If you go to Leysin, DO NOT stay at the Grand Chalet!

The Hotel is terrible! We booked for 6 adults and thought we were getting two triple rooms, at least that is what the confirmation e-mail said. Instead we got the two lowest quality rooms with an extra 'camp-bed' shoved in where the table and chairs would usually be (the table and chairs were piled up in the corner of the room)

There was no bath in either of the rooms and the towels were changed every other day. The heating comprised of one small radiator that, when turned up, was not very hot and two plug in heaters (one of which was removed from the room half way through the stay by the manager/cleaner)

We had to put the stacked up table and chair onto the so called balcony so we had room for three adults and three sets of snowboarding equipment. When the manager saw we had done this he came into our room without asking whils two of us were still in bed and actually made us bring them in, we felt like schoolchildren with his attitude, actually made us feel like we were in trouble.

There was a broken lamp in the room and only two single wardrobes (remember three guests per room), two glasses and only one chair. I hate to think what the single rooms are like, most probably have the cleaners hoover and mop in! The manager's wife actually accused us of breaking their Hot-tub (which by the way is not very hot). After some translation we actually discovered the problem was that we had a bottle of beer each in the tub and the problem was that we had not bought it from them so made out as though we had damaged it because one of the tops was left on the side.

Steve the manager is certainly less than friendly. After bursting into our room and demanding we get up and bring in the chair, he made a point of ignoring us for the rest of the stay, even when we handed over 1560 franks, per room, for the weeks stay, we got no "thank you" or "have you enjoyed your stay?" Simply grunted and smirked as he took our money (probably due to the fact he has just had over £2000 for a week in what can only be described as a stay in a wooden clad shoebox from hell!!)

We ate breakfast in the hotel, comprised of cold meat and bread and cereal...no alternate but exactly the same every day. If you do stay there you're best walking to the nearby Yeti bar or Davindas for your evening meal as we spoke to the chef one day and even he reccomended not eating in the hotel (???)

The whole holiday was badly let down by the accomodation and, if you are going to Leysin, would strongly reccomend you stay elsewhere.

Nice hotel perched above Leysin, around 2 km from the centre of the village, in a quiet position. Very friendly and helpful staff and owners, my fiancée and I we had a nice room (even if the bathroom was a bit small...) facing south, with a great view overlooking the mountains. Very nice ideas the Jacuzzi (that can be also half or totally covered, if you want...) on the terrace of the hotel, it's great to enjoy 37°C water in the tub, while outside there can be also -10°C.Very big buffet breakfast, good food at evening, I would like to return also in summer...I can suggest it also for families, couples and groups of friends. Parking can represent sometimes a small problem( or you park 100 meters before the hotel, or 100 meters below it, since the places along the slope sideways the hotel in winter often gets icy.
I hope to return there, it really deserves!!!

We stayed at Le Grand Chalet for 7 days. We had two adjoining double rooms, one for my husband and I and one for our teenage children(15 & 18). We have stayed in several different mountain towns in Switzerland and felt that this hotel did not measure up to our other experiences. In the summer, the hotel did not seem to be a cosy family hotel at all as I read in previous reviews. It was more of a hostel for groups of hikers and mountaineers coming and going on a daily basis.The owners were very nice and helpful, but were only there part-time. Their staff was not nearly as helpful or friendly. In the owners' absence, it was very difficult to get answers to anything (directions, suggestions for restaurants, activities, how to mail a letter etc.). Our rooms were of an adequate size and tastefully furnished. The views over Leysin and the mountains were lovely. The lighting in the rooms, however, was abysmal. It was difficult to read in the room at night. The lampshades also had burn marks on them. The bathroom was tiny (not unusual for Europe), but here, the bathroom door would not close if the toilet seat was down! There was also no light in the shower when the curtain was closed and nowhere to hang the wet towels that they asked you to reuse to save energy. Newspaper was stuffed into the cracks in the walls (for insulation I guess??). The hotel is quite isolated at the very top of the village. It is only a 5 minute walk to the closest train station, but about 20-25 minutes steep walk from the village center. There is a shuttle that runs every so often during business hours, but at night, a taxi is the only option. We found the food at the Grand Chalet to be quite a disappointment. Very expensive and quite average. One night the waitress forgot to process our order completely. It seemed to be perfectly normal to her that we were sitting there for the better part of an hour with no food on the table as she passed by our table again and again. Breakfast was also mediocre. If the food ran out on the buffet, the serving plates and bowls were not refilled. The coffee was self-serve from a vending machine. At best I would rate this a two star and would only recommend it for a quick overnight visit.

We are a family of 7. 2 adults and 5 children aged from 16 to 2. We are hard to please, having worked in the hotel/entertainments industry in the past! We do not praise lightly.

The hotel has a number of large family rooms Ideal for 4/5 people and the front facing rooms have the most amazing views. The half board option is good value for money. After a long day on the slops it is great to be able to enjoy good food of an evening without leaving the hotel.

This is very much a family hotel....Very clean, a home from home. There is a small lounge and bar area, small garden, and a Jacuzzi. The position of the hotel is not for the faint hearted! This is the highest point in Leysin. The car drive to the hotel through the village in the snow can be a challenge; snow chains can be required…. But the views are fab! From the hotel you are able to walk 100 yards, put on the ski’s and go down the small nursery slope, onto the bottom of the main run and you are within seconds at the bottom of the ski lift. A courtesy bus brings you back to the top at the end of the day.

We love Leysin, and the closeness of other resorts which share the ski pass which is just a short 10 mins drive.

We have stayed at this wonderful family hotel on at least 10 occasions. We consider the owners the Bonelli family as one of our family. Nothing is too much trouble for them. Last year they got up at 4.30 am to drive us down through the village in a huge snow storm, just make sure we were safe…..We are booked again for Feb 2007…and can’t wait !!!!!!!!!!!

ps

If you are looking for a large modern town centre hotel, don’t book Le Grand Chalet!