We went skiing for the first time last February. It was so daunting and to be honest it seems like so much hassle I really thought about just staying at home beforehand.
Firstly, where to stay? The choices are endless, again the best thing to do is ask around. The lovely Karen kindly shared her top tip with us, Cavallino Bianco, this was a true top tip. The hotel is set in the Dolomites in Val Gardena. The staff are so kind and welcoming and the rooms are luxurious. There is a mix of nationalities and families and all low key and relaxed. It worked so well for us:
Front of hotel1) The kids club was amazing with full size soft-play and theatre and as we had an age range from 2 to 6 covers all stages well. The children loved it and never wanted to leave. The pool area has water slides and the gym even has children work out area.
2) The food was out of this world, every meal was special and we didn’t feel like we had to leave the hotel. Top tip is to feed the children early drop them back to the kids club and then the adults can eat upstairs. Then one of us would pick the children up and they could play in the lounge while we sipped a cocktail.
3) The ski school is lovely, the instructors spoke great English and were very kind. I cannot believe how much our little ones learned, they can go out all day, but as a neurotic mum I spent the first few days spying on them and as long as they were very well cared for I was happy!
4) We had expert and beginners in our group and the slopes cater for all. I, as a terrified skier, was impressed by the wide piste so I wasn’t spending the entire time on a ski lift and there was space to fall over.
5) The village is very down to earth and you don’t have to dress up but has enough going on if you want to venture out. There are lovely skiwear shops at very reasonable prices.