We've just got back from the snowy (just) alpine resort of Hinterglemm in Austria, injury free and shattered.
I love skiing, and I couldn't wait until I had the kids so that they would enjoy it throughout their lives like I have. We go as a family with a couple of other families and it's always brilliant fun. But...cheap it ain't!! From the accommodation to the kit, the sport has been designed to bankrupt you. Although the resorts we choose are child friendly with plenty of kiddie activities they come at a price. In comparison our summer Holiday's are veritable bargains.
BH loves taking his family with him, and so do I, but sometimes when the aches kick in I just wish I'd left them all at home. I can barely lift my head in the morning, let alone attempt to get them dressed in their gear, with their boots on in time for the first run of the day. The kids are exhausted at the end of the day and plop into bed with barely a whimper.
This year we stayed at the luxurious Alpine Palace Hotel tucked under the Reiterkogel run. A 30 second walk from the gondola and a minute walk from the village centre. The hotel is a relatively new addition to Hinterglemm and is a eclectic mixture of old world Austrian charm and ultra modern chic (god, I sound like a travel brochure), and absolutely stunning. Glass and driftwood, sumptuous sofa's and chandeliers, spa, hotub, sauna, and relaxation rooms with water beds and tinkling music, plunge pool overlooking the village and slopes....the place has it all! Oh and it also has a casino (which we couldn't afford to visit!).
The restaurants cater for everyone. The food is divine. However, if you book through a UK travel agent you're generally given a room in the old part of the hotel, which hardly gives you room to swing a pole let alone a cat...but, as they tell you...you have access the rest of the hotel's ultimate luxury. The rooms each had a 42" TV but when you were almost sitting on top of it, it seemed a bit of a pointless addition.
But the kids absolutely loved it. They loved the play room with the pool table and the fusball. They loved the ski school, and they loved the afternoon tea. They loved getting into the robes and wandering into the hotel lobby and curling up on the sofas while the adults ordered milkshakes and served them with hearty soups and cakes.Ski school is great as they keep them occupied and learning new techniques. Mind you, Finn is not too happy and demands that he stops going. He says that as Bart no longer goes to ski school he shouldn't either. I saw him poking some kid up the bum with his pole, because he wasn't going quick enough. After lunch, they join us for the afternoon for a couple of runs.
I try to prepare ahead, taking with us all we need...suntan lotion, lip balm, and medical kit. The ski gear is handed down from one to the other, if one of them has outgrown, a quick trip to TK Maxx does the job. BH and I have our own boots and ski's so we don't have to worry about the hire, but we hire the kids when we get to the resort. Hinterglemm is part of a ski circus where you can ski from resort to resort. Hinterglemm-Saalbach-Leogang. We never made it as far as Leogang...we were too knackered. There are plenty of blue and red runs, but for the hardened skier it could be a bit lacking as there are only a couple of black runs.
Skiing is not for everyone, but as this is such a child friendly resort it's a brilliant place to go. As the holiday was half board the food was included along with the flights and transfers.
I hate to add up what we spent on our week long holiday, but it was worth it.
I love skiing, and I couldn't wait until I had the kids so that they would enjoy it throughout their lives like I have. We go as a family with a couple of other families and it's always brilliant fun. But...cheap it ain't!! From the accommodation to the kit, the sport has been designed to bankrupt you. Although the resorts we choose are child friendly with plenty of kiddie activities they come at a price. In comparison our summer Holiday's are veritable bargains.
BH loves taking his family with him, and so do I, but sometimes when the aches kick in I just wish I'd left them all at home. I can barely lift my head in the morning, let alone attempt to get them dressed in their gear, with their boots on in time for the first run of the day. The kids are exhausted at the end of the day and plop into bed with barely a whimper.
This year we stayed at the luxurious Alpine Palace Hotel tucked under the Reiterkogel run. A 30 second walk from the gondola and a minute walk from the village centre. The hotel is a relatively new addition to Hinterglemm and is a eclectic mixture of old world Austrian charm and ultra modern chic (god, I sound like a travel brochure), and absolutely stunning. Glass and driftwood, sumptuous sofa's and chandeliers, spa, hotub, sauna, and relaxation rooms with water beds and tinkling music, plunge pool overlooking the village and slopes....the place has it all! Oh and it also has a casino (which we couldn't afford to visit!).
The restaurants cater for everyone. The food is divine. However, if you book through a UK travel agent you're generally given a room in the old part of the hotel, which hardly gives you room to swing a pole let alone a cat...but, as they tell you...you have access the rest of the hotel's ultimate luxury. The rooms each had a 42" TV but when you were almost sitting on top of it, it seemed a bit of a pointless addition.
But the kids absolutely loved it. They loved the play room with the pool table and the fusball. They loved the ski school, and they loved the afternoon tea. They loved getting into the robes and wandering into the hotel lobby and curling up on the sofas while the adults ordered milkshakes and served them with hearty soups and cakes.Ski school is great as they keep them occupied and learning new techniques. Mind you, Finn is not too happy and demands that he stops going. He says that as Bart no longer goes to ski school he shouldn't either. I saw him poking some kid up the bum with his pole, because he wasn't going quick enough. After lunch, they join us for the afternoon for a couple of runs.
I try to prepare ahead, taking with us all we need...suntan lotion, lip balm, and medical kit. The ski gear is handed down from one to the other, if one of them has outgrown, a quick trip to TK Maxx does the job. BH and I have our own boots and ski's so we don't have to worry about the hire, but we hire the kids when we get to the resort. Hinterglemm is part of a ski circus where you can ski from resort to resort. Hinterglemm-Saalbach-Leogang. We never made it as far as Leogang...we were too knackered. There are plenty of blue and red runs, but for the hardened skier it could be a bit lacking as there are only a couple of black runs.
Skiing is not for everyone, but as this is such a child friendly resort it's a brilliant place to go. As the holiday was half board the food was included along with the flights and transfers.
I hate to add up what we spent on our week long holiday, but it was worth it.
I've never been skiing, too frightened of breaking something! That hotel sound divine, a perfect holiday destination.
ReplyDeleteCJ xx
Sounds fantastic! I once worked as a chalet host in Switzerland for a season - i had a ball and fell in love with snowboarding as did my husband - he's been having little jaunts sans famille ever since. With four kids we haven't managed to get back to the mountains as a family but hopefully next year we will.
ReplyDeleteIt was amazing. BH hurt his thumbs (both of them!!) on a spill and he couldn't do up his trousers. But what I did notice was that almost everyone wore a helmet, which is a great move forward. I would've have loved to have been a chalet host, but my cooking skills were sadly lacking.
ReplyDelete