“Good quality, relatively low cost accommodation for a great ski area”

Don't let some of the other reviews deter you. This complex is now being run by a new management company. This complex is a French apartment complex - don't expect huge American style accommodation but, for the french Alps, is reasonably sized. There isn't much to do in Orelle itself- having a c… Plus

Don't let some of the other reviews deter you. This complex is now being run by a new management company. This complex is a French apartment complex - don't expect huge American style accommodation but, for the french Alps, is reasonably sized. There isn't much to do in Orelle itself- having a car adds some flexibility, such as going out to eat in the evenings, heading for a supermarket, or trying other nearby ski resorts such as Valloire, Valfrejus, Les Sybelles and Corbier (among others). The village does have a ski hire shop which itself is well priced and service was good. The complex has a shuttle bus running every 15 minutes to take you to the nearby gondola that takes 15 mins to get to the skiing. Another 10 mins and you are at 3200m looking into Val Thorens. The skiing was absolutely fantastic in Feb 2012 and it's worth getting the Val Thorens / Les Menuires ski pass. The complex has a small grocery store which has all the basics. It isn't cheap, but then where is in the french Alps these days. It also has a bar, restaurant, swimming pool and spa, and a laundry room. Currently, the swimming pool isn't available for kids (except between 10am -12 noon) which isn't very handy, but I understand the new management is looking to change this going forward. Staff on reception and in the bar/restaurant were friendly and helpful, but it does make sense to try to book a table in advance and the restaurant doesn't upon until 7.30pm (again typical of many french restaurants). The rooms aren't huge but are in good condition (the complex was built in 2007), are very warm and have decent amenities. We were able to cook most days but doesn't have a conventional oven but does have a hob, microwave/grill, fridge, dishwasher, toaster, kettle and coffee machine. Plenty of hot water and storage space. Overall, this is a good, reasonably lost cost way to enjoy the vast expanses of Val Thorens and the Three Valleys. If you're after lots of nightlife, then don;t go here. but if you ski hard all day, like a meal, a beer and then your sleep, then this is a good option for you.

Moins

“Fantastic budget option to access expensive Three Valley ski area!”

The two accommodation options listed for Orelle - 'Cela Orelle' and'Le Hameau des Eaux Orelle' are essentially the same place so wasn't sure which was the best place to write my review. I also understand that 'Cela' no longer manage the apartments. In the end decided to cover all bases and do bot… Plus

The two accommodation options listed for Orelle - 'Cela Orelle' and'Le Hameau des Eaux Orelle' are essentially the same place so wasn't sure which was the best place to write my review. I also understand that 'Cela' no longer manage the apartments. In the end decided to cover all bases and do both, so please bear this in mind if you've checked both and this sounds familiar! It was with some trepidation we booked our half term ski trip to Le Hameau des Eaux d'Orelle as the previous reviewers hadn't exactly heaped praise on the place. However.....I'm very pleased (and relieved) to report that our fears were unfounded and that we had a great time! The apartments are under new management, and it appears that the new team must read Trip Advisor as many of the issues we were expecting to encounter had been addressed. We've stayed in apartments in several French resorts in the past and these were by far the cleanest and best furnished we've encountered. However - as always - only those used to caravan holidays would use the word 'spacious'. They do, however, have a tv and an ipod dock, the kitchen is well equipped with a dishwasher (although no conventional oven - there's a microwave/grill/oven combi thing), and a toaster and kettle were also provided. Towels and linen also included in the apartment price (not always the case in our experience). The on-site restaurant looked very swish and had a take-away menu, and we bought bread, milk, croissants, etc from the small epicerie on site. We didn't use the spa, which although looked very nice through the window has the usual daft French rule about men having to wear budgie-smuggler speedo trunks. Orelle itself is very small - it's almost as if the village has still to realise the potential of the new lift and so apart from the ski hire shop, one bar, and the ESF office there's very little to see or do. No doubt as more visitors arrive this will change. The ski-ing? Access was very easy - there's a free shuttle bus that runs every 10-15 minutes from the apartments to the lift in Orelle (it's only a 2-3 minute journey), and then about 15 minutes in the Orelle gondola up to the first of the slopes. The Orelle side of the Val Thorens area was quiet (we had to keep reminding ourselves it was February half term) and the slopes were fantastic - wide, confidence boosting reds and blues with great off-piste possibilities. It's easy to ski down into Val Thorens itself, which was a little busier but even then there were no long lift queues or crowded pistes. Very very good. The downsides? It's not a place to stay if you want great nightlife, and if bad weather forces the Orelle lift to close there's no easy alternative to get into the 3 Valley area. However, if you have a car (which I'd recommend) then you have several other resorts within a 30 minute drive, which we intend to explore next time we visit. All in all we really enjoyed our trip - 3 Valleys ski-ing can be very expensive for those of us who can only ski during school holidays, and this was a brilliant way to access the area without spending a fortune.

Moins

“Great Skiing in Trois Vallees and Maurienne Valley”

Just back from a short break at Le Hameau des Eaux d’Orelle. We flew to Geneva and hired a car – motorway all the way to within 5km of resort, so it’s a really easy journey. Chambery’s even nearer – little more than an hour. Access to the Trois Vallees is by the Orelle gondola – less than 5 minute… Plus

Just back from a short break at Le Hameau des Eaux d’Orelle. We flew to Geneva and hired a car – motorway all the way to within 5km of resort, so it’s a really easy journey. Chambery’s even nearer – little more than an hour. Access to the Trois Vallees is by the Orelle gondola – less than 5 minutes by the free navette, which runs all day. You can be skiing down into the centre of Val Thorens in half an hour, and on to Les Menuires and Meribel - Courcheval is even do-able if you plan your lifts well. The residence is now managed by Alpvision; it is much cheaper than in the main resorts, and the quality is pretty good – French apartments are never massive, but our 3 person apartment could easily sleep 4, and there’s a bar, restaurant and shop on site – plus a great pool/spa. Note, however, that at present, children under 16 are only allowed in the pool during the morning, which is not ideal for families. The resort staff are all very helpful, and the local ski hire and ski school are very friendly. If you do have a car, you also have the option to visit a dozen other really good ski areas in the Maurienne valley – we had a couple of great days at Les Sybelles and Valloire/Valmeinier – both only 30 minutes drive from Orelle. Top tip – get the Ski Maurienne sans Frontieres pass and you can ski a different resort every day (including Orelle/Val Thorens) for 8 days for under £150! Even without a car, this is a great way to ski the Trois Vallees on a budget and avoid the queues – so, if skiing some of the best resorts in France is more important than extensive night life, we'd recommend it. We'd certainly go back

Moins