Alpe d'Huez France

We did our first family of 4 ski holiday here in December. It superceded our expectations!!!

The staff and service are what make this resort so amazing. The mini club staff work so hard and tirelessly to make the parents and children happy every day.
The seamless drop off process every morning and transition to ski school really helps parents get on with the day.

The food was incredible for a buffet and there was never a line up to get a table, staff were so efficient with setting up and clean up. We never had to wait for anything.
The nightly entertainment was great, and the choice of bar drinks was really good - the margaritas were fantastic!
Highlights were the NYE Party with fireworks and a fantastic DJ til 2a.m. kids loved the glow sticks and hats, so many nice touches throughout the trip like 12 noon apres ski dj on the terrace, what a great vibe at lunch!!!!!
The gym was decent although there were no classes after 11am so for those who dont ski, an early afternoon workout class would have been nice but not essential.
The spa was pretty good but lacked facilities other than a small steak room and no products in the dressing room to shower with. However staff were really professional and everything was very clean.
Proximity to the town was so good, just a few min walk to the shops and other slopes. The ski school was so well run and no issues. The only thing is it is predominantly French so we struggled in the beginning to get ESF staff to consistently speak English to our kids-this took a few days of complaining to sort out and then it was fine - but i had to monitor for a few days which wasn't relaxing.
Big shouts out to mini club staff Caterina, Anais and Chloe who were AMAZING
Roy the front desk who was always so willing to help with everything and to Gianni the GM, the most energetic manager I've ever seen - he brings the party!!!
Big thanks to the whole hotel staff for their hard work. Even the hotel transfer process was seamless.
Only other feedback was induction process was a bit weak
We were not told about a few things including club member perks like hotel credit so upon check out we had a credit we couldn't use and we had already spent multiple times at the boutique which we could have offset that cost with the hotel credit.

Otherwise it was an incredible experience and we will come again!!

We travelled to Club Med Alpe d’Huez over New Year as two families with children and, overall, we had a good week and made some great memories. That said, for the price paid and the reputation of Club Med, there were several areas where the experience fell short of expectations and could be significantly improved.

Ski school (ESF) – chaotic organisation, mixed delivery

The biggest disappointment by far was the ESF ski school organisation for children. The process was extremely chaotic, particularly on day one. We received conflicting information from different instructors, no one seemed to have a clear understanding of procedures, and there was no simple information sheet explaining where children needed to be, at what time, and how the process worked.

Trying to organise three children into different classes and levels without clear guidance made the first morning unnecessarily stressful. This is an area where a small amount of structure and communication would make a huge difference.

We also participated in the adult ski classes. These were enjoyable and well run, but felt more like guided skiing than true instruction. That’s fine if expectations are set accordingly, but those looking for technical coaching or progression-focused teaching may be disappointed.

On a positive note, the locker area was spacious and well set up, which helped take the edge off the morning rush. Ski-in, ski-out access was excellent and very convenient.

The end-of-week ski school graduation was genuinely special. However, being asked to pay extra for ESF badges (€7 per child) was surprising and frustrating. Every other ESF experience we’ve had has included badges, and the additional queue after the ceremony felt unnecessary. This cost could easily be absorbed into the overall package.

Kids’ ski classes – language handling needs improvement

Some children’s ski classes were split into English-speaking and French-speaking groups, which worked well. However, not all classes were organised this way. In some mixed-language groups, there was limited effort to explain instructions in English, which left some children confused and uncomfortable.

There were also a couple of overly tough comments from instructors that came close to putting children off returning altogether. While this is not entirely uncommon in ESF environments, it could have been avoided with more sensitivity, clearer communication in both languages, and a greater focus on helping the group bond.

Kids Club – good in theory, unclear in practice

The kids club provision was generally good, and the independence bracelet was a real highlight. Our children loved the freedom it gave them and were able to get themselves to and from ski school confidently, which was a huge reassurance for us as parents.

However, as they came and went, it wasn’t always clear what activities were happening or when. This lack of visibility made participation harder than it needed to be as we couldn’t encourage them to get involved.

This is where the Club Med app could have played a much stronger role. The app is a good idea and the notifications were helpful, but the content lacked detail. More comprehensive daily programmes, clearer timings, meeting points, and activity descriptions in the app would have solved many of the information and communication issues we experienced across ski school, kids’ activities, and the wider resort.

Food & drink – plenty available, but poor flow, shortages, and limited dietary support

There was food available almost all the time, and the buffet offered a wide selection. Quality was decent — above average but not exceptional. The main issues were quantity, organisation, and dietary inclusivity.

Despite arriving for dinner only 45 minutes after service began, we regularly found that some of the evening’s “special” dishes had already run out. Queues for food, the bar and coffee shop were excessive resulting in panic stock piling to avoid another 30 minutes waiting in line! And comfortable seating was more often than not, difficult to find.

A significant concern for our group was the lack of suitable options for a coeliac guest. Gluten-free choices were limited, poorly signposted, and the risk of cross-contamination felt high, making mealtimes stressful rather than relaxing.

One notable frustration was the resort running out of non-alcoholic beer within 24 hours of arrival. Given that a member of our party is a non-drinker, it didn’t seem unreasonable for n/a beer to be provided. When we queried the bar and then the reception they were dismissive. Even when I noted that we would likely complain (not just for this I might add!) it was met with a shrug and a “do what you must do” attitude! To be fair, the resort manager was excellent — visible, approachable, and quick to resolve the issue — but routine matters shouldn’t require escalation.

Service & staff

Service overall was inconsistent. Some staff were friendly and helpful, but many appeared undertrained or stretched. Reception, in particular, was disappointing. About as useful as a chocolate teapot in fact!

The manager’s presence and willingness to help stood out positively and helped smooth over issues, but it also highlighted how reliant the resort is on escalation rather than empowering staff on the ground.

The lack of proactive information also extended to activities outside the resort. There was very little visible information or support for booking local activities such as tobogganing or dog sledding, which felt like another missed opportunity.

Photographer – great photos, unrealistic pricing

The resort photographer captured some genuinely lovely images. However, at €25 per digital image with no bundles or packages, the pricing felt unrealistic and out of step with guest expectations.

Rooms, spa & facilities

Rooms were comfortable but basic, and the hotel felt a little tired. The pool was very cold, the jacuzzi lukewarm and overcrowded, and under-16s were not permitted to use it which our kids were sad about as this has been a highlight post ski in previous years.

Entertainment

There was always something on, but the entertainment lacked variety and felt repetitive, even on New Year’s Eve. Although the fireworks were fabulous. The ambiance generated by staff when the DJ was on and the apre ski was buzzing was excellent and played into the typical techno cheese we’ve come to love about apre ski!

Overall

We had a good holiday and enjoyed our time together. However, the experience didn’t consistently match the price point or Club Med’s premium reputation. Many of the issues — communication, staffing, food management, dietary provision, and pricing transparency — feel fixable, particularly by better use of the app and clearer information sharing.

We’d consider returning, but probably only if pushed. And we’d cautiously recommend but only with caveats.

Another great holiday at Club Med!
Recently renovated and expanded resort, standard rooms are small but nicely decorated, comfortable, well-appointed and maintained (nice, new bathrooms). Service is good and responsive. Avoid block E (very far) and northern side rooms at all costs (terrible view, carpark, snow wall etc). Blocks D (near restaurants), and A & B (near ski room) seem the best. We were not disturbed by noise but some were. Wifi unfortunately bad everywhere.
All staff were upbeat, friendly, and helpful (albeit not on the phone prior to arrival) despite very busy at this time of year.
Non-stop good vibes and entertainment, New Year's Eve was a blast, with festive restaurant and food, live music, fireworks and nightclub.
Unlucky with the snow, as it had not snowed for a while, but thanks to lots snow machines, we managed to get some good skiing on the ski-in ski-out, sun-soaked slopes, especially the high altitude ones (3,300m) and amongst the breathtakingly beautiful scenic mountains. La Sarenne, longest black run (with some blue and red in between) in Europe, didn’t disappoint, although not great for snowboarders.
Village is a great spot with charming church, an interesting museum, lovely shops and restaurants and ice rink. It’s 15-20mn walk however or 10mn on the shuttle every half hour. But then, you’re not supposed to get out of the Club Med, are you? ;-)
Disappointed with the teen club, as not very inclusive.
Chef de village Gianni is everywhere (even behind the bar at crush time), friendly, open to feedback, and caring: one of the best!
Had an issue (as often) with our rooms on arrival (not what we asked for - even though we know there are no guarantees, how could they get it so wrong???). Not unexpected, however, on the busiest week of the year, but still disappointing and stressful. Thankfully, the general manager was amazing.
Special thanks to the wonderful Ludivine in the hospitality team, and Kate at reception.
We met many families who come back year after year, and we hope to join them! There is nothing like Club Med for a stress free, easy and enjoyable ski holiday.