One of Club Med’s biggest recent projects has been the upgrade of their classic Val d’Isere hotel to become the very first ski village to be entirely 5-Trident throughout.

Already an iconic French Alps destination and a hugely popular Club Med village, the refurbishment promised an upgrade in all departments and I was excited to get the chance to check it out first hand this Summer. Although I wouldn’t be skiing, the chance to see a place like this should never be passed up!

Externally, the hotel has barely changed, and of course nor has the unrivalled location, sitting directly on the M Piste that runs down from under the Solaise gondola. You simply walk out of the boot-room door, clip in and meander gently down to the Rond Point des Pistes, picking your direction for the morning or afternoon’s skiing. Visiting the town on foot is a simple 15 minute walk or hop on the shuttle bus that stops directly outside the hotel and takes 3 minutes.

Arrival

Entering the lobby, I was struck by the high-end comfort and comparing it to the old version of this hotel, you really can feel the investment, both financial and thoughtful, that’s gone into this upgrade.

The layout remains familiar, with the bar/theatre linked to the lobby and boutique, and the extended restaurant a couple of levels below. The speciality restaurant has also been fully refitted and now offers an improved menu.

The view from our room - Deluxe Balcony

The Skiing

Let’s not beat around the bush, the Tignes Val d’Isere Ski Area - formerly l’Espace Killy - may well be the best ski destination in Europe, if not the world.

300km of high altitude pistes with a unique micro-climate that means these slopes have one of the longest seasons anywhere in the Alps and often have excellent snow coverage when resorts just a few kilometres away have considerably less. There’s loads of North-facing slopes which hold the snow exceptionally well, and a massive variety of terrain to suit all abilities.

From the Grande Motte glacier all the way down to Les Brevieres, via Le Fornet and the notorious Face de Bellevarde, no-one will go short of pistes in this all-around paradise.

The off-slope experience is just as good, amazing apres-ski bars - La Folie Douce and Cocorico provide raucous apres-ski with boots-on dancing to your preference of cabaret style clubbing or crowd-surfing to classic covers! Every serious skier should tick this destination off their list!

Rooms

Perhaps the biggest transformation in the hotel is the quality of the rooms. They’ve been thoughtfully remodelled with excellent quality bathrooms, delightful fixtures and fittings and exceptionally comfortable beds. Our Interconnecting Deluxe Rooms enjoyed a balcony with stunning view out over the village centre.

Deluxe Rooms are the lead-in category at 5-Trident level, but Suites are also available if you really want to hit the heights. They are available in various configurations and can suit a couple, or a family. As the highest grade of rooms anywhere in Club Med’s programme, the quality is exceptional - Room service breakfast is a wonderful touch, as is the hot-tub set aside for the private use of Suite guests.

Facilities

The best of the original wellness facilities have been kept, with some nice touches added to the swimming pool, including luxury sun-loungers and a delightful outdoor hot-tub which accompanies the excellent saunas and creates a charming space in which to relax after a day on the slopes.

The well-equipped gym means you’ve no reason (or excuse!) to skip any of your training time, you could even join one of the excellent classes which range from Yoga all the way through to aquagym.

After skiing, the revamped Cinq Mondes spa delivers massage and treatments at the highest level, there’s even a hidden Steam Room available for the use of spa customers. Early booking is strongly advised since these treatments are super-popular during the ski season and it’s often difficult to book on site.

Food and Beverage

The main restaurant has been extended and the variety and quality on offer at 5-Trident level should not be understated, it really is excellent on every level, without forgetting that younger guests may appreciate some basic like pizza and pasta.

With a coeliac in our group, we made immediate contact with the restaurant manage and head chef who were very accommodating at all turns and able to advise on suitable gluten free dishes and even make fries, pasta etc to order. Special dietary requirements are always tricky but we never felt like a burden, it seemed a real pleasure to meet our needs!

With the upgrade to 5-Trident, some lovely extra touches are available like Champagne by the glass from 6pm, branded spirits behind the bar and a charming little apres-ski bar on the terrace

Entertainment

Every seasoned GM knows that it’s the atmosphere that really sets Club Med apart. High end accommodation and catering can be done anywhere with the right budget but combining activities, kids’ clubs and providing engaging shows daily is a real skill. This has not diminished in any way at the higher Trident level, the kids wanted to stay every evening for the shows, and early evening quizzes and fun kept everyone engaged - It’s almost impossible to be bored at a location like this!

To this day, I’ve never found anywhere that is capable of producing the Club Med atmosphere quite like they do. Yes the shows can be cheesy and not all of the GOs are talented dancers, but there are production values that go into everything Club Med do which you won’t find anywhere else in the Alps. Simply put, if you want to feel like you’re staying with Club Med then you really only have one choice - Stay with Club Med!

Overall

A lot of investment has gone into this upgrade and the overall feel is one of cosy, refined comfort. Rooms are hugely improved, with the minimum comfort level at 5-Trident being Deluxe. The best bits of the old Club Med Val d’Isere have been kept - Pool, wellness, the unbeatable location on the piste and the unique atmosphere. Huge improvements in the quality of the catering and service, together with a reduction in the number of guests means that this resort can now deliver the highest service levels at any Club Med hotel in the Alps.

If you love skiing with Club Med then we highly recommend giving Val d’Isere a try. Obviously the upgrade comes with an accompanying increase in base prices, but you may be surprised at the value on offer here - time it right and you can find a break here at similar prices to some of the more popular 4-Trident villages!