Catered chalets 2026-27

Catered chalets. 

Maybe you’ve never tried one, or perhaps you’re a connoisseur. 

In my view, catered chalets are one of the wonderful things about ski holidays. 

I’ve stayed in about 24 catered chalets over the past 25 years, and—for research purposes —I’ve visited far more, too. 

Catered chalets come in different sizes, styles and prices.  If I’m recommending a chalet to skiers and snowboarders, it’s all about finding the right fit—whether that’s for a group of friends, a family or for a couple. 

Some catered chalets can be booked by the room; some are only available if you book the whole chalet. 

Here are some thoughts that you might find useful for deciding whether a catered chalet would be right for your next winter holiday. 

1. Sole versus shared

Photo: Daniel Elkan

Photo: Daniel Elkan

Many catered chalets are only available if you book the entire chalet privately (aka ‘sole occupancy’), but some chalets can be booked by the room with a per-person price based on two people sharing a room. 

In many cases, you’ll find that further in advance, a chalet can only be sole occupancy because the chalet company wants initially to try to get sole bookings. Then, a few months out, the chalet company may allow the chalet to be bookable by the room on a shared basis (for the remaining weeks where it hasn’t already been rented).

The smallest catered chalets sleep six people; the largest about 32. The majority are between eight and 20-person chalets. Most rooms are double or twin, but some are triple or quadruple, or family-style rooms with bunk beds. 

Photo: Daniel Elkan

For smaller groups, taking some of the rooms in a catered chalet works very well.  You share the social space and have breakfast and dinner each day with people who will start the week as strangers and (hopefully) end the week as new friends. After all, everyone has a love of skiing and snowboarding in common, and everyone is on holiday.

Whether you’ve got enough people to rent a whole catered chalet for yourselves, or whether you opt to share with people you don’t know, the chalet will feel like a home from home for a week. It’s yours to enjoy and relax in. And no one needs to think about who does the cooking and the washing up, because that is done for you by the chalet staff.

2. Ski-in-ski-out chalets

Photo: Daniel Elkan

There are some stunning chalets in the Alps. It’s a treat to be able to stay in some of these places and enjoy the décor and character, especially those that used to be old farmhouses.

However, many of these beautiful chalets aren’t located right by the slopes. Instead, they might be a short walk or drive away. These kinds of chalets usually offer a free shuttle service to take you to the slopes each morning and to collect you from the slopes in the afternoon. 

Now, one might naturally think, ‘Aah, that’s a hassle to have to get a lift to and from the slopes.’ That’s what I used to think when I first started selecting chalets for holidays. But now I know differently.  What tends to happen if there’s a chalet chauffeur service is that people ski more.

Photo: Daniel Elkan

This is counterintuitive, I know. However, it means that people get their act together in the morning because they’ve arranged a time with the chauffeur the night before, and then people tend to ski longer in the day before getting the chauffeur to pick them up. That’s what’s happened, in my experience, and it certainly surprised me. Ski-in-ski-out is great, but it is rarer and can be overrated compared to other factors. 

3. More holiday time

Photo: Daniel Elkan

If you want to max out every moment on the slopes (or the après), catered chalets will help you achieve this. You don’t have to shop, cook or clear up, because breakfast, tea and dinner are prepared for you. You get the whole day to go out and explore, and then you come back and lounge around as you please, before someone comes to tell you that “Dinner is served!” You are experiencing the louche lifestyle of a domestic cat, without the need to mew for attention. 

4. Value for money

Photo: Daniel Elkan

In January, I popped into a supermarket in a French ski resort. About two minutes later, I emerged with only a baguette and a severe case of shock! Prices were seemed to be higher than ever. Being well catered for in a village where shops are expensive and options finite is good value for money on holiday, I reckon.

5. Chalet food

Photo: Alikats

Most catered chalets will provide breakfast every morning plus tea and cake every afternoon, and a three or four course meal every night (apart from the staff night off), plus unlimited wine at dinner. The standard of cooking varies from decent to absolutely wonderful, depending on the chalet. These days vegetarians and vegans are also well catered for. 

As you might expect, in general, independent chalets will cater to a higher standard than tour-operator chalets, because independents run a smaller operation, live or die by their reputation and have more hands-on input into staff and operations. 

Being catered for is a real blessing in a ski holiday and offers great value. I've had so many memorable chalet meals with friends over the years - such a brilliant part of the holiday. 

6. Independent vs tour operator

Photo: Daniel Elkan

There are catered chalets run by tour operators and catered chalets run by independent chalet companies. Both can be good, but it’s really the latter that can be exceptional. The smallest independent chalet companies have only one chalet. They are often run by a couple who moved to the Alps because they wanted to offer a better catered chalet service than anyone else, and they try their best to do this. 

These places are created with heart, and they live or die on the quality of their service and the strength of their reputation. When you stay in places like this, you’ll notice the difference—in the service, the food, the whole experience. The majority of their guests will come from recommendations and word of mouth, with many returning year after year. 

7. Social space

Photo: Daniel Elkan

Having your own catered chalet really does feel like a home from home. When you have your own dining room and lounge etc, it's a fantastic feeling. 

There's space to party, space to relax, you can slip out onto the terrace, often to enjoy some fantastic views. And often a hot tub too (more on that below).

8. Knowledgeable staff

Photo: Daniel Elkan

The staff who run your chalet will usually be British seasonaires—or in the case of a small chalet company, often the chalet owners themselves. The longer they’ve been there, the more in-depth their knowledge of the resort, which can be a huge benefit in helping you discover great spots, on and off the slopes.

9. Hot tubs

Photo: Daniel Elkan

Who doesn't love a hot tub? Sitting in one after a day on the slopes, a glass of bubbles in hand as snowflakes fall and melt gently on contact with your steaming shoulders, is what winning feels like. Not all catered chalets have hot tubs, but more and more of them do, because people like to have them.

Having organised chalet holidays for friends for many years, here’s my experience on this hugely important matter. If you ask 24 people whether they want a hot tub in the chalet, 24 of them will say yes. Asked if it’s a dealbreaker, 19 will say it is. On the actual holiday, seven will use it on multiple days; 12 will use it one day for about 20 minutes; and five will forget to use it at all.  Still, nice to have, as is a sauna if the chalet has one.
 

Like some suggestions for catered chalets?

If you’d like some catered chalet options in resorts that you can reach easily by train, just send me email from the SnowCarbon 'Contact' page, telling me about how many are potentially in your group, when you’d like to go and anything else to make your holiday ideal, and I’ll be happy to help.