There’s something about Serre Che…
THE ERNA LOW TEAM HIT SERRE CHEVALIER – January 2009
Bags were packed, excitement was high and an escape from the office was imminent. The Erna Low team were heading off to explore Serre Chevalier for the weekend in order to find out the answer to the question ‘Why send our clients to Serre Chevalier?’
Ten volunteers had signed up to test out the brand new 4* Best Western Premier Chantemerle before its official opening (1st February 2009) and to explore the Serre Che ski area all in the name of research and high level commitment to customer service. And to have fun of course!
Flying from Gatwick to Lyon, the team transferred to resort (3 hours) by mini bus shuttle organised by Peace of Mind Holidays, an agency who offer help with travel and activities during your stay in Serre Che. Having arrived at the Best Western Premier Chantemerle, we found our accommodation to be excellent – the residence offers 51 apartments in total, ranging from 1-3 bedrooms, decorated in a contemporary style and fully equipped for those wanting to self-cater with kitchenettes and offering spacious and comfortable living areas. All apartments offer balconies with views across to the ski area. We were soon ensconced in extremely comfortable beds and looking forward to the weekend ahead.
Before heading to breakfast, we were accompanied by Claire Lacassagne, Sales and Marketing Director for SPACE Group(the company that developed the Best Western Premier Chantemerle) for a tour of the additional facilities offered at the residence – a gourmet restaurant and bar and a ‘spa’ centre including indoor/outdoor heated pool. Guests are able to book on a B&B basis or eat in the innovative restaurant and/or indeed take away dishes should they not wish to self-cater. Being so centrally located, it was then only a 5 minute walk from the residence to the foot of the slopes and chair lifts.
The team enjoying lunch on the mountain
After kitting ourselves out at the local Skiset shop, we joined our guides from Peace of Mind Holidays (aka POM) and on slightly wobbly legs headed off in the sunshine up the first chair lift. The ski area looked vast and we were informed that there were 4 different areas, all of which we would be covering. Having split into two groups – one for the more adventurous who were off to find fast runs and off piste and one group for those who preferred to cruise the blue and red runs – the answer to our principal question was soon becoming apparent. The ski area in Serre Chevalier is vast and varied. With over 250km of piste and skiing up to 2800m, there is something for everyone and more than enough to keep you going for a week’s holiday. With tree-lined pistes, great panoramas, board parks and boarder cross, the ski area also provides plenty of entertainment – try the Smurf Village (a short off-piste run of huge ‘blobs’ of snow) for a giggle! Mountains restaurants were also excellent providing a good choice of food for a pretty reasonable price.
In the evening we headed to the UNESCO heritage town of Briancon and visited the medieval cité where Spirit bar provided welcome refreshment. Being made up of a series of historical French towns, Serre Chevalier also caters well for those with non-skiers in their group. An excellent dinner was had back in Chantemerle and then, although nightlife is limited, we found a small cosy bar offering great mojitos and wiled a few hours away!
After another excellent fun-packed day on the slopes, this time will fresh snow falling, we headed back to the UK from Grenoble airport, just 2 hrs from Serre Che. Overall, the weekend was a resounding success and certainly proved to our team that Serre Che is a great destination for UK clients offering excellent skiing for all levels, a wide range of accommodation including the latest in Alpine luxury such as the Best Western Premier Chantemerle.
Visit www.ernalow.co.uk for a full range of fantastic ski holidays available to Serre Chevalier!
