Ski Blog | Hotel
Luxury for all the senses is now again possible in the Italian UNESCO-DOLOMITES.
Stay safe, stay well!
Tucked away from the crowdy and busy cities, to find peace somewhere - also during this After-COVID19-period - seems strange, but it is possible!
We must admit, the last months weren’t that easy for anybody of us, no matter where we are from, North or South, East or West. We had to face extended time within our own houses, and for those who had gardens or at least a terrace or balcony, life suddenly seemed to be more comfortable.
Here in the Italian Dolomites, we experienced the same as you did in the UK, even if we were perhaps that lucky that the British people are, who are living in the countryside. In March, April and May, the days were sunny, and we were looking out of our windows – or balcony or terraces. Even if our hearts were a little bit sad because of the entirely white, but empty slopes of our Skiing Mountain Kronplatz – Plan de Corones, but finally we saw nature growing. The landscape was becoming green, strangely sooner than ever.
It is true, living in the mountains was a slight, comfortable advantage during COVID19 period. We could walk first around our houses, then to jog in the fields, and finally walk in the surroundings of our Hotel and our Moutain Lodge. After a while, we could go further and use the hiking paths and forests, lying just right behind our houses, and afterwards, when the authority did allow it, finally climb up our Mountains again.
It is true, we live in an ideal ambience, very near to the UNESCO-DOLOMITES, with lots of opportunities to explore, experience, enjoy and relax.
What we appreciated most: be in nature, more ofter with nobody around us, and in case we did meet somebody, we did use and still do use all security rules in order not to get the Virus. Who actually “has gone” from our Italian Province South-Tyrol – Südtirol - Alto Adige. And we hope, forever.
We have good news: we have reopened our doors for our tourists!
To pamper your palate with finest Mediterranean and Alpine culinary creations in stylish dining rooms - in the perfect distance one from each other - or come to balance with healthy, fresh cuisine, prepared with locally sourced ingredients, all this is again possible!
As we have our SPA area and stylish wellness embedded in nature, it is again possible to enjoy top-notch spa amenities in a great variety of vast open spaces and within a unique combination of luxury, design and exclusive concept.
5 STAR PREMIUM SPA HOTEL Winkler and also – in an even more exclusive ambience – our LUXURY MOUNTAIN CHALET with 5 Suites, Butler- and Concierge Service PURMONTES offer a wide range of sports and leisure activities and now in summer two private outdoor guides, in wintertime – again from December 2020 - ski programs in the Dolomiti Superski Area, at Kronplatz – Plan De Corones or in the Ski Resort 3 Peaks Dolomites or even in Alta Badia, as you like, and finally ski-free explorations of nature in winter.
Hikes and bike tours in summer, springtime and autumn are a must, and for children and teenagers, we are famous for offering a special one-year entertainment program.
With our being very serious and aware in general, we think that we can help you in recovering soon from this extraordinary hard period lived during the last mounts. We hope that you will trust us in that we will do our best in making your holiday in the Italian South Tyrol and UNESCO-DOLOMITES with our appreciated cousin, definitely a memorable one!
Independent Ski and Snowboard Hire
Altitude's ski rental partner Skimium are one of the largest ski providers in Europe. But despite their size and market leading prices, they maintain a personal touch. And by booking with the code ALTIT17 you can save a massive 60%!
The stores that are affiliated to skimium.com are independent stores located in the heart of the ski resorts. At these winter sports specialists, who all have a great reputation, you’ll find a wide range of the highest quality material that is available for either sale or rent. You can also find a variety of technical clothing and accessories and the men and machines that provide a highly professional workshop service. In the true mountain spirit, you’ll be looked after and advised by professionals that are passionate about their sport!
skimium.com in a few words: it’s EASY, it’s the COMFORT of ordering from your own home and the BEST PRICE advantage through ordering on the internet (up to 20% discount off the public prices that are communicated in the stores), but it’s not only that...
SKIMIUM IS EVEN MORE:
A wide selection of all the different categories of equipment in order to satisfy the requirements of all types of people, all types of ability and all types of desire.
An on-line Advice Guide enabling you to select the material that is the best suited to your ability, your desire and to what you want to do.
Only 25% deposit required, no administration fees.
Get the most of your skiing holiday with your family and friends with at least a further discount of 5% off the store prices for any reservation that includes at least 4 (or +) pairs of skis or snowboards.
Benefit from the Professional Advice to get the most out of your equipment.
A Commitment to guaranteeing your Safety, through our on-line advice service.
A Direct and Personal Contact with your rental store.
THE STORES THAT ARE AFFILIATED TO SKIMIUM.COM ARE COMMITTED TO:
Operating a Transparent Pricing Policy:
Benefit from the most advantageous prices by reserving on the internet
A Technical Charter:
A selection of the most reputable brands
Up to date material (no more than 3 seasons old)
Equipment that is checked and prepared before each individual rental (sharpening, repairing of bases and waxing of boards; shoes are dried out and treated)
The equipment is adjusted by professionals according to what you are going to do, your ability and your size
A Customer Services Charter:
A friendly and personalised service
Expert advice
A product range dedicated to Women
Your kids treated like little Champions
Comfort for the duration of the rental period
HOW DOES IT WORK?
RESERVING YOUR SKI EQUIPMENT ON SKIMIUM.COM IS VERY EASY AND ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES:
Today:
Select a skimium.com store in the resort where you will be heading to and indicate the date of your first skiing day along and for how many days you want to rent the equipment for.
Choose your material from a wide selection of skis, snowboards, shoes, boots and helmets.
You can consult our ‘How to choose the right equipment’ guides to help you find the material that is best adapted to your ability and to what you want to do.
Validate your selection and enter the personal details about yourself (height, weight, sizes...) and your preferences so that your material can be personalised just for you.
Confirm your reservation by paying a deposit of only 25 %. A confirmation email with the reservation form (with all the details concerning your order and other practical information) will be sent to you immediately.
Print and retain your reservation form and start getting ready for your holidays with peace of mind that your equipment will be waiting for you when you get there.
When you get there:
With your reservation form and a proof of identity, go along to the skimium.com store to settle the balance and collect your material that has already been prepared for you, once the adjustments have been checked.
Your skimium.com advisor will be extremely happy to welcome you and advise you on the use of your material.
Get your skis on and make the most of your holiday!
For further information, feel free to refer to our General Rental Conditions
Skimium.com is a partner of Decathlon
Reserve your skis online !
Skimium, the exclusive ski hire partner of Altitude Holidays. Save over 50% off ski hire this winter
WHO ARE WE?
Skimium.com is a partner of Decathlon
The stores that are affiliated to skimium.com are independent stores located in the heart of the ski resorts. At these winter sports specialists, who all have a great reputation, you’ll find a wide range of the highest quality material that is available for either sale or rent. You can also find a variety of technical clothing and accessories and the men and machines that provide a highly professional workshop service. In the true mountain spirit, you’ll be looked after and advised by professionals that are passionate about their sport!
skimium.com in a few words: it’s EASY, it’s the COMFORT of ordering from your own home and the BEST PRICE advantage through ordering on the internet (up to 20% discount off the public prices that are communicated in the stores), but it’s not only that...
SKIMIUM IS EVEN MORE:
· A wide selection of all the different categories of equipment in order to satisfy the requirements of all types of people, all types of ability and all types of desire.
· An on-line Advice Guide enabling you to select the material that is the best suited to your ability, your desire and to what you want to do.
· Only 25% deposit required, no administration fees.
· Get the most of your skiing holiday with your family and friends with at least a further discount of 5% off the store prices for any reservation that includes at least 4 (or +) pairs of skis or snowboards.
· Benefit from the Professional Advice to get the most out of your equipment.
· A Commitment to guaranteeing your Safety, through our on-line advice service.
· A Direct and Personal Contact with your rental store.
THE STORES THAT ARE AFFILIATED TO SKIMIUM.COM ARE COMMITTED TO:
Operating a Transparent Pricing Policy:
· Benefit from the most advantageous prices by reserving on the internet
A Technical Charter:
· A selection of the most reputable brands
· Up to date material (no more than 3 seasons old)
· Equipment that is checked and prepared before each individual rental (sharpening, repairing of bases and waxing of boards; shoes are dried out and treated)
· The equipment is adjusted by professionals according to what you are going to do, your ability and your size
A Customer Services Charter:
· A friendly and personalised service
· Expert advice
· A product range dedicated to Women
· Your kids treated like little Champions
· Comfort for the duration of the rental period
HOW DOES IT WORK?
RESERVING YOUR SKI EQUIPMENT ON SKIMIUM.COM IS VERY EASY AND ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES:
Today:
· Select a skimium.com store in the resort where you will be heading to and indicate the date of your first skiing day along and for how many days you want to rent the equipment for.
· Choose your material from a wide selection of skis, snowboards, shoes, boots and helmets.
· You can consult our ‘How to choose the right equipment’ guides to help you find the material that is best adapted to your ability and to what you want to do.
· Validate your selection and enter the personal details about yourself (height, weight, sizes...) and your preferences so that your material can be personalised just for you.
· Confirm your reservation by paying a deposit of only 25 %. A confirmation email with the reservation form (with all the details concerning your order and other practical information) will be sent to you immediately.
· Print and retain your reservation form and start getting ready for your holidays with peace of mind that your equipment will be waiting for you when you get there.
When you get there:
· With your reservation form and a proof of identity, go along to the skimium.com store to settle the balance and collect your material that has already been prepared for you, once the adjustments have been checked.
· Your skimium.com advisor will be extremely happy to welcome you and advise you on the use of your material.
· Get your skis on and make the most of your holiday!
For further information, feel free to refer to our General Rental Conditions
Start saving now with Altitude Holidays and Skimium!
Driving Home for Christmas
'So I sing for you
Though you can't hear me
When I get through
And feel you near me
I am driving home for Christmas
Driving home for Christmas
With a thousand memories'
Chris Rea once sang!!
I wasn’t singing as we boarded the Eurotunnel and set out on our journey to the Alps but I was very excited! The early snow reports had been good and although the Alps aren’t strictly home I have spent 12 of the last 14 Christmases in the snow and they certainly have a thousand (and more) memories!
So trying not to jump up and down in the driver’s seat, we were soon cruising down the empty French motorway to our stop over for the night.
Booked only a couple of days before through one of the large hotel booking sites, we had struck lucky with La Maison Rouge in Noeux les Mines. A perfect stopping point if you are driving to or from the Alps, just an hour from Calais and minutes from the A26. And it’s not just a great location - the hotel is welcoming, has a lovely restaurant, fabulous food and a bar to sit in and relax after dinner.
With probably the largest Christmas baubles I have ever seen and a lingerie cupboard (sadly locked – and yes we did try the door! 
), a comfortable bed and a great choice for breakfast what more could you want? However we were soon on the way again and had just an easy seven hour drive to The Alps to go.
Er……except it wasn’t that easy as it rained the whole way and made the journey an hour or two longer than expected – lots of spray and an extra couple of rest stops didn’t dampen the excitement and we were soon driving up the hill into Les Carroz with snow on the ground and more forecast. Excited and some more memories to make!
I have driven this route lots of times and although this wasn’t the easiest of journeys I would really recommend driving as an option. It is much easier to drive on French motorways than in the UK, the volume of traffic is far less, lots of service areas and several places to break up the journey – treat it as part of the holiday and enjoy it!
However you’re planning to get to the slopes this season, I wish you a safe, easy journey and plenty of the white stuff when you arrive.
It’s looking good so far!
DRIVING HOME FROM CHRISTMAS
I’m dreaming of a White Christmas someone once sang and we all do, I should be used to them, having spent ten of the last twelve in the Alps but I still get excited about the idea of a white snowy Christmas!
And this year it was time to get very very excited! With unnecessary alarmist media reports at the beginning of December, that I wrote about in a previous blog, the snow was now falling across the Alps. Unfortunately I wasn’t out there to enjoy the opening days of the season as lifts opened but some fantastic reports of skiing and snowboarding filtered back to the UK – fantastic pictures of deep snow on Facebook, early reports of great ski holidays on Twitter – I couldn’t wait!
My parents, sisters and their families had booked their ski holiday in a hotel in Courchevel and for a variety of reasons I couldn’t commit to the same holiday at the time so when I could book something I booked my girlfriend and my ski accommodation in a catered chalet on the other side of Courchevel. It proved an inspired choice with our own space, able to eat with the family and a shortish walk home at the end of the night with an excuse to stop for a drink on the way home but still able to ski with the family!
We drove out and broke the journey at Troyes, a comfortable 5 hour drive from Calais where we had booked into a chain hotel and grabbed something to eat and got an early night before rising early and taking a morning stroll round the beautiful medieval town centre having a coffee and a croissant before jumping back in the car and heading onwards to the Alps with my excitement about skiing that fresh deep powder snow and my girlfriend’s excitement about the snow (she doesn't ski but loves the snow as much as I do) growing!
The miles ticked by and we arrived in Les Carroz where we were to spend a couple of days, enjoy a great day of powder skiing, a few beers, an open fire and then we were on the way to Courchevel.
The chalet was great, very comfortable with an open fire to relax in front of, the staff were great and they couldn’t do enough for us and Rich the chef provided superb food even for my special dietary requirements!
The snow just kept falling – some fabulous powder skiing and you couldn’t ask for a whiter Christmas! Whether it was skiing the off piste around 1850 or the quieter slopes over in 1650 (a personal favourite area of mine), for some reason doesn’t get as busy and the snow is great – check it out when you next ski The Three Valleys. We loved the snow, the roads had to be constantly cleared, our car had to be dug out and then it snowed some more! And that was all before Christmas!
Christmas Day itself was fantastic with the weather clearing, some great skiing with the family, entertainment on the slopes in the resort centre for the children (big and small!) and a traditional Christmas meal!
It was soon time to be going home and another drive back across France. This time we went via Dijon and a lovely stop over there.
Driving home from Christmas! Dreaming of a white Christmas.