Ski TV 2011 - Meribel

An unbelievable price at an extremely popular time!

A Spice saving of £236 on the Mark Warner 09/10 brochure price!

Important: Early bird discount, if you book before the 1st Sept 2010 you will get the above discounted prices, after this date the prices will increase by £50

Set in the famous Three Valleys, the Meribel villages of Meribel and Mottaret are as pretty as they sound. Both villages are ideal for skiers who want variety: over 200 lifts serving 600kms of well-kept pistes, you can ski all week without fear of repetition, this is intermediate heaven! Beginners have plenty of uncrowded nursery slopes at both village level and higher up and experts can tackle the infamous Courchevel couloirs and Chanrossa bumps. Forest runs down the valley are inviting on low visibility days while sunny conditions suit expeditions to Val Thorens, Europe's highest resort. The Three Valleys ski area really does suit all levels of skier.

The Hotel

With its stunning piste-side location, the Chalethotel Tarentaise is ideally located in the heart of the Three Valleys. One great advantage is the ski-in and ski-out facility at this chalethotel – no walking to the lifts in ski boots! In fact, everything at this chalethotel is designed to make life easy for you. 

The bar leads out on to a large sunny terrace - a great place for an après ski drink, watching the day’s remaining skiers glide past. Dinner is served in a bright and airy room with superb views across the piste, it has plenty of atmosphere and is definitely a place to linger and indulge, or why not curl up by the log fire in the lounge. It's simply a lovely, relaxing chalethotel - and ideal for skiers who want to be in the heart of the Three Valleys. All bedrooms are en-suite, thoughtfully furnished with TV's showing English channels. Some twin rooms have a single and a double bed, so the first person to book will get the double bed.

The hotel has its own Viva beauty salon where you can have a massage, facial or manicure, or you can relax in the private whirlpool suite after a hard day’s skiing. 

The Resort - Meribel / Three Valleys

As the Three Valleys middle sister, Meribel is blessed not only with a superb location but with good looks as well. Built almost entirely in chalet style using traditional local stone and wood, it exudes an authentic, albeit lively, village charm that many other resorts lack.

Apres Ski

Chalethotel Tarentaise is located in Mottaret, which has a variety of bars and restaurants. Tuesday night is party night with 70/80's music at the Rastro Bar, and if that gets you in the mood then the Privilege Nightclub is a retro-style French disco. However, nightlife is mainly in the bustling village centre of Meribel, a short bus ride away. Meribel boasts an excellent choice of shops and friendly restaurants and bars, including the popular English-run “Dick’s Tea Bar” and “Le Pub”. Another plus is the large sports centre with indoor ice rink, heated swimming pool, bowling alley and various other facilities. For ease of access to other parts of Meribel there is a regular free bus service, used in conjunction with your ski pass.

Resort Facts

KM of piste – 600km (3 Valleys)             Snow making – 115 Cannons                Lift capacity – 243,359/hr

Longest run – 5km                                 Off piste – Excellent                            Snow parks – 1 (Meribel)

Cross-country – 150km of trails              Number of lifts –198 (3 Valleys)             Mountain restaurants – 43

Ski Hosting

Ski hosting is available on 5 days. There are three hosting groups for you to join, each split according to level of ability and speed.  You can join the group for leisurely, intermediate or advanced skiers for half a day or the whole day, or switch groups whenever you wish. Ski hosting groups meet after breakfast and all groups stop for lunch at the same restaurant, giving you the chance to catch up with friends and fellow Spicers. After lunch you can continue with the group or take time out to do your own thing. 

Mark Warner Ski Hosts are advanced skiers and know the resort intimately, but they are not instructors or accredited mountain guides. If you are a beginner then they can assist you in arranging lessons with the local ski school.

Ski hosting is very popular on Spice trips and demand is high. Please note that as there are a limited number of hosts in resort it may not be possible for every member to be able to make use of this service. 

Food and Drink

A buffet breakfast with a cooked option is served every morning. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate is available throughout the day. Afternoon tea is available on your return from the slopes.  On six nights there is a three course menu with a choice of dishes. On two evenings, including the evening of arrival, there will be a buffet with plenty of choice to suit all tastes. A choice of wine accompanies your meal.  Once a week there is the opportunity to explore the local restaurants for your evening meal. Breakfast and afternoon tea are served as usual on this day.

Additional Information

Prices include flights from Gatwick, return coach transfer to resort, 7 nights accommodation, cooked breakfast, afternoon tea, dinner (6 evenings), ski hosting and a simple programme of evening entertainment. Currency: Euro.  Passports must be valid for three months after return from trip

A Little Extra

This promises to be another action-packed, fun-filled trip, as Spice Yorkshire will be at the same hotel at the same time - almost making the entire hotel a Spice exclusive. That means more people to play with!

Off Piste Option - To my knowledge this is a first for Spice

Would you like  to learn to ski off-piste or take your existing off-piste skiing to a new level then this is the course. Mark Warner have teamed up with Snoworks who redefined the art of teaching off-piste skiing on their Off Piste Ski Courses.

Their approach to off-piste skiing?

The biggest difference with Snoworks is that we do not advocate learning an off-piste technique. Off-piste skiing is an 'Open Sport' not a 'Closed Sport'. The environment is constantly changing, like sailing, surfing or even driving a car. The environment is not the same like weight lifting, javelin throwing or hurdles. When a sport takes place in a closed environment the technique remains similar all the time. When a sport takes place in an open environment your technique has to change constantly. Hence on a Snoworks off-piste course you will develop the 'skills of skiing' and how to apply and vary them for the off-piste. It's so simple it will be like a light bulb going on!

What Level do I need to be to take part?

You can ski ‘reds’ at a good pace whatever the conditions and ‘easy blacks’. Difficult ‘blacks’, bumps or going off-piste, hmm, definitely need some work!

What is included?

• 5 day course

• 3 hours per day , either morning (9.30-12.30pm) or afternoons (1-4pm) depending on weather conditions

• Fully qualified British BASI instructors - all based and living in the 3 Valley area with superb local knowledge

• Full safety equipment provided as part of the course - transceivers, shovels & probes with a back-pack to carry them around

• Full training given before heading off piste - transceiver use and self recovery (to stop severe slide down the mountain!)

• Groups split into levels with possibility to move between groups as necessary

• Groups of no more than 8 for each level

• This course will move around the mountain - not lots of standing around and emphasis on lots of skiing! They provide individual tuition on the move to group members

• Debrief at the end of each day regarding what has been done and what techniques to work on

• A couple of video sessions so individuals can see exactly what they are doing and need to work on for the next day

The Tour Operator is Mark Warner (Atol 1176), for whom we act as an agent and their terms and conditions of booking apply. Your money is protected via our Trust Account, in accordance with EC travel regulations.

How to Book?

1) Please book in the normal way, via the web or phone. Please check the terms and conditions of booking.

Share |

Click Here for our Discount Partners

• Home
• About Spice
• Join Spice
• Events
• Members Area
• Gallery
• Groups
• FAQ
• Contact us
• News and Updates