Llac Negre Hotel, Pas de la Casa

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money	Good
Quality of Rooms	Average
Standard of Service	Excellent
Cleanliness	Good
Quality of Facilities	Good

Advantages:	Small bubbly friendly hotel with lots going on
Disadvantages:	Short uphill walk from slopes, initial cost quite expensive

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Myself, my partner and our two children stayed here from boxing day 2004 into the New Year of 2005. It's a small family run hotel with a really genuine friendly feel. It's English speaking (well Australian) but when we stayed there were a few other Nationalities staying too.

The rooms are quite small but adequate (En suite,tv, telephone although no coffee/tea facilities- so make sure you take a travel kettle or better still buy a cheapo while there). The rooms were lovely and warm all the time. Our room was located at the front with a balcony and the views were amazing - every morning i lay in bed with the curtains open gazing at a snow covered mountain peak and the sky...bliss.
The rooms sleep 2-3 with 3 single beds in each - had 2 rooms next to each other and pushed 2 singles to make a double and top and tailed the children. We used the other room as a dressing room/ drying room. There were bedside cabinets, a tv table with a couple of small drawers and a double wardrobe ( although we practically lived out of our suitcases as we always take way way too many clothes and couldnt fit them all in the wardrobes!!!)
There are lockers for Skis and boots which are located up a short flight of stairs en route to the rooms. As there is no lift I wouldnt recommend for tiny children (ours were 4 and 6 at the time)

We stayed half board ( but they were more than happy to make a packed lunch).
There wasnt much choice for meals for example breakfast could be sausages and tomatoes one day and bacon with mushrooms the next day (but there was unlimited toast , cereals and fruit) but what was on the menu was tasty and well cooked.
There was a gala dinner on New Years Eve which was 4 courses with a choice of 2-3 per course and a good choice for children.

There was something going on in the hotel's small bar most nights and there was always a happy friendly atmosphere.
On New years eve the staff and guests dressed our 6 year old in streamers and toilet rolls etc she was delighted.
There is a quiz once a week ( be warned brush up on your Australian general knowledge and which tellytubby is which!!)There is satellite tv and board games in the bar there really wasnt much need for us to leave the hotel....well except for the skiing and the duty free shopping.

There is a supermarket next door and a department store accross the road (there is also a well known burger shop 2 mins away although we didnt need it!) and shops all the way down the hill, its not a huge town so most restaurants shops etc are easy walking distance.
The only downside we found was the slog from the slopes. The snowfall was very heavy on some days that week (they were clearing the roads with tipper trucks every night!) making the uphill walk (about 350 meters) seem very hard. Although that just made the apres ski all the more welcome!
Ah Apres-ski......you must try their gluwein (pronounced glue vine) which is hot mulled wine and its absolutely divine and very moreish..hic
They sell a variety of beers, spirits,soft drinks, lovely fresh coffee, tea and delicious hot chocolate (with or without brandy) in the bar and also a selction of chocolate, crisps and nuts.

Bare in mind it is only a 2 * Hotel. I thought the booking prices were quite expensive when we went (coming in around £700 p/p from Manchester) but we booked late and only paid about £350 each , then you have the price of your ski packs and lift passes etc. That said the happy atmosphere in the hotel makes it a fabulous choice.

We all thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Llac Negre and wanted to stay again last year but it was fully booked. We stayed elsewhere but did walk up and have a drink with the owners