For serious skiers, the MMV Club Hotel Les Arolles is the perfect place to spend your stay in Val Thorens. The hotel is situated at the foot of the slopes in Val Thorens, and allows for easy access to the rest of the Three Valley resort. The guests certainly reflect the very convenient location for exploring the wider Three Valley resort; at any one time the hotel’s lobby seemed to hold several groups of winter sports enthusiasts, more eager to get on the piste than the piss, and certainly more excited about exploring the slopes than the spa.
While the hotel seems to attract serious skiers, it is equally well-suited to those who have never skied or snowboarded before, being as it is so near to bunny slopes. When I enquired about skiing lessons, I found the staff to be practically overjoyed at the opportunity to help me learn to ski. This was surprising to me for a number of reasons, not least because, as a fairly experienced skier, I was more than aware of the contempt felt by some enthusiasts towards nuisance amateurs. Of course, being in such a high-quality establishment, one can quite rightly expect not to be treated with such disdain. Yet it is the genuine willingness of the staff to help that I found so impressive.
Hotel Les Allores Val ThorensThat being said, Les Allores is much more than a functional inn. The reason it serves so well as a place for skiers, rather than spa-junkies, to hang their helmets is precisely because it is so comfortable. The staff are just as attentive as in the more grandiose hotels, the rooms are of exceptional quality, and the spa facilities, while lacking by Val Thorens standards, are certainly a match for the most luxurious European urban hotels.
The ‘Wellness Centre’ features a Jacuzzi, sauna, steamroom, and a fully fitted beauty parlour attended by trained staff. I may not have much truck with beauty or spa treatments, I was assured by several other guests that the services and facilities available at Les Allores were of the highest standards.
While the location, facilities and staff were all top-notch, it was perhaps the small extras that made this hotel so satisfying, for want of a better word. Many of the hotels in Val Thorens, and even some of the private chalets, have some sort of kids club arrangement, allowing over-worked parents to genuinely enjoy a portion of their holiday in the way that only adults can. This is an absolutely integral part of a hotel for anybody with children. In this regard, the MMV Club Hotel Les Allores really does go above and beyond. There are a range of clubs for children aged between 4 months and 17 years, so there is no question that you will be able to get some relaxing time to yourself. Crucially however, these clubs are fun. This may sound somewhat facetious, but inflicting the misery of a poorly organised kids club on your children can leave one relaxed but guilt ridden, which can take the edge off a tranquil afternoon. The activities for children at Les Allores seem to be genuinely exciting and interesting, with plenty of effort put in by the organisers; this is an excellent positive for a hotel in Val Thorens that is not to be understated.
All-in-all, MMV Club Hotel Les Allores is a great place to spend your alpine holiday. It is certainly much more of a ski base than a mountain retreat, but in no way does that detract from the comfort and elegance of the place. The rooms are luxurious in their cozy but elegant way, and the entire layout of the hotel is unmistakably stylish. The facilities are superb, if you are interested in that sort of thing, and the location is simply perfect. This is certainly one to consider the next time you are planning a trip to the Three Valleys.
The Statistics
How many Stars: 3* Hotel
Sleeps: 52 rooms
Closeness to the piste: Ski out, short walk back
Resort location: Lower end of resort at entrance
Style: Typical French Ski Hotel
Swimming Pool: No
Spa: Yes
Michelin Stars: none
Specialness: Quieter end of the resort
Internet: paid
Disabled Facilities: No
Pets allowed: No
Our rating: 2/5