Neilson Chalet Sapinière III

Les Menuires, France

What's included

  • Flights from Birmingham, Bristol, Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester or Stansted
  • Resort transfers
  • Chalet accommodation
  • Breakfast & afternoon tea daily
  • 6 evening meals with free-flowing wine
  • Free guiding & coaching

  • New for winter 2019/20
  • Ski-in ski-out
  • Shared wellness area
  • Sleeps 9 people
  • 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
  • Cosy lounge with free Wi-Fi & woodburner
  • 350m to the lifts

  • 600km ski area
  • Resort altitude: 1850m
  • Made for intermediates & advanced
  • Snowsure with a glacier
  • Quiet nightlife
  • Great value Three Valleys resort

The Sapinière III and its sister chalets (Sapinière I and II) sit in the small Sapinière hamlet just above La Croisette in Les Menuires. They're right on the slopes so access to Les Menuires' pistes and the wider 600km Three Valleys ski area couldn't be easier.

The apartment-style chalet is very comfortably furnished with large sofas and a heart (and foot) warming wood burner in the lounge/diner. After skiing or boarding all day, snap up a slice of cake and soak in the far-reaching views through the large windows. There's a small balcony with uninterrupted views of La Masse and the slopes of Les Menuires, perfect for grabbing a moment of calm.

To ease your ski legs at the end of the day, head to the small shared spa area in the residence which you'll have access to a couple of times a week. Enjoy a rejuvenating sauna, steam room and hot tub or just relax in the space to completely unwind. There is a small charge for using the facilities, but this can be paid for locally.

Sapinière is French for Fir, which is apt as there's a small Fir wood behind the chalets, so your views are either of the slopes or the woods. Just down from the woods is the nearest lift. Improvers to advanced can clip in straight from the residence and be at the lifts in no time.

Les Menuires centre is about a 15-minute walk down the gentle pistes where you arrive in La Croisette with a nice selection of bars, restaurants and shopping. Stop off at the small l'Etoile bar in the middle of the nearest piste for a cheeky vin chaud. This really is a great choice if you're looking for Three Valleys skiing without the premium prices!

From the chalet to...

Nearest lift: 350m to Roc des 3 Marches or 400m to Les Menuires gondola, both in La Croisette area

Tuition meeting point: 400m in La Croisette. All tuition is with ESF Ski School

Resort centre: 400m

About the resort

Les Menuires is all about the pistes. It's a great base from which to explore the full reaches of the largest linked ski area in the world, but without all the fuss (and prices) of the other Three Valleys resorts. It's purpose built but with good quality, slopeside accommodation where you can find everything you need.

Les Menuires sits in the midst of the largest lift-linked ski area in the world and offers the most skiing of all the Three Valleys resorts with 160km of mainly blue pistes. Families and beginners are well provided for with a superb carpet conveyor lift and tranquil slopes in the Croisette area. The closest black runs are on La Masse; try the Bouquetin, Dame Blanche or the off piste run down into Orelle.

With the emphasis on the skiing there are fewer off slope activities and après ski is fairly quiet, although there are some lively bars if you know where to look.

Resort stats

Area size: 160km locally, 600km in the Three Valleys area

Linked resorts: Val Thorens, Méribel, Mottaret, La Tania and Courchevel

Resort altitude: 1850m

Skiing altitude: 1260m to 3230m

Number of runs: 275 in the Three Valleys area

Range of runs: 21% green, 33% blue, 35% red and 11% black

Lifts: 78 drags, 68 chairs, 34 gondolas and 6 cable cars in the Three Valleys area

Night skiing: No

Cross country trails: 28km

Snowmaking: 41% of runs covered

Resort bus: Yes

Rest and relaxation

The small shared spa is a wonderful place to unwind at the end of the day. There's a gorgeous wooden barrel hot tub, steam room and sauna plus a shower and relaxation area to truly chill out.

The spa is open between 4 and 8 pm and costs around €8 per person for a 50-minute session. It's worth booking a slot early on in the week to avoid missing out. The whole spa area takes a maximum of 10 people and you can reserve it exclusively for your group for approximately €65. Unfortunately, children under 14 aren't allowed in the spa.

Food and drink

Our chalet board basis is designed for skiers and boarders. Start every morning with an extensive continental breakfast, and cooked options on most days. Your daily afternoon tea of freshly baked cakes and biscuits will be waiting for you when you come in from the slopes.

Evening meals are a three-course set-menu with regionally inspired dishes and free-flowing wine throughout the week, all followed by fresh coffee. We provide evening meals on six nights a week leaving you free to head out and explore the resort on one evening.

Rooms

Split over four floors, each of the five bedrooms are all tastefully furnished with plenty of light and of character. You'll also find luxurious Temple Spa toiletries in each bathroom. On the ground floor, there's a twin room with its own ensuite shower and a twin room with a shared shower room. Both share a wc.

A double room with a shower and a single room share the third floor, and there's also a twin room in the eaves on the top floor. They all share a full bathroom plus an extra wc.

Neilson Mountain Experts

Don’t forget that you get free guiding and coaching throughout the week from fully qualified ski and board instructors with our Mountain Expert service.

Designed for confident blue and red-run skiers and snowboarders, they'll show you around the mountain on free guiding sessions, and even offer free coaching sessions to help you become a more confident skier or snowboarder.

There are at least three sessions a week and we guarantee each guest at least two sessions a week. Your hosts will explain how it works when you get there.

Extras and offers

Free guiding and coaching from fully qualified Neilson Mountain Experts

Children under 15 can receive a discount when part of a group booking the whole chalet and they share a room with at least two adults

Chalet features

Neilson rating: ***+

Lounge/diner with free Wi-Fi and satellite TV (French channels only)

Woodburning stove

Use of shared sauna and hot tub

Ski and boot storage available at hire shop 20m away

Wireless speaker and board games for your entertainment

Daily housekeeping with towels provided

Pre-bookable private nanny service available on request - email sales@neilson.com for prices and availability

Your chalet host lives out

Children under 15 are welcome when part of a group booking the whole chalet

Travel info

Departure airports: Birmingham, Bristol, Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester or Stansted

Departure day: Sunday

Arrival airport: Grenoble

Flight duration: 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 5 minutes

Transfer time: approx. 3 hours

Booking the whole chalet?

If you're a large group looking to book the entire chalet, we'd love to help. Our call centre team are all trained groups specialists and love a challenge. You can get in touch online or give them a call on 0330 134 6376.

Please note: The photography for this chalet is not of the actual property but of a typical example within the same building. The layout and furnishings may differ slightly from your actual chalet.

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