Club Med Review: Valmorel Vacation

Our review of Club Med all inclusive vacation package: Valmorel, France. France.  For ski season, instead of a trip to Big Bear or Tahoe, why not gather up the passports and ski in the French Alps! This review will help you plan the next family vacation to the French Alps. 

Valmorel, France

The Club Med Valmorel offers families a luxury, "5-trident" vacation to the Savoie region of the French Alps. Exciting activities await like ski lessons for all ages, snowshoeing, sled rides, relaxing spa treatments, and upscale bars and lounges. Club Med has a City Stops Program, where travelers can make the most of an exciting urban adventure on the way or on return from their Club Med stay, and flights, hotels and transfers are all taken care of so vacationers can relax and discover a new city. Just in time for the 2014/2015 ski season, Paris has been included as a new stopover city. It’s time to plan a luxury family trip to Paris combined with an unforgettable experience in the French Alps!

Related Article: Ski in the Swiss Alps

Package Details

Nestled in the French Alps, the Club Med Valmorel offers multiple bedroom luxury Chalet-Apartments, complete with private butler and a personal chef. It is also the first environmentally friendly ski resort in France with the High Environmental Quality certification. For winter sports enthusiasts, downhill skiing and snowboarding lessons are plentiful with 95 miles of ski slopes waiting to be navigated. There are a total of 85 slopes including 17 red and eight black slopes located between 3,986 ft. and 7,814 ft. altitude, which is a comfortable elevation for children.

According to one ski instructor, Sebastien Lange, "French ski instructors have to train for 5-8 years in order to be able to teach". This means that your ski instructor will be giving you and your family valuable lessons from the best trained ski and snowboard experts in the world. Included in the package are daily group lessons by instructors, where groups can be as small as 4 people (I was in a group with advanced beginners with only 4 students). You are able to receive personalized treatment, and the kids are even grouped according to their skill level.

When you are ready to pull the kids out of the ski clubs and their private lessons, take part in some of the family activities available at Club Med Valmorel. Don’t miss the Snake Gliss bob-luge excursion, where up to ten people are connected to each other via sleds and are driven down the slopes attached to one another. Evening entertainment and shows like cabaret night or acrobatic shows are great for children and adults. Having a car is not a necessity as there are complimentary shuttles that take you into the village. At the Valmorel Village, share a le Gateau de Savoie (French specialty dessert) or visit one of the souvenir shops for a keepsake.

The all-inclusive resort offers luxury amenities like the Club Med Spa by Carita and premium bar lounges put adults at ease. Relax at the Carita Spa with a treatment after a long day of skiing and family time, located conveniently adjacent to the ski lockers. The hammam will help sweat out impurities, and the tasty Moroccan tea is a perfect complement to the relaxation room with a view of the mountains. After the kids are asleep, take your mate to the lobby for a drink at the bar or pop a premium champagne bottle at the Bar de la Tour. As you relax by the fireplace in the lounge, you will wonder, "How did it become so easy to pair a luxury escape with unforgettable family time?"