every way that we can in making your own claims through your insurance company, for instances where you lose time skiing or forfeit extra costs, as applicable to your policy. If this is a concern, we would recommend you fully investigate the benefits available to you, on your travel-medical insurance policy.
Summer Activities
Complimentary Bikes (Free Use Bikes)
Our summer alpine hotels have complimentary bikes at the hotel and dedicated staff to look after the bikes. If you are staying in a chalet, you are welcome to go along to one of our hotels and borrow a complimentary bike. See Free Use Bikes.
Simply head down to the hotel bike store, speak to a member of our team and you can ‘grab a bike’ from our racks and go for a two-wheeled adventure. You can pre book (reserve) a bike if you have a special trip planned or a particular request, but in our experience (and under normal conditions) there are plenty of bikes to go around, so if ever you have to wait - it won’t be for long!
You can choose from a variety of mountain bikes for adults and kids from age 4 and up, or baby trailers for the really small ones. There is also a selection of road bikes available for you to use, but these are more limited. Road bikes, Kids bikes and baby trailers are limited, so contact us via your MyHoliday portal (Special Requests) if they are important to you and we will see if we can put one aside.
We provide helmets with all bikes and insist that you wear them. We also provide a Safety Pack for roadside repairs (inner tubes etc). We provide a rentable bike lock. We do not provide armour or pads
You can pick up a mountain trail map and a Route Card - which is a step-by-step ride (or walking) itinerary suggestion - from reception or view our Route Cards via our MyHoliday website as a downloadable PDF to view on your smartphone.
You will be asked to sign a disclaimer (on MyHoliday) or locally when you arrive, which will also detail our guidelines on Allowable Use of bikes. For example, complimentary bikes are not allowed on many of the lift-assisted, high mountain trails or Downhill trails. They are only for use on valley floor trails and low gradient descents. And any cost of damage to bikes (for wilful neglect or incorrect use) will have to be met in resort.
Bikes, Skis, Workshops & Storage
We have complimentary bike workshop facilities, Jet wash, secure bike storage and trained bike mechanics in our main hotels (please refer to individual accommodation pages for participating properties). You are free to make use of these facilities at the discretion of our mechanics. Their time and tools are precious and we will have to charge for help with fixing your own bike, that is, a bike that does not belong to us; or, for our bikes if they have been incorrectly used or neglected!
We have jet wash/hose and secure bike & ski storage at most of our hotels and chalets. However, we would urge you to check and satisfy yourself that our secure storage facilities (for sports equipment such as skis and bikes) are suitable for your own needs.
If you are bringing your own sports equipment (winter and summer), please ask our sales team for more information on secure storage if it is important to you. Whilst most of our properties do provide secure (lockable) storage, it is your responsibility to satisfy yourself of the facility, whilst understanding the communal nature of our storage facilities. We cannot take responsibility for losses or damage however incurred and would recommend that you travel with a suitable insurance policy for your equipment.
Complimentary Hiking (Walking) and Biking Guides (Summer)
For some of our properties we provide Early booking summer alpine guests (staying 7 nights) the chance to join a complimentary professionally guided hike/walk and or bike ride that we organise with a professional mountain guide. This activity is offered to Early bookers but may be withdrawn after the Early booking period has ended. All guided hikes/walks and bike rides (whether complimentary, Earlybooker-only or otherwise) are run by third party suppliers and are entirely independent of us. Their terms and conditions will apply, (copies of which can be sent to you on request), and these excursions do not form any part of your contract with us
These guided hikes/walks or bike rides will start from a designated meeting point at a scheduled time. If you miss the start time, we cannot guarantee an alternative slot, due to demand. Spaces are normally full and the slots are fixed. You will normally have the opportunity of one or two guided excursions in any 7 day week (and your quota is doubled for 14 night stays) at participating properties. Please ask our sales team or research the individual property pages and Active pack pages to see more.
To join a guided walk/hike or bike ride you will need to be of good physical fitness (which will also be assessed by the guide) and capable of walking up mountain paths of moderate ascent. Our excursions ast for just over 3 hours, but allow a half day activity time.
Summer Activities
Many of our guests choose to try extra activities like parapenting, climbing, rafting and canyoning (to name a few) and you may be able to purchase such activities and excursions through us after you have made your initial holiday accommodation reservation, by way of a separate booking contract.
However, normally you will book directly with the suppliers in your Welcome meeting shortly after arriving at your hotel or chalet. The activity suppliers normally attend our Welcome meetings, or our Active Team will put you in touch with them if they cannot attend.
As part of our service, we will endeavour to contact group leaders via a Pre departure Call (PDC) approximately 10 days before departure to discuss your holiday arrangements and help you plan a week of activities which will include any ‘free activities’. You will receive a Weekly Planner and have a very good idea of how your holiday will look. It is also a good time to tell us about any special requests.
For summer activities and excursions, we can take ‘expressions of interest’ but they are often booked on arrival in the resort directly with the supplier at your Welcome Meeting or throughout your week.
All activities and excursions are run by third party suppliers and they are entirely independent of us and their terms and conditions will apply, (copies can be sent on request). As such, these Activities and Excursions do not form any part of your contract with us, and do not constitute a ‘package’ and accordingly, the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 do not apply to them.
Please refer to the section above ‘Ski Extras & Lessons; Summer Activities & Excursions’
Multi Activity Passes
The Multipass (Portes du Soleil) or MyTignes pass is a card which offers free access to resort lifts and activities (such as the pool, aquatic centre, ice rink, mini golf, tennis, buses) with discounts for many premium activities (like Parapenting, Luge, Indiana park). It is for holidaymakers staying in accommodations which are “specially designated” by the Tourist Office and because all our accommodations are registered with the Tourist Office Multipass scheme, we can offer it to you for no extra cost when you arrive.
If you are staying for 7 nights or more in any of our participating accommodations, the card will be provided by us and given to you on arrival or at your Welcome Meeting on behalf of the Tourist Office, whose terms and conditions will apply.
The supplier of these activity passes (the Tourist Office) is a third party and entirely independent of us, so their terms and conditions will apply, and copies can be sent on request. As such, these Activities and Excursions do not form any part of your contract with us, and do not constitute a ‘package’ and accordingly, the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 do not apply to them.
Mountain biking in the Alps
Mountain biking in the Alps is great fun and suitable to all abilities but remains a hazardous sport. We advise you to take care and wear helmets and pads which are appropriate to the riding you choose to do. The inclusion of a graded trail system (Green, Blue, Red and Black) enables riders of all ability to experience the lift-assisted trails.
If you are new to biking then we would advise you are comfortable with riding off-road tracks and trails around resort level and valley floor trails before you take to the lifts. We always recommend hiring a full suspension bike or a ‘Pro Bike’ which has been well maintained with hydraulic disc brakes for use on any lift-assisted trails, especially those of Green grade or more.
Some resorts may include ‘family trails’ at altitude (lift-assisted) but care must always be taken when assessing your own ability. Any information that we provide, (via our literature and our staff), is offered in good faith for general purpose and is not qualified-advice or advice which will be able to advise you about your ability to partake in certain rides or Route cards. Therefore, you should assess the risks for yourself and be sure of your abilities before venturing off road or up the lifts.
Active Kids Clubs
In our Summer Alps programme our exclusive hotels have a complimentary childcare facility, which we refer to as our ‘Active Kids Club’ and it runs for 5 days. You will have the chance to pre-book 4 half days of childcare (up to 3 hours a session) which run Monday to Friday and an additional Family Fun Day (3-4 hrs) where parents join in for a fun half-day a sociable activity (often an excursion) and perhaps a picnic to enjoy with other families, normally on the last day of the holiday. We often have a mini awards ceremony and it allows kids to say farewell.
Take a look at the individual property pages on this site to see if our Active Kids Club is included. Our Active Clubs facility is for Mini Kids (age 4-7) and Junior Clubs (age 8-12). You can reserve spaces for your child, but availability is limited so try to do this as soon after your initial reservation. Spaces are limited and on a first-come, first-served basis and we cannot guarantee availability for any property at any time of the season. If you are staying in a chalet, you may be able to make use of our Kids Club (if we have availability) by dropping into one of our hotels. If Kids Club is important to you, make sure you check availability before you book your holiday.
Kids Club operates for 5 days a week and one of these days is a ‘Family Fun Day’ where parents join in for a fun half-day-out for a sociable activity and perhaps a picnic. If you do not wish to participate in Family Fun Day then Kids Club is available for 4 days a week. Sessions run for 2-3 hours and opening times are (approx): 09.30-12.30 | 14.00-17.00. You will be allocated a morning or afternoon slot on arrival, or a mixture of the two. Please arrive at least 10 mins before your allocated slot, to sign in and 10 mins before pick up to sign out. If you have a preference of afternoon or morning slot; you may request a specific slot with us before you depart (usually in writing to our head office) and we will see what we can do. Sometimes we may combine age groups and/or cancel sessions if participation is low. If a slot is cancelled we will endeavour to provide an extra session (or lengthen a session) later in the week for you.
For our Winter Ski & Board programme, we do not offer Kids Clubs, but creche and childcare services can be found with third party suppliers in the resort and we can give you a list of suppliers to choose from.
General Information
Resort Opening
Please be aware that during December and April (for winter ski) and June and September (for our summer holidays) some resorts may be operating limited lifts. For winter, they may be operating limited ski slopes, especially in the lower resorts. Please check with the Tourist Offices directly for updates and information.
Please ensure your travel-medical insurance policy covers you for ski slope and lift restrictions and/or instances where lifts may be fully or partially closed before or after their scheduled opening times. Such instances can occur through adverse weather or poor snowfall and Tourist Offices may have to make last minute changes to their published lift opening schedules if local or regional conditions or factors do not allow the normal published schedule to run.
Trainer Weeks (winter and summer)
During our Pre Christmas weeks (in December) and early summer weeks (in June) we give cheaper prices in exchange for newly trained staff. Our staff are new to their jobs and we ask our guests to appreciate this. Even though they will have had comprehensive training, mistakes can be made. We do still provide full backup in resort, with careful oversight by our experienced managers. We believe that if our staff make the odd mistake, it will be limited to minor things; but we do ask our guests to appreciate this and we ask for a little grace and patience to help our young, hardworking staff get started in their new positions, many of whom will be away from home for the first time.
Ski Groups (5+ persons)
If you are a party of 5 or more, then you are considered a ski-group. In return for giving group discounts, we ask the following:
1. That one group leader is selected for coordinating the group and that they remain the only point of contact with us, for the holiday reservation, including any add-ons and changes. Individual group members may contact us for information about their holiday, but we ask leaders to coordinate the reservation.
2. All reservations, add-ons and changes must come from the group leader, however individual group members can make holiday payments (online) via our secure My Holiday area, at the top of the website or by calling us and referencing their group leader’s name and date of travel.
3. Group leaders must impart all knowledge of the holiday and details of their accommodation onto their group. We ask that group leaders use our My Holiday area to assist with passing this information onto their party, and send us the email addresses of all their adult party members so we can keep them up to date with holiday information. Alpine Elements cannot be held responsible for misconceptions within the group later down the line, due to misinformation from leaders.
4. All Passengers names (as on passports) and dates of birth must be supplied at time of booking. Along with passenger email addresses (over 16’s) so that we can update the group with holiday information.
Conditions for Group Discounts
- Lower deposits: Occasionally we offer a lower booking deposit to make things easier for group leaders of groups 5+. If you have been offered a lower deposit, the remaining balance must be paid - to top it up to our standard deposit - by the due date that we give you. Our standard deposit is £250pp.
- Group discounts are subject to availability and available for select properties and dates. They may be withdrawn at any time.
- Group size is calculated on the number of full paying guests. Any two children receiving a child-discount of any level (except free child places) can be counted as one full-paying guest.
- To qualify as a group, you must all book at the same time and on the same departure date, although your party may travel by different routes. Any additions made later may be charged the normal rate or a supplement.
- Free group spaces (if applicable) are for the basic holiday price and are based on the use of a triple or quad room at participating accommodations.
- To qualify for offers on extras such as half price or free Liftpasses offer then you must book the Extras for your group at the same time, so it’s best to get everyone’s order together before you call us.
- You may not be able to combine group discounts with other special promotions like % off promo codes or Elemental discounts.
- Reducing the group size-may result in the loss of, or a reduction of the original group discount, and may also cause empty bed supplements to become payable.
Young Travellers
Over 16’s will be allowed to holiday with us unaccompanied. We receive many young people to our chalets and hotels, and they will most likely find others of a similar age with whom to bond. The all inclusive nature of our holidays often gives parents the peace of mind that their children do not have to fend entirely for themselves. A security deposit may be requested. Under 16’s must always be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Cancellations & Changes (By You)
Please remember that if a member of your group cancels, you may incur an empty bed charge, group free places may be affected and the change could affect the overall holiday cost. Such changes and cancellations will also carry a cancellation charge. Having a standby list of people to come on your holiday is often the best solution. If you find a substitute they naturally take on the holiday cost of the person they are replacing, be aware that administration fees may be due for such changes, in addition to any other costs of the change or cancellation. See our main terms and conditions for more.
Travel Medical Insurance Cover
It is a condition of booking with us that you and your party each have adequate travel/medical insurance to cover all aspects of your holiday to include things like holiday cancellation, curtailment, travel delays (missed flights), medical and repatriation, lift or piste closures, active sports with mountain & off-piste rescue (for winter) and that it covers for pandemics like Covid-19.
Your policy will need to cover the sports you intend to take part in, such as skiing, snowboarding and for summer, sports you intend to take part in such as climbing, mountain biking, parapenting, canyoning and other activities. Please check that your own sourced insurance policy and the policy that we have included a link for, on our website by JS Insurance, covers you adequately for all of all aspects of your holiday and all of your needs; and especially the type of activities you intend to take part in. Even though we offer a link to JS Insurance, you must satisfy yourself that the policies they offer cover you for all of your needs.
Check that it suits your needs:
Before buying any policy ask to see the limits and benefits - whether it is the policy that we have included a link for on our website, (from JS Insurance), or your own sourced policy. Be sure to satisfy yourself that any policy you choose to take (and especially the one from JS Insurance) provides an adequate level of cover for your needs, including cover for cancellation, curtailment, travel disruption (missed flights) and even pandemics such as Covid-19. Do not just rely on the word of the insurance seller or agent, do your own research and be sure you have the correct policy for your needs..
We cannot be held responsible for you or any member of your party having inadequate cover, even if you choose to take the policy linked to from our website by JS Insurance. If you take out this policy, please note you are not covered until the premium has been paid and cover must be started before you travel. We regret that we cannot give refunds for unused insurance policies once the premium has been paid.
Please refer to the terms & conditions on our insurance page.
EHIC & GHIC
Leaving the EU means that the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is being phased out. If your EHIC is still in date, you can continue to use this and you should ensure that you have this with you when you travel.
When your EHIC expires you will need to replace it with a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). This should also cover you for medical treatment in EU countries but neither card is a replacement for good ski travel insurance.
Carre Neiges
The lift passes that we sell in the UK (pre departure) or in resort do not include Carre Neiges insurance as standard. If you would like Carre Neiges added then only our Morzine passes offer this. Please request the addition of Carre Neiges in writing to be added to your lift pass order. You may email sales@alpineelements.co.uk or use the Myholiday Portal (Holiday registration Form Special requests section).
We will only add Carre Neiges to your lift pass if we have a specific request in writing and your lift pass price will then be recalculated at the higher price to include Carre Neiges. Unless you have confirmation in writing from us that your pass has Carre Neiges, and unless you have paid an increased price over our standard prices, then your pass will not contain Carre Neiges. Please check our Confirmation Invoices which will detail the inclusion of Carre Neiges with your Lift pass. If it is not detailed on the Confirmation Invoice from iGOSKI Ltd, then you will not have it. You must satisfy yourself that you are correctly covered for your holiday.
Property Information
Extra Bed Discounts in Hotels:
An extra bed is a 'put up' bed, a bunk bed or a sofa bed; or anything over the minimum occupancy of a bedroom. You may also have discounts available for using the third bed in a triple hotel bedroom, or the third and fourth beds in a quad bedroom.
Extra Bed Discounts in Chalets:
All our chalets are shared unless booked privately. When booking privately you can have Extra Beds added for a discount, but only for private bookings. An extra bed is anything over the Standard Occupancy of a chalet. The Standard Occupancy of a 10-12 chalet is 10 beds, so you can fill the 11th and 12th beds for an Extra Bed discount, depending on the circumstances of the booking and chalet.
Standard & Full Occupancy (private chalet bookings)
Some of our chalets have additional beds in excess of the standard occupancy of a chalet and if all these beds are filled it can create a strain on the capacity of the chalet. For example, a 12-13 bed chalet may have 13 beds but we feel it is better suited to 12 people, using its standard 12 beds.
We rate and price our chalets based on the number of standard beds in the property, so if you wish to ‘over-fill’ and fully occupy, using every bed available, we will charge a reduced rate and/or give away a free bed.
The reason we set our prices based on standard occupancy (rather than its full occupancy) is because, in our opinion, the chalet is more suited to its standard occupancy. Any beds sold over that standard will make conditions more cramped and put an extra level of strain on your comfort and the chalet facilities.
We ask that in these instances, group leaders make their party fully aware of any limitations on space and comfort and that they ensure all of their party know about any such chalet or room limitations - such as reduced ceiling height, small bathroom or small bedroom. Our sole point of contact is with group leaders and we cannot be held responsible for leaders not imparting all the details of the booking onto the rest of their party.
Catering
Catering is provided as standard with our catered chalets, chalet-hotels and hotels as described on the individual property pages within this website.
Catering (Half Board)
Our Half board catering may differ from the standard ‘half board’ offering you might expect, and is tailored to the Ski Chalet-Hotel market, for both winter and summer. We offer:
Breakfast (7 days a week)
Each morning we offer a continental breakfast buffet with cooked items on some mornings. The continental items will consist of: breakfast cereals, croissants, fruit, fruit juice, fresh bread, jam and of course unlimited tea and coffee. The cooked items will typically consist of eggs, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, hash browns.
In chalets, breakfast will be left for guests to self-serve when staff have their day off and for two additional mornings a week. So, for three mornings, staff will not be present at breakfast, (in order that we can align with working time regulations in France), and breakfast will be self-serve continental style.
Afternoon tea (6 days a week)
Our Afternoon tea is served most evenings from 4pm and typically consists of freshly made cakes or biscuits which will be laid out on a self-serve basis with tea and coffee also available.
Evening dinner service (6 nights a week)
Each evening (for 6 nights) a 3-course menu is included in our half board prices.
Staff day off
For staff day off there will be no evening meal or afternoon tea, and no staff onsite in chalets with limited staff in our hotels. Breakfast will still be provided (continental) and in chalets guests will self serve. A member of staff will be in later to help clear up. In our hotels a small number of staff will be present at breakfast to ensure guests receive a continental buffet spread.
Our Menus
We do not attempt to create flamboyant Cordon Bleu menus, instead we concentrate on wholesome, hearty and great tasting, nutritious dishes to take the edge off those ski appetites!
The meal on arrival nights may be a haphazard affair served around the convenience of the majority of arrivals; and our full service may not be available, especially for late arrivals. Kitchens normally close at 9pm.
A la Carte & Diets
In our hotels we provide an a la carte menu, which is a choice of two starters, two main meals and two deserts with a vegetarian option. Other diets will be catered for on request, but must be requested before departure via Myholiday using the Holiday registration form.
Staff Days Off (Chalets)
Our hard-working staff have two days off each week in line with French working regulations. These two days are split into two mornings and one full day off. Therefore, for three mornings a week your hosts are ‘off duty’ and breakfast will be continental and self-serve. A member of the team will come to the chalet to clear up later in the afternoon. For staff ‘full day’ off there is no evening meal so it's a great opportunity to explore the local restaurants. Here is a summary of what to expect:
Despite the changes in French working regulations, we have worked hard to retain our core offering of 6 nights evening meals rather than limiting to 5 nights as many Tour Operators have done. For this reason, our chalets are not staffed for the following days:
For two mornings: (normally a Tuesday and a Friday) our chalets are not staffed at breakfast. Staff will make breakfast available for you on a self-serve basis. Later in the morning a member of the team will be in to help clear up and lay out an Afternoon tea. On these days the evening meal will still be provided as standard, (for the full six evenings).
For one ‘full day’ a week (normally a Wednesday): It is the full staff day off. On this day, our chalets are also not staffed at breakfast, (it will be available on a self-serve basis), and a member of the team will be in later in the morning to help clear up and lay out Afternoon tea.The evening meal will not be provided on this day and guests are free to explore the local restaurants. (Wed or Thur depending on resort).
Staff Days Off (Hotels)
As with our chalets, (regarding the changes in French working regulations), we have worked hard to retain our core offering of 6 nights evening meals rather than limiting to 5 nights as many Tour Operators and hoteliers have done. For this reason…
For one ‘half day’ a week (normally a Tuesday) our Chalet-hotels and hotels are not fully staffed for the afternoon or evening. Our kitchens and restaurants are closed and so guests will explore the local restaurants for this one evening. Hotel services will run as normal during the day, to include breakfast (continental buffet), and we still provide Afternoon tea. It is just the evening meal that is not provided, and the bar is closed.
Arrival Night Meals
The meal on arrival night may be a haphazard affair served around the convenience of the majority of arrivals; and our full service may not be available. The kitchens will close at 9pm, so arrivals after this time will not have an evening meal.
Cleaning
With the constant movement of people in and out of our chalets and hotels it is an uphill task to keep the accommodation and particularly the floors clean.
For Chalets: Public areas and public bathrooms/WC’s are cleaned daily, except staff full day off. Your bedroom and its ensuite bathroom will be deep cleaned for your arrival and then the ensuite bathroom will be cleaned once a week (midweek) and the bins emptied. In response to changes in French Working Time Regulations, we have removed less essential items such as daily bedroom cleaning so that we can keep our evening meal offering to 6 nights, rather than 5 nights as many chalet operators now offer.
For Hotels: Public areas and public bathrooms/WC’s are cleaned daily. Your bedroom will be deep cleaned for your arrival and then lightly cleaned on a daily basis in line with our hotel policy. Your bedroom will not be cleaned on staff day off, (normally a Tuesday).
If you are unhappy with general cleanliness of your hotel or chalet then please raise this point with your resort manager (or hotel reception), or use the ‘First Impressions’ text message that your group leader will receive on Day 1, or email myholiday@alpineelements.co.uk and we will respond with complete discretion.
Towels, bedding, toiletries
In the interests of our environment and reducing consumption, all our chalets come with one set of bedding and one towel per guest, per week, with a mid-week towel change. If you would like a fresh set of linen then please ask your chalet host or rep and we will accommodate you on request. We provide a standard starter selection of toiletries (shampoo/soap) for all chalets for your arrival. They are not replenished throughout your stay, but you may ask our staff for a top up of toiletries. We will always try to accommodate you!
Our Staff
Many of our resort staff are younger than our adult guests, which is in keeping with the general type of worker this industry attracts. However our staff are carefully chosen, and put through a rigorous Alpine Elements training programme which includes catering, cleaning, chalet operations, health, safety and food hygiene. For this reason, most of our chalet and chalet-hotel staff do not have professional catering qualifications.
Diets and allergies
Vegetarian and other special diets can be accommodated so long as we receive a written request at least 14 days before departure, from group leaders.
If you do not inform us until you arrive in resort, we regret that we may not be able to satisfy your dietary request.
Please inform us via your MyHoliday portal using the Holiday registration form, or, if you are unable to access the form then in certain circumstances you may email us directly at myholiday@alpineelements.co.uk. Always check your Holiday Confirmation invoice to ensure that any requests have been booked and recorded to your reservation. If your Confirmation Invoice does not mention the dietary request, then it will not have been booked and may not be available in resort for you.
Some diet requests will require a supplement because a lot of extra work will have to go into meal planning and preparation, including the sourcing of ingredients which can be hard to come by in ski resorts. Due to the fact that ingredients are not always clearly evident on labels, particularly when taking into account translation problems, we cannot guarantee avoiding specified ingredients.
Allergies
If you have a specific diet or allergy then please make us aware of this in writing via the Special requests section of your MyHoliday portal using the Holiday Registration form.
We cannot guarantee the complete avoidance of specific foodstuffs and therefore cannot accept any liability in the event of an allergic reaction. When you travel with us you accept that our chalet hosts, whilst trained, are not qualified professionals and even with their best efforts we will not be able to guarantee a completely zero contact with specified foodstuffs. Cross contamination may also be an issue because we have little control over items of food brought in by other guests.
Please be aware that we cannot cater for anyone with an airborne nut allergy or anyone who is allergic to even traces of nuts. It is impossible for us to guarantee that any ingredients from our suppliers are free of nut traces or that they have been handled in a nut-free environment.
We are not able to cater for guests with a FODMAP diet or any temporary eating plan that restricts these carbohydrates, for example for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Accommodation Diamond Ratings
Please note that our 3, 4 and 5 Diamond classifications are Alpine Elements ratings for our properties only and are not any indication of the level of service or catering within. Our rating system is not to be compared with that of other companies or an 'industry standard' if indeed one exists. For some of our properties, the Diamond classification is given only for the facilities (e.g. sauna/pool) rather than the actual quality of accommodation.
3 to 3.5 Diamond
These are comfortable ski chalets and hotels with (mostly) ensuite bedrooms. A sauna or hot tub may also feature in the chalet. Three Diamond properties would be similar to a 2-3 star hotel.
4 Diamond and up
An increased level of comfort with en suite bathrooms with extra benefits like ski to door, sauna, hot tub, if applicable. Our 4 Diamond properties may be akin to a 3-4 star hotel.
5 Diamond
This rating is reserved for our very best chalets and hotels. They may not be luxury (unless stated otherwise) but will come with an even higher level of comfort with en suite bathrooms and extra benefits like ski to door, sauna, hot tub, if applicable.
Important Catering & Service Information
All our chalets and hotels, regardless of Diamond rating, will operate the same level of catering and service. The rating is given for the property itself
Chalets
A chalet holiday is more informal and relaxed than a hotel, and yes, you can come to dinner in your slippers! One of the attractions of chalet accommodation is the individuality or uniqueness of the property and its rooms. All of our chalets are selected with care on the basis of general comfort, character, convenience and facilities. However it must be remembered that chalets are adapted domestic homes and they vary in size, such as space around the dinner table! They can be larger purpose-built properties, apartments within complexes or local people’s alpine houses.
As such, chalets are very different from hotels. Occasionally beds may be against a wall, there may not always be a WC on each floor, room sizes may vary (even when priced similarly), top floor bedrooms may have sloped ceilings, rooms may not all have lockable doors and bathrooms may be shared with other guests or resident staff. Chalet apartments within complexes may be accessed by stairs and/or lifts.
Our chalets have lounge and dining areas, although in some cases, there may be fewer sofa or comfy seats than the full-rated occupancy of the chalet. There will always be enough seats around the dinner table but it may be cosy in space. We hope you like your group! If in doubt about this, please call us.
As in your own home, from time to time things may go wrong and we do ask that you be patient as it may not always be possible to repair or replace items immediately due to the mountain locations involved.
Self-catered Apartments
These provide excellent value for money, especially if 4 people are willing to share a one bedroom apartment and use the sofa beds in the lounge. Check in is usually after 3 pm and check out usually at 10am. Self-catered apartments and hotels are run by 3rd party suppliers. We would like to make clear that there may be variations to accommodation type and description, and differences in service level to be expected. Guests are responsible for their own cleaning and taking out rubbish. Guests may incur cleaning charges for dirty apartments with rubbish left in them. A deposit may be asked for on arrival. Linen will be provided but beds not made. Basic crockery and pots, pans, kitchen equipment will be provided with the apartment and will vary from one property to another. They may be mismatching, inadequate or not to your usual standards. For example, do not expect full-size mugs, kettles, microwaves, wine glasses, toasters. Just basic cooking equipment will be available.
Rooms
The size, décor, soundproofing and furnishing of a bedroom can differ markedly, even within the same property. There can also be considerable differences in floor space, head clearance, clothes storage facilities and types and sizes of bed. We make every effort to detail any disadvantages on our chalet pages. We recommend that if you have any particular room requirements, they are expressed to us as a Special Request when you come to book
Some rooms may have an unused kitchenette (for self-catering) and we may have disconnected the fittings. Some beds may be put up, pull-out, or sofa beds. Again you must advise us in writing if any of these are unacceptable. Cabin bedrooms often feature in our self-catered apartments and some chalets and will often mean that they are small internal rooms with no natural light. Rooms with eaves or sloping ceiling often have reduced headroom and skylight windows. We will try to make you aware of any individual room characteristics on our property pages or during the booking process.
Layout Plans & Rooms
We have detailed the room breakdown for each of our properties and provided layout plans on our website for most of them. They are not to scale or completely accurate, but intended as a guide. We also provide room numbers or room names, which are shown on your invoice, so you can be sure of exactly what has been booked.
We recommend that group leaders share this information with their party and ensure everyone has read our chalet or hotel webpages and seen the layout plans provided. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our UK head office, as leaving things until you arrive in resort will be too late to make a change.
Adding Extra Beds
Extra beds can sometimes be added to a chalet (or bedroom) at your request, but not for shared chalet bookings. We do not necessarily recommend this as it puts strain on the chalet services, comfort and facilities and you may be asked to sign and agree to a waiver or confirm an email highlighting any disadvantages.
Empty Beds / Sole Occupancy of a Chalet
You can choose to pay an empty bed supplement to have sole occupancy of a bedroom or chalet. This suits solo travellers and groups that fall short of a chalet’s advertised capacity.
Rooms or beds in a chalet which are unoccupied (and not paid for by you) may be sold to other guests. Please check your confirmation invoice and the property description on our website, or email us for confirmation of your private chalet/bedroom reservation if you are in doubt.
Please remember that if a member of your group cancels and leaves a bed unoccupied, an empty bed charge will apply in addition to cancellation charges and a possible reduction of group free places and/or discounts. If you are a group booker it is often advised to have guests on standby.
Mountain Locations & Access to Chalets
Access to many of our chalets can sometimes be restricted. For example, the entrance may require you to walk up a hill, a steep path or many steps; and this is especially the case for properties located close to the slopes or in elevated positions. Our transfer coaches cannot always get to the front door of some of our chalets and hotels, thereby necessitating a short walk for the final 100 to 200 metres with your luggage. We do try to ensure that all paths to the chalets and hotels are clear of ice and snow, however sometimes this is an impossible task due to the weather conditions. If you are concerned, perhaps having reduced mobility, or if chalet access is simply more important to you - then please ask for more details on booking via our sales team, to ensure the chalet is right for you.
Slippers & shoes
We recommend that you bring slippers or indoor shoes for chalets and chalet-hotels because all our properties operate a “no outdoor shoes” policy in the interests of hygiene.
Single Persons
We offer solos the chance to take sole occupancy of a bedroom by paying an empty bed charge in our hotels. The more flexible you can be with your dates and room choices, then the more cost-effective we can make this charge.
Ski in / Ski out / Ski from door
‘Ski In’ and ‘Ski Out’ or ‘Ski to Door’ and ‘Ski from Door’ locations mean a chalet or hotel which is within 50-150 metres of the ski slopes under normal skiing conditions. Please be aware that in the case of poor snowfall or early/late season dates, this measurement to the slopes may lengthen, and may lengthen considerably in lower resorts. Where such ‘Ski In’ and ‘Ski Out’, ‘Ski to/from door’ benefits are quoted, this may also depend on the ability of the skier and the current snow conditions. For example, beginners cannot always make use of such benefits as it could necessitate a short ski down an access track to the main piste. However, we would only quote this benefit if we deem the access track to be within the capabilities of a skier with at least one week experience. Please ask our sales team for more clarification of the ski to/from door benefits advertised on any of our chalet pages.
Chalet Distances
Distances in our brochure or on our website are quoted as a guide and may in practice vary according to speed of walking, type of footwear (i.e. ski boots), your fitness and any less direct routes you choose to take. Please ask your chalet staff for the quickest route (or any short-cuts) to the slopes or resort facilities as there are often quicker ways around the resort if you know where to go! We have used the benchmark of 100 metres taking 1 minute to walk in normal shoes. Clearly this will vary in accordance with the weather conditions and in particular, snow and ice.
En-suite and Bathroom Facilities
En-suite bathroom facilities do not always have a WC. They will always include a sink and a bath/mini bath and/or a shower but not necessarily all of these facilities together. En-suite shower facilities may not always have a partition wall or door and may just consist of a shower cubicle within the room; or a curtained/partitioned bathroom or shower area within the room. Some baths with shower attachments do not always provide a fixing on the wall for the shower head and in some cases there may be no shower curtain.
Private bathrooms are bathrooms that are private to that room (but not necessarily within that room) and like our en-suites, they may not have a WC. Private bathrooms (as detailed on our property pages or layout plans or your confirmation invoices) are often located over the corridor or next door to the bedroom. Please ask for details of bathroom facilities on booking, if these are important to you.
Mezzanines, pull-out beds & bunk beds
Some chalets have mezzanines with limited headroom which guests often choose to use. Please understand that beds on mezzanines are often put-up beds or smaller beds with thin mattresses and access to mezzanines may be via a set of steep ladders or steps and not always suitable for adults or young children. Some bunk beds in chalets do not have guard rails and are unsuitable for young children. If you intend to use mezzanines and bunk beds or pull-out beds, please ask for details of these sleeping arrangements when booking and send us a Special Request.
TV DVD, Satellite TV
Many of our chalets have combined TV DVD players, however our stock of DVD films, music and games is limited and may be non-existent. If some of this equipment becomes unserviceable, we cannot guarantee an immediate replacement because spares are not easy to source from ski resorts. Where a television is advertised or supplied there is no guarantee implied as to how many English speaking channels (if any) will be available. Satellite TV in chalets and chalet-hotels may have a very limited choice of channels and not always English speaking, sometimes only BBC World Service.
Checking-in: To Your Chalet or Hotel
You may check into your hotel/chalet bedroom on the day of your pre-booked arrival, normally, on arrival in resort or after 3pm. All bedrooms must be vacated by 09.00am on the day of departure. Hotels or residence and self-catered apartment check-in times can vary, please check with the Hotel or with our UK office staff for further information. Please be aware that chalet staff have a big job to do each changeover day which can result in unforeseen logistical problems. The hotel or chalet may be in some disarray during changeover day. Our staff will be cleaning the property and therefore linen and cleaning materials may dominate the public areas.
The property may not be fully cleaned and fit for normal use until after 6pm, which is when many of our charter flight arrivals come in. We would respectfully ask that all self-travellers and earlier arrivals appreciate this. As your arrival may be late, your first evening meal may be a hot soup and/or cold buffet. For later arrivals, staff may not be able to wait up, but they will leave clear instructions.
If you are not arriving via Alpine Elements transfer then you must inform us of your ETA. Otherwise we cannot guarantee that we will have your room ready in time.
Deposits
In accordance with hotel industry practices we reserve the right to take credit card deposits or imprints at our larger chalets, hotels, chalet-hotels or self-catered properties on check-in, to cover for potential breakages to accommodation or Company equipment, hired or otherwise.
Chalet Security
Chalets are communal homes. In many cases, guests will be issued either with an individual front door card or key or a combination code. However this cannot be guaranteed due to loss of keys or cards from the previous week's guests. You will be asked for a 10 euro deposit for any keys. Chalets and hotels exclusive to Alpine Elements do not have safes and not all bedroom doors have locks.
It is unusual for chalet entrance doors to be locked during the day. In some residences, parts of the building may be shared by other guests using the same communal entrance. We cannot be held responsible for damage, loss or theft of guest belongings from our properties and buildings and we advise guests to obtain appropriate insurance for their needs. Any theft in resort may require obtaining a Police Report in resort to validate claims.
Bedroom Door Keys
We cannot guarantee that guests will have their own room key or lockable bedroom door. Chalets and chalet-hotels are privately run by Alpine Elements for our guests and are communal homes. As such we do not prioritise lockable bedroom doors. We are unable to accept responsibility for valuables.
Supplements
Our reservation staff may have to charge supplements for standard items or for extra costs that are surplus to the base package price advertised. These supplements may be for regional airport departures, flight and air fuel supplements, room or chalet supplements and special airport transfer services. In any case you will be notified of such supplements at the time of booking or as soon as possible.
Staff Live-in
Your chalet may also be home to the chalet staff and they may therefore have to share your chalet facilities.
WiFi
WiFi is not guaranteed in hotels, chalets or apartments. Where it is provided, it is not always guaranteed throughout the whole building, for example, the signal may be stronger in communal areas, but weaker or non-existent in bedrooms. There can be further speed/signal and user restrictions in the mountains and we ask guests to appreciate this. Whether WiFi is inclusive, is stated on the specific property pages on our website. Using the WiFi may incur charges with your hotel/chalet or apartment and with your service provider – please check with reception and with your provider for more information.
Shared Facilities
Some of our properties have access to shared swimming pools and health centres, which have hot tubs and saunas. The facilities may not match guest expectations, and we cannot be held directly responsible for the failure or non-provision of any of these facilities, which includes temperature, cleanliness and opening hours. However we will do our best to escalate complaints to the residence as they are made aware to our management. Fitness suite facilities will vary and we cannot guarantee the range or type of gym equipment, nor that it will be as extensive as a purpose built gym.
Hotel / Apartment Leisure Facilities
Some of our properties may require a small local charge for use of shared leisure facilities, and times of operation will be in accordance with Residence terms.
Smoking
In the interest of fire, safety regulations, hygiene and comfort of other guests: all of our chalets, hotels and chalet-hotels are all non-smoking, whether inside or immediately outside the premises. It is not permitted to smoke outside the door or on balconies. Smokers must move a distance away from the property.
Damage and Lost Property
Alpine Elements reserves the right to recover the cost of breakages or damage caused by you and your party regardless of whether these are accidental or not. If you have caused any damage you will be invoiced for the cost of replacement or repair and this amount will be payable by the party leader prior to departure. In the unfortunate case of something being damaged, lost or stolen, all instances should be reported to reception. For insurance claims, guests will be required to head to a local police station to fill out a form to present to their insurance company for any claims. Alpine Elements cannot be held responsible for the loss or theft of any personal belongings in any hotel, chalet or apartment booked with Alpine Elements.
Ski Locker Rooms
Ski lockers are provided with some chalets/ hotels, but are not guaranteed. Please note: Ski lockers can be a target for thieves and Alpine Elements cannot be held responsible for the loss, damage or theft to any equipment left in the lockers throughout your stay. Please have appropriate insurance.
Special Requests
Any special requests whether mentioned within or surplus to the product described in this brochure, and information that describes our product in a way that is different to, or in addition to the descriptive text in this brochure must be supported in writing by a member of Alpine Elements Reservation Staff. Unless it is supported in writing – we cannot guarantee that request, or indeed the information you have received.
Health & Safety Information
Health and Safety
Your health and safety is of paramount importance and this is why we employ a health and safety officer to monitor hygiene and risk assessment with our catered chalet programme. We provide information on balconies, fire, child safety, gas, electricity, personal safety, road safety, sun care and sauna, Hot-tub, and swimming pools. We would ask you to familiarise yourselves with this information on arrival.
Hot Water
Please bear in mind that ski chalets are often privately owned homes and whilst they have reliable supplies of hot water – they are not endless. We ask that guests stagger their bath or shower times and consider other guests in the chalet.
Extra facilities
Some of our properties feature extra facilities like hot tub, sauna, swimming pool, Satellite TV, lifts/elevators, boot warmers and log fires as standard. If some of this equipment becomes unserviceable, we cannot guarantee an immediate replacement. Often spares and servicing are not easy to source from a ski resort. If any of these facilities are important to you please make this known to us at the time of booking and confirm to us in writing.
If there is any change to an extra facility prior to your arrival, we will do our best to inform you, but we cannot always do this. Extra facilities are deemed ‘insignificant items’ and we are not obliged to provide the facility or to compensate for its absence or dysfunction. Please refer to our terms and conditions for more information on changes. If the facility is considered “essential” to your holiday, then this must be outlined in writing to our UK office. No refund or compensation will be paid for unavailability of extra facilities.
Hot tubs and pools
Some chalet or hotel extra facilities like hot tubs and swimming pools may be closed (out of action) for one or two days a week for cleaning and general servicing/maintenance.
We ask that our guests respect our facilities and treat them carefully. The mountains and cold weather create a harsh environment to operate such equipment; and breakages regularly happen. If an extra facility breaks down, we will always try to have it repaired as quickly as possible, however technicians are often in high demand. Delays may also occur if parts need to be ordered, but we will always do our utmost to minimise such delays. As above, no refund or compensation will be paid for unavailability of extra facilities.
User risk
Hot tubs and saunas are intended as a complimentary facility, but risks for the users are involved. Although we disinfect our hot tubs in line with manufacturer recommendations, please be aware that the use of our hot tubs is at your own risk and we ask you to be aware of the dangers of communal facilities with respect to health and hygiene, and more particularly to skin infection. Children under 7 are not permitted to use certain facilities like hot tubs and must be supervised at all times.
A chalet or hotel hot tub may be closed (out of action) for one or two days a week for cleaning and general servicing/maintenance.
Children & Family
Children
Please advise us of your children’s ages so that we can prepare for their arrival. If you require a high tea or an earlier meal time for your children, then we ask that you keep to this arrangement throughout the week. Please request this at the time of booking or at least 10 days before departure by emailing: admin@alpineelements.co.uk.
Children’s Food
For children aged 11 and under we can serve high tea at around 18.00h, however there will need to be a minimum number of children participating. If you have booked a whole chalet you can all eat together if preferred - please speak to your chalet host on arrival. If a child is not on solid food, the parents should provide food for use by our childcare staff. In the chalets, your hosts can assist you with preparation of suitable food.
Cots, High Chairs & Baby Equipment
Cots with a mattress and bedding, as well as high chairs can be booked and paid for before departure from the UK so that we can ensure availability. Please note that we cannot guarantee that cots reach British safety standards. The inclusion of a cot may restrict room space and some rooms may not be large enough to contain a cot. Please call our admin team for help and information.
Childcare
We can help you to arrange childcare (a creche) or a nanny or babysitter with a number of third party suppliers with whom we work. As such, their terms and conditions will preside and all payments and arrangements must be made directly with the supplier. Any information or recommendations that we give are in good faith and not necessarily qualified. We are not qualified in childcare advice. You must satisfy yourself of the facility and provider and their terms before you agree to booking.
Child & Family Offers
Child price conditions - These conditions are in addition to our Booking Conditions.
1. Children paying a child price must share accommodation with at least two full-fare paying adults paying full price. In some cases, larger room types may require additional people to pay full adult price to be eligible for a child price. For example, some family rooms sleeping 6, may require up to 4 people to pay adult prices to be eligible for a child price.
2. Child discounts apply for children up to and including 11 years of age, unless otherwise stated in the hotel description and apply to the basic adult price. In the case of accommodation only holidays, discounts or supplements apply after the child percentage discount amount has been applied.
3. Children count towards apartment occupancy levels.
4. Infants under two years of age on the day of return pay £150 (subject to change & will be confirmed at the time of booking.) These charges are for an infant sitting on an adults lap.
5. The full adult deposit must be paid for all children except infants.
6. Child ages you provide must be applicable to the relevant date of return. If a child is subsequently older on the date of return than originally specified at the time of booking, this may mean they no longer qualify for a child price and you will have to pay the full adult fare, plus any admin fees, before the party can travel. Please check carefully with your travel advisor before booking.
Infants
In each property description, we state the maximum number of occupants a room or apartment can accommodate; this number does not include an infant. If you need to book more than one infant into a room, please contact us before booking, as enquiries will need to be made with the property manager. For any bookings made which exceed this stated maximum and for which we are advised cannot be accommodated, we reserve the right to pass on the cost of any additional/different rooms/apartments required to accommodate the booking.
Please let us know when you book if you need a cot. You may have to pay a charge locally for this and any other special services or facilities you require. When you arrive, you should check that the cot is satisfactory. If not, you must let your representative or hotel know immediately. Certain hotels, resorts, tours and excursions may not be suitable for children or infants. Please read the website description carefully to make sure that they meet your needs. Our Reservations team will also be able to advise you if you are still unsure.
Children in Chalets
Children under 12 years old are welcome in all of our chalets but only when part of a group booking the whole chalet. In chalets without 3 or 4 bedded rooms, a maximum of two discounted child places may apply when your group books the whole chalet. In chalets with 3 or 4 bedded rooms, a maximum of four discounted child places may apply when your group books the whole chalet. Discounts apply to the basic holiday price only and all other supplements and charges still apply.
Child Share Discounts
Children will share a put up bed with 2 full paying adults, any discount offered will not include a free or half price lift pass and/or ski hire offer if applicable. This offer is limited to two parent shares per chalet. The put up bed will be a temporary or small size collapsible bed. Does not necessarily apply to holidays within 4 weeks of departure. Discounts cannot necessarily be combined with other child or group discounts. Child offers only applies to holidays with Alpine Elements Charter flights
Travel Information
Missed Flights
If you miss your flight out to France, do contact our Emergency Airport rep so we are not expecting you at the airport. You will have to find an alternative method of travel and transfer to the resort.
If you miss your return flight home due to the late arrival of our transfer, you will have to find alternative flights, at your cost. So please ensure you have travel insurance to cover for this situation.
Our transfers are complimentary and carry no charge, or are very low cost. They are operated by third party suppliers whose terms and conditions will apply. The mountain roads and conditions they sometimes have to operate in often provide unexpected delays. Therefore, we ask guests to understand the risks of delay when booking onto them. We would always urge guests to allow plenty of time to catch their flights when booking them to line up with our transfers, and even more time in peak periods. We cannot be held liable for missed flights however caused, even due to a later than scheduled arrival of our transfer at the airport. Guests must be aware of the risk of adverse weather, heavy traffic or lengthened airport delays etc, especially in peak periods. If you miss your transfer or return flight home then you must be prepared to pay for your own cost of replacement travel. We cannot be held responsible for settling any additional travel costs in any event.
We recommend that you allow plenty of time (min. 2-3 hours), and even more time in peak periods, between our published coach arrival time (at Geneva) and your scheduled flight departure time. And that you have suitable travel insurance in place to pay for missed flights.
Our transfers are run by third party suppliers whose terms and conditions will apply, and override ours. When booking onto our transfer you agree to the risks involved of missing your transfer and/or your return flights home; and you indemnify Alpine/Ocean Elements (iGOSKI Ltd) of any further cost or loss that you may incur.
Children
Please be aware that when booking flights, CAA regulations state that a child of 2 years or older (on the return date of travel) must have its own air seat and will otherwise be denied boarding by the airline. Children under 2 years (on the return date of travel) must sit on a parent’s lap and they may not be entitled to a luggage allowance or catering on flights or seats on transfers. This will be highlighted on your ticket, or please check with our admin team before travel.
Baggage
On most flights, you are allowed to bring one piece of hold luggage (a suitcase or bag) and one piece of cabin luggage which may be a boot bag. For all pieces of luggage, they must comply with the airline's own terms for weight and dimension limits, which can normally be found on their website.
Hold baggage for low cost and scheduled flights (e.g. Easyjet) is not automatically included with your booking and can be added at time of booking your flights or afterwards.
Note 1: If you do not add hold baggage (before you travel) you may be charged extra to book it at the airport, and there is no guarantee as to availability on the plane for bags that are not pre-booked. Baggage allowances will not be pooled, each allowance is individual.
Note 2: We cannot take responsibility or liability for your baggage whilst it is in transit, whether in the care of the airline or our third party transfer companies. It is your responsibility to make sure the terms of your insurance policy provide adequate cover.
Sports Equipment Carriage
We recommend that you pre-book skis, boards and bikes (all sports equipment and outsize baggage) before departure. There is no guarantee of availability on the plane, for bags that are not pre-booked. All costs and terms are subject to the airline’s surplus baggage policy.
You must inform us if you are bringing sports equipment, (even if you are self-flying), and especially if you are thinking of making use of our complimentary transfer. An additional charge may also have to be met (by our transfer supplier) in order to secure your skis and boards on the coach or minibus transfer. This covers costs involved in handling, and any potential requirement for additional racks and trailers on the vehicle. Please ask our sales team for more information on reservation.
Ski & Snowboard bags and boot bags must contain equipment only. Please refer to the airlines own website and terms for weight and size limits.
Name Changes
Name changes may incur an administration charge, because it often creates a lot of work for our staff to make such a change. They may also incur an additional fee from the travel/airline or accommodation provider to make a change. All charges are detailed in our terms and conditions.
Missed Flights
The travel services we use are non-transferable so you should make sure you have ample time to get to the airport for your journey. Please remember to leave time for traffic delays and parking or reaching the terminal from the rail station. Your ticket will advise which terminal your flight departs from.
Should you miss the outbound flight, you are responsible for making your own way to your destination and onward to your booked accommodation. If this happens, please notify our French Office (contact details are within your reservation paperwork) immediately as our staff will be expecting you at your original arrival time. Some airlines will cancel all onward and return flights if the outbound flight is unflown.
Pregnancy
Airlines have different regulations regarding travellers in the advanced stages of pregnancy and may refuse to carry passengers who will be more than 28 weeks pregnant on their return journey. A general guideline is to carry a doctor’s note signed within 7 days before your departure confirming that you are fit to travel.
Complimentary Airport Transfers
We offer complimentary airport transfers from the airport to the resort, for early bookers, which will take you to the door of your chalet or hotel, or as near as we can get you! This leaves you free to book your own flights from your favourite UK airport.
Complimentary airport transfers are provided as standard with most of our accommodations and deemed a ‘minor’ item, therefore they do not constitute a package. As such, they are free and there is no charge, but you will need to book yourself onto one at least 14 days before you depart. Do check the individual property pages on this website to see which properties come with complimentary transfers
We will give you your allocated transfer times prior to making your accommodation reservation so that you may plan your other travel needs.
UK Airport Procedure
Please ensure that you check in at least 2 to 2.5 hours prior to departure. Check-in desks are now open 2.5 to 3 hours prior to departure times in busy or peak periods. Remember to allow enough time for parking and any airport shuttles.
We recommend that you be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure and 3 hours in peak periods, but always check the airports own website for updated information, as ours is a guide. If you fail to check in on time then the airline may refuse to allow you to board the flight. Please inform our French office as soon as possible if you have missed your flight.
Foreign Airport Procedure
If you arrive at your destination airport then you will need to make your way to the designated coach/transfer meeting and pick up point. If you cannot find one of our reps (who are usually waiting to greet you on arrival) then this may mean the coach is delayed or stuck in traffic. Do not despair, please just wait in the restaurant at the end of the arrival lounge building and our reps will come and find you, or call our French Office number in your holidays confirmation paperwork.
Euro Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a popular option with trains departing regularly. The simplicity of service can often save up to an hour or more on overall journey time and is a popular option in our post-Covid era as you can get from your home to your chalet without coming into contact with anyone.
Payments for a Booking
Balance due date will be highlighted on your invoice, we will endeavour to send out payment reminders, however it is the responsibility of the group leader to make payment on time. Late payments may incur charges or additional processing fees and you may risk your booking being cancelled. See our payments page and terms and conditions for more
Complaints Procedure
We don’t often receive complaints about our service or chalets and hotels, but if you do have an issue, no matter how trivial then we want to know about it immediately. We feel that it is in all of our interests to resolve any complaints or problems as soon as they arise; and therefore we have a procedure:
1/ You must inform our UK staff, resort manager or supplier of any complaint from the UK or out in the resort as soon as possible, so that we can find an efficient solution to make you more comfortable. No matter how trivial you feel your issue is, please inform us immediately and if in resort, do not wait until your return to the UK, or until later in the holiday before informing us of a problem.
2/ You will have to follow up a complaint in writing (email is acceptable); and/or with a CRF (customer report form) if you are in the resort. Our staff and managers will help you do this. If you would prefer to speak directly to the UK head office then please email clientcare@alpineelements.co.uk and you may remain anonymous to resort staff if you choose.
3/ After raising the problem to us, please allow us 12 hours to find a solution, because not all solutions can be immediate.
4/ If you remain dissatisfied with our solution then you must contact our UK Office or French Office by phone or email clientcare@alpineelements.co.uk. Please be aware of our office opening hours.
5/ If, on departure from the resort you have followed the above steps and still feel dissatisfied, please write into our UK head office within 28 days of your return otherwise we may not be able to investigate your complaint to the same degree of efficiency and accuracy.
We cannot accept complaints by telephone, or resort based complaints that do not follow the above procedure (with CRF form) as we require a written log of communication. You are still entitled - and more than welcome - to discuss your complaint with a member of the Client Care Team (over the phone) but we will always ask you to follow the call up in written format and or with a CRF as appropriate. We regret that we cannot accept liability in respect of any complaints which are not notified entirely in accordance with this procedure.
Our resort staff are not authorised to promise a refund in respect of your claim and no such promises will be accepted by iGOSKI Ltd.
Brochure / Website Accuracy
Brochure / Website Accuracy
The information and prices in this brochure and on our website may have changed by the time you come to book your holiday. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the brochure and prices at time of print regrettably errors can occur, and situations with suppliers can change. You must therefore check all the details of your chosen holiday at the time of booking. During the season we may have to purchase extra flights and services and this may have an effect on the printed brochure price.
Such costs will be mentioned to you at the time of booking. The pictures, maps and chalet room plans within this brochure and on the website are intended as a guide for style and general relevance. Maps are not to scale or completely accurate. Photographs of rooms are intended to give an indication and may vary where furnishings have changed or a partial refurbishment has been completed.
Some details of holidays may change after a brochure has been printed, we will display the most up-to-date information on www.alpineelements.co.uk