Hotel des Lacs, Chamonix

Hotel des Lacs

Good option if you're looking to explore this vast region on a budget - no wellness facilities but a warm welcome and a bar guaranteed!

Hotel
Bed and Breakfast
Bar
Wi-fi
Ski & boot room
Mountain views

Overview

The Hotel des Lacs is an unfussy hotel, offering great value B&B accommodation on the outskirts of Chamonix, close to the ski bus stop serving lift stations in the valley and the town itself, which is 1.5km away. The owners provide a friendly welcome and the hotel is traditional in style, with 23 comfortable bedrooms. There's a choice of twin or double-bedded rooms, plus some larger rooms for 3 or 4 guests. Each room is en-suite, with TV and telephone plus free Wi-fi.

Description

Location

Located 1.5km from the town centre over-looking Chamonix lakes. The regular local ski bus stops just 25 metres from the hotel and is free with your lift pass, giving easy access to the great skiing and night life of Chamonix at no additional cost. The bus runs every 30 minutes until 11:30pm.

Rooms

All rooms have en-suite facilities, TV and telephone.

Facilities

Bar
Lift
Ski & boot room
Wi-fi

Meals

Offered on a bed and breakfast basis, your breakfast will include a selection of hot and cold options including cereals, fruit, yogurts, freshly baked breads and pastries, and fresh coffee and tea.

Accommodation Attributes

All Ensuite

About Chamonix

Chamonix skiing

Chamonix is one of the French Alps' flagship resorts, one of its busiest hubs and has some of the best, most challenging skiing too. An expert's paradise, with extensive lift-served off-piste runs including the iconic Vallée Blanche, and some serious high altitude runs at Grands Montets and Brévent. At busy times, you can barely move around central Chamonix for all of the huge off-piste skis, serious looking backpacks and rugged mountain guides.

Chamonix can work for beginners and intermediates too though, you just need to know where to look. Le Tour and Les Houches both offer gentle terrain and tree-lined pistes where you can shelter if the weather closes in. However, you've got to understand Chamonix as it won't suit everyone. It's split into 5 distinct and very seperate ski areas and you will need to use the Chamonix Valley transport system to do the whole thing justice. Le Tour and Les Houches for example are at opposite ends of the valley, nearly 20km apart. The bus and train services are excellent, but having to travel between ski areas isn't every beginner's cup of tea.

The more adventurous will also find that Courmayeur in Italy and even Verbier in Switzerland are accessible for a day trip from Chamonix.

Chamonix is one of the finest ski resorts in the French Alps and offers something for everyone. You must be prepared to put in the effort to get the most out of Chamonix, but if you are then you will find a wealth of Alpine experiences that will have you coming back for years to come.

Chamonix ski resort

Chamonix is a large, bustling town in its own right. Totally different to the purpose built resorts on offer elsewhere in the region. It has a large year-round population and the resort amenities are like no other. The large pedestrianised centre offers a huge choice of shops, bar restaurants and nightclubs. There's even a casino and the range of off-slope activities can seem endless. If you have non-skiers in your group then Chamonix should be at the top of your list as it can keep everyone entertained.

To top it off, Chamonix is located only 1 hour from Geneva, making it one of the shortest transfers. Uniquely, Chamonix manages to combine this lightening fast transfer with true high-altitude and glacier skiing. Other resorts with similar transfer times (Morzine, for example) can't offer the same high altitude skiing.