Geneva and the Alps
Renting a chalet with concierge service
Two chalets that look identical in photographs can give two radically different weeks. The difference rarely lies in the building.
The most common confusion
With services means nothing on its own
In listings, the phrase covers an end of stay clean just as easily as a full team living on site. Three levels really exist.
The bare chalet
You get the keys and nothing else. Departure clean included, sometimes. It is a classic seasonal rental, and it is very good if what you want is to be left alone.
The chalet with services on request
You order what you need, one service at a time. It works, but every request goes through a different supplier: the chef does not speak to the chauffeur, who does not know the instructor arrives at half past eight.
The chalet with concierge service
One person coordinates the whole thing and answers when something goes wrong. That is the difference between ordering services and no longer thinking about them.
Reading a quote
Five questions that reveal everything
Who answers at two in the morning?
A number that drops to voicemail outside office hours is not a concierge service. Ask who picks up, and where that person is.
Is the housekeeping daily?
Housekeeping included often means a single visit at the end of the stay. Ask for the frequency and the hours.
Is the chef already booked?
In February, a chef free on your week is luck, not a given. A serious quote names him, or says plainly that he is still to be found.
What is paid out on your behalf?
Lift passes, equipment, groceries, restaurants. Ask whether these are rebilled at cost or with a margin, and get the answer in writing.
What happens if the snow is missing?
No concierge makes snow fall. But it should know what to offer you instead, and have thought about it in advance.
The calendar
When to book
For Christmas and New Year, the best chalets go from the previous spring. For the February holidays, allow three to four months. In January and in March a few weeks are often enough, and the rates are nowhere near the same.
Staff are booked even earlier than walls: a good chalet chef and an experienced housekeeper are taken before the building itself.
See also: chalet concierge, Geneva and the Alps and how to reach the resorts.
Winter season
Let us talk about your week
Tell us the resort, the dates and the number of guests.