When it comes to winter holidays, ski and snow are always a great sum of fun. But when it comes to choosing a spot for the family for a week on the slopes? Perhaps not so much. Someone might want full-on days on the trails, while another might want a little more pampering slotted in between. The little ones might need sitters for when they run out of fuel before you do, while the tweens might get bored if they spend too much time doing the same thing. Also, let’s face it—mountain chalet food isn’t for everyone and certainly not for every day.
Enter Club Med and its chain of all-inclusive luxury resorts catering to the needs of every age group, ski level, and adventure appetite. Seventeen of them happen to sit on the stunning French side of the Alps, spread across various ski areas, including Val d’Isère, La Rosière, Alpe d’Huez, and Tignes. With that number, nobody knows Alpine holidays quite like Club Med, especially all-inclusive, family-friendly, and ski-forward Alpine holidays.
Legends, New And Old
If you’re spoilt for choice, as one can understandably get with that kind of variety and promise, Club Med La Rosiere is a good place to start, especially if there are members of the family new to the sport. The fine instructors of the L’Ecole du Ski Francais (ESF) are on hand to teach beginners how to click on their skis as well as guide seasoned skiers up and down the snowy trails that bridge France and Italy. The Ski Pro Shop is always there to rent everything you will need, from skis to boots and helmets. The locker rooms not only store your equipment safely, they also come up with hot drinks on tap and oysters on ice when you ski in and ski out between sessions.
On the accommodation front, the resort is perched a lofty 1,900m above sea level (yes, your ears might pop). Affectionately dubbed “The Balcony of the Tarentaise”, it serves up a swoon-worthy 180-degree south-facing panorama that’ll have your phone camera working overtime. This chic and cozy Savoyard gem is practically begging for a family holiday and more than a few Instagram posts.
Clad in handsome stone and rustic wood, the shared spaces, community halls, bedrooms, and suites are all designed to be perfectly Alpine, like a Pinterest board brought to life. If you’re keen to dial up the luxe, book into the Exclusive Collection, where your balcony doubles as a front-row seat to the spectacular Savoyan skyline—Aperol Spritz in hand optional, but highly recommended.
A big part of Club Med’s warmth is thanks to its Gentil Organisateur, or Gentle Organiser (also known as G.O.s in Club Med lingo), who know a thing or two about mountain charm. Regardless if you’re getting a drink at The Hannibal Bar, eating your fill in either of the two restaurants, Le Mont Valaisan or Bernard Gourmet Lounge, or catching a show at The Theatre, the resort and its walls whisper tales of the legendary Petit St Bernard Pass.
Set in the snowy shadow of Mont Blanc, La Rosière isn’t just about skiing—it’s a slice of Alpine legend. Hannibal famously crossed these mountains with elephants, and countless pilgrims have trudged this way en route to Rome. Oh, and the Saint Bernards? They’re not just cute—they’re local heroes, once bravely sniffing out lost mountaineers. These fluffballs are practically royalty around here.
The Art Of Skiing
If you’re more confident about your skiing, Club Med Grand Massif Samoëns Morillons will perhaps tickle your ski fancy better, with its direct ski-in and ski-out access to 256km of slopes on the Plateau des Saix. Just a short cable car ride up from the little village of Samoëns—a ride that you can skip if you’re staying at Club Med and its direct access to the slopes—is the fourth largest ski region in France, where a great mix of terrain for all levels awaits, alongside excellent snow reliability and stunning scenery. Get some good shredding in with a wide range of runs for all abilities, including wide green and blue runs for beginners and intermediates, as well as challenging red and black runs for more experienced skiers.
The build of the resort is inspired by the swoosh of the slopes and snugly tucked into the mountain like it was born there. It is not short on jaw-dropping views over the Giffre Valley, the kind that makes you dramatically sigh, “We should move here”. When you’re not carving down the pistes like a snow god (or gently wobbling), you can apres ski at the Carillon Bar while the kids vanish into the Kids Clubs, so you get actual me time. Come evening, slip into the reservations-only Skyline Gourmet Lounge for next-level dining, with a menu by Michelin-starred chef Edouard Loubet, or head to Cozy Mountain, where the buffet lines are changed daily to feature cuisines from around the world.
Aside from skiing, there are plenty more to do on-grounds. Schedule in some pampering at the Club Med Spa by Sothys, go on snowshoe hikes for a slower and more immersive way of connecting with the mountain, or soak in the indoor heated pool fed with uninterrupted views of the sprawling mountain range below through floor-to-ceiling windows. Swimming lessons and Aquadynamic group lessons are also on the itinerary, complete with a sauna and steam room to relax and loosen up those muscles after a full week out in the snow.
Off-grounds, the village of Samoëns at the foot of the massif is a delightful Alpine cocktail of charm, cheese, and chisels. Yes, chisels. This picture-perfect spot isn’t just known for its fabulous access to the Grand Massif ski domain, but also for its ancient guild of stonecutters, the “Frahans”, whose stonemasonry skills were once so revered, Napoleon called them up like rockstars. Samoëns is the only ski resort town in France officially classified as a “ville et métier d’art”. Beyond the slopes, you’ll find cobbled streets, an ice-skating rink straight out of a snow globe, and a botanical garden founded in 1906, with plants of names unheard before. Samoëns is where Alpine tradition meets ski-season swagger—with a side of Reblochon cheese, an AOP of the Haute-Savoie region.
Snow. Ski. Style. All-inclusive. It’s yes to all the above at Club Med La Rosiere and Club Med Grand Massif Samoëns Morillon.
