Altapura Hôtel & Spa Val Thorens

“Wonderful location”

What can I say apart from the location of this hotel is absolutely amazing! We stayed in one of the duplex rooms as we had two teenagers with us and we could see the mountains and watch the skiers and chairlifts go by - it really was a wonderful view. You can ski across to the magic carpet and ski… more

What can I say apart from the location of this hotel is absolutely amazing! We stayed in one of the duplex rooms as we had two teenagers with us and we could see the mountains and watch the skiers and chairlifts go by - it really was a wonderful view. You can ski across to the magic carpet and ski lifts so it's great for families. The hotel itself has a very relaxed vibe and you can wear what you like. Even though it's 5 star it isn't pretentious and all the staff are nice and friendly. The ski shop was superb - the staff were great and friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Yes it's pricier renting boots, skis and poles here, but you will save time and effort if there's anything that needs tweaking. It was worth every penny. There is a great locker room provided (located next to the ski rental shop) where you have your own locker with boot heaters. Word of warning, it does get busy by 8.50am as there are lots of kids getting ready for ski school - saying that we always managed to find a seat to sit on. The free shuttle bus is what makes this hotel stand out - it's a bit of a walk into the town and the shuttle bus service we could not fault - it was perfect. They will even pick you up from your restaurant - you just send them a WhatsApp message saying where you need picking up, and they respond to let you know when they are on their way. The staff who drove were always careful drivers and very polite. The terrace is wonderful to have drinks on and to watch the skiers fly past! The spa is terrific after a days skiing to relax and unwind in. There are a few different saunas, an ice igloo which we really enjoyed. There's a nice jacuzzi and swimming pool, although they tend to get busy with small children if its raining outside or the weather isn't that good. It's not a huge pool but our kids loved it, especially being able to swim outside! Towels are provided in this area and there are clean toilets and a changing area too. You can walk down in your bathrobe and slippers to the spa. With regards to the food I can only comment on breakfast as we never lunched here as it was too expensive compared to what you could get in town. The breakfast was nice enough, but did find the bacon, pancakes and crepes were always cold which is a shame. The pastries were wonderful though and there's a chef who will cook omelettes, fried eggs etc. If you want porridge just ask and they will make it for you. There's lots of cold meats, smoked salmon and cheeses and breads to choose from. The yoghurts were lovely too. We would order double expressos and they were great! We would grab a few bananas to refuel after skiing too. Breakfast opens at 7.30am and I would recommend getting there just after it opens to bag a table near the windows - it does get busy quite quickly too. The Rooms: We stayed in a Duplex room. Although it was a lovely room, we felt the sofa bed was a bit on the small side for our fairly tall teenager, so would need to book a different room next time. The rooms were clean and relatively quiet (although you will hear your neighbours especially if they have younger children running around and screaming like we did, but luckily they went to bed and then it was quiet). There was one day that the cleaners forgot to clean a sink and a toilet, but it was only once. If you need extra towels they will accommodate. There are radiators in the bathrooms that you can control (there's a white panel at the bottom of the radiator) and you can dry your wet ski clothes. At nighttime staff come round with bottles of water for you. Slippers, bathrobes, shower gel, shampoo & conditioner were provided. All bathrooms had hand wash and moisturiser too and a hairdryer. There is PLENTY of storage space for all your clothes with lots of hangers. Overall, we had a wonderful time here and would definitely return!

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