Avoriaz 1800 — Where to stay

Avoriaz is the highest and newest resort of the Portes du Soleil ski area, and it is situated on the French side of the Northern Alps. Flying into nearby Geneva is still the most popular option for visitors although the drive from Calais isn’t too arduous.   Huge wooden-clad apartment blocks run by big tour operators such as PV Holidays, Maeva and Club Med dominate Avoriaz. If you are looking for a self-catered apartment with ski to the door convenience in a compact resort you will love it.   If you are looking for just about anything else you will be frustrated and wish you had stayed down the road in Morzine with its better selection of catered chalets and hotels. Don’t expect anything spacious or any alpine charm in the apartments but views are fantastic and it is hard to imagine a better location for families. The residences of Avoriaz have been designed with total convenience in mind and you won’t need to catch buses or carry equipment for miles. Being a car-free resort, the areas outside the apartment complexes are a safe environment for children to play in too.

Apartments

As with most purpose-built resorts of the 1970s it is all about apartments here in Avoriaz. Huge blocks have been constructed with the aim of squeezing as many tourist beds in to a small space as possible. Apartments tend to either be in the blocks operated by the big guns of Pierre & Vacances, Maeva or Club med or they are privately owned places that are let out through estate agencies. For these agencies the Avoriaz website is a good starting point The Falaise district of Avoriaz is home to several apartment blocks and arguably has the best views, although the new Amara complex will steal the show as soon as it opens later this year. This new sector will raise the standard of apartments in the resort and is set to be equipped with swimming pools, fitness suites and a new batch of restaurants and bars.

Chalets

There are a handful of self-catered chalets available in Avoriaz near the plateau beginner’s area and most of these can be booked through avoriaz-holidays.com. Some of the big UK tour operators also run chalet accommodation in Avoriaz. Most independent chalet operators are based in the nearby resort of Morzine though and it is always worth considering staying at the base of the cable car in the hamlet of Les Prodains. Chilly Powder run an excellent Chalet Hotel and there are also cheaper options in this area such as One 2 Ski.

Hotels

The one real hotel in Avoriaz is the fairly luxurious 3-star Les Dromonts. If you love your food you won’t be disappointed. Les Dromonts is connected to the restaurant run by famous French chef Christophe Leroy. For a better choice of hotels it may be worth considering staying in the sister resort of Morzine, an old farming town with plenty of accommodation. From there you would need to travel up to Avoriaz by bus or cable car or ski the lower slopes of Morzine / Les Gets. Links between the resorts are pretty good.