After arriving home from a week-long break at Club Med’s new ski property in Tignes I’m left with a number of questions: how will meal times ever compare? How will ski trips ever matchup? And how does anyone ever have time to do everything that’s on offer at a ClubMed resort?
One of the reasons Club Med regulars pick these high end, all-inclusive ski trips is ease. One family we met had been coming to Club Med for years for this reason – and it’s true, from the booking of flights and airport transfers, to the seamless arrival at the resort, on-site ski hire, ski pass at check in and unlimited group lessons, there’s nothing you have to remember or plan for.
Even if a critical piece of kit has been forgotten, there’s a shop on resort to replace it. And when combined with the literally unlimited food and drink that’s available around the clock, the mini club child care, the high end restaurant experience and the evening entertainment, it’s clear to see why this holiday, despite being pricey (off-season fees start at £1,500 per person), those who do it regularly consider it really great value for money.
© Club MedWhat is there to do at the new Club Med Tignes?
At the sparkling new Tignes resort there’s also the largest indoor pool in the Alps, a full fitness centre, group training classes, and yoga and meditation sessions to enjoy too. Which is why, at the end of a week, where we only managed to touch the edges of what was available to do, we are in awe of those who manage to tick everything off their to-do lists!
My one experience of the piste-side yoga class was fantastic, I only wish I’d managed to find the time to squeeze in a few more! This plethora of activities, while impossible to enjoy all at once, is something that makes the resort such a wonderfully flexible destination for those with different ski desires, experience levels or holiday requirements.
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What is the skiing like in Tignes?
If you’re a keen skier, Tignes is a delight. Attached to the huge Val D’Isere ski area, it’s a resort with as many blue, red and black runs as you could want. You can explore at your leisure or sign up for daily group lessons, morning and afternoon, which allow you to work on your technique and come away having made masses of progress in your week.
© Club MedThe altitude of the resort also means that Easter snow is pretty much guaranteed; my ski instructor told me the season runs until May and in recent years the snow is better at the end of the season – there were three huge snow dumps while we were there in April and literally meters of powder to enjoy during the days that followed.
What can kids do at Club Med Tignes?
Kids are fantastically catered for – whether it’s tiny tots having their first taste of snowplough or teenagers tearing around the snow parks, daily lessons ensure kids progress fast and enjoy the adventures of skiing with an expert and the confidence that brings. And there's wrap around child care you can opt in or out of, depending on what suits your family.
If you're a family where one member doesn't love snow sports, this is definitely a great option. The resort is jam packed full of activities and views; you could happily enjoy an entire holiday in the Tignes resort without even putting on a pair of skis. So many activities are included, you could sign up for peloton classes and aqua aerobics in the morning, have an afternoon's poolside relaxation in the hammam and sauna, and finish the day off with a yoga class and sunset meditation. Not forgetting the endless food, drink and snack options. The sumptuous spa is also available at extra cost, to enjoy massages, facials and all other treatments. There’s even a parent and child option to enjoy a joint treat in the same room – a great bonding experience.
© Club MedWhat is the Club Med Tignes resort like to stay in?
Club Med’s new Tignes offering has huge glass windows, looking out over the Val Claret red runs and offering a true winter wonderland view from all angles. The huge bar area, where après-ski Aperols are on tap, alongside beer, vin chaud and an array of kids’ cocktails, is home to afternoon tea, pre-dinner aperetifs and canapes, and later, the Club Med show. Later still, towards 11pm, it becomes a night club for a family-friendly boogie. Our 7.30am alarm calls for morning lessons at 9 made that one experience we didn’t manage to test. But the afternoon entertainment was really first class – the string quartet accompanied by donuts, cakes and Moroccan mint tea, really blew us away!
© Club MedOne thing I have to admit is that mealtimes in the enormous all-inclusive restaurant can feel somewhat hectic. The options are incredible and the food delicious - from oysters and sushi, to local alpine delicacies, with every variety of international cuisine in between. But while we never actually failed to grab a seat in the spacious restaurant, sometimes if we were later to meals, we were quite a walk away from the food stations and the constant lively chatter and energy did feel full on at times.
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Surprisingly though, despite this resort holding over 1,400 people, the buffet restaurant is the only place where you really feel its size. Perhaps because of the number of activity options available. The pool was always quiet around 5pm when we popped in, the yoga class had space for me, even though I didn't book. It wasn't hard to book dinner at the Solstice restaurant (which is definitely worth it if you fancy a night off from the buzz of the buffet). Even for afternoon tea, there was always a quieter corner to sit in in the huge reception area.
I didn't feel the presence of so many GOs this year - again perhaps due to the size of the place - and certainly nobody sat down to share dinner with us or to chat through the day's skiing during afternoon tea. But as a stereotypically awkward family of Brits, this was actually quite fine for us. And it was never hard to find anybody helpful if we needed them. And as we touched down back in the UK after a week of our every requirement being taken care of seamlessly, with everything we could possibly have needed on hand at all times, whenever we wanted it, we agreed that this was perhaps the easiest of holidays we'd ever been on.
Club Med ski trips can be booked now for 2024. Prices for a family of four start at around £1800 per person in December.
