Stayed here for four days early september. We flew into geneva and drove to samoens. We absolutely loved the village, just what we were hoping to find in the alps.

We booked into Gai Soleil on the basis of the price and location. I would say that on both counts it met our expectations. The location was superb, near the centre of the village and very quiet indeed. It was a mere minute's walk to the Centre where you get shops, cafes etc. We could not ask for more!

Room wise, it was great! We travelled with our 17 month old son, and they provided a cot for us, which was big and comfy for our big boy. The room was spacious enough for the 3 of us and has a terrace/ balcony looking out to the mountains. Bathroom was clean with good hot shower. Around the hotel, it has a great restaurant. Food is fantastic. Try the tartiflette. I had it two nights in a row. Very yummy. There is also a living area with fireplace and bar.
It has a huge green space at the back of the hotel, which our son absolutely loved running around. There are slides and swing for kids. There is also a small swimming pool indoor.

Overall the hotel is fantastic. It is rustic looking, and really what we were looking for. Service was good (for french, that is amazing) and baby-friendly, which was important to us.

Samoens is superb. We drove by many villages in the area and around, and found samoens to be the best. It is not too big and not too small... There is everything you would look for, quaint little shops, cafes, restaurants, bistros, supermarche....!

Note that the shops dont open on certain days, however wednesday is a busy day as there is also a flea market in the village. All shops open on that day.

From samoens we did some hiking and walking in nearby treks and highly recommend them. They are Cirque du fer a cheval (drive to Sixt fer a cheval) and cycling to Morillon from samoens on a cycle route. It will take you past Lac aux dames, and up to a smaller lake in Morillon. The scenery is amazing. Also, go to Cascade Rouges for a magnificent waterfall. You can drive up to the falls. There is another trek we did where we drove towards Les Gets and got off to do the La Bourgeoise walk. The walk takes about an hour up to the top of the mountain. From the top you get a fabulous view of the alps and Mont Blanc. Beautiful.

Our trip was memorable and we would definitely go back there.