By Pete Taylor
Snow Forecastor & Owner
snowatch.com.au

A comprehensive review of the new Club Med Grand Massif Samoen’s Morillon resort in France

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to be invited by Club Med to review their brand new snow resort in the French Alps at Grand Massif Samoens Morillon. I’d never been to a Club Med snow resort before, but had been to three of their summer resorts (Malaysia, Bali and Mauritius) and was a big fan of the all inclusive holiday. It was on my bucket list due to the great time I had with the family during our Club Med stays over the last few years (see article on our previous Club Med trips). Knowing that Club Med resorts cater so well for families I simply had to take the family along to be able to review all angles.

It took my wife Adele all of a second or two to agree to come, the two boys Zane 13 and Kalan 9 (nearly 10) were not so enthusiastic as I had told them if we head to France then we most likely wouldn’t be going to interschools in Thredbo this year. I was gobsmacked when they whinged and complained saying they would prefer a week in Thredbo racing rather than a week in the French Alps with another week in Paris tacked onto the end of the trip.

Once they saw the photos of the resort, including the indoor and outdoor pools and spa they changed their minds and totally bought in (although I’m still kept getting the “we want to go to Interschools” line). They also remembered that all Club Med’s are ‘all inclusive’ so pretty much everything is included, including accommodation, food and snacks, drinks including beer, wine, cocktails and most spirits. Being a snow resort lift tickets and lessons are also included as well as kids clubs, pools, spa and sauna’s.

We booked in for the last week of the season Club Med Grand Massif Samoens Morillon. Now usually at this time of year the snow would be a little dodgy but France and most of The Alps were having an exceptional season and there was a full deep cover of snow right up til seasons end.

We flew from Sydney to Geneva via Abhu Dhabi on Emirates. It’s a 15 hour flight to Abu Dhabi and then another 7 on to Geneva, which is not easy especially as the kids like to lay all over you to get some sleep, which means you don’t get any. The plane was good with what looked like new tv screens which was very welcome considering I wasn’t going to get much if any sleep and movies would be keeping me occupied for the next day.

Flying into Geneva was spectacular, the views were simply amazing. Imagine a flat city on the edge of a lake surrounded by steep, snow covered mountains, not that I got to see much as dad never gets the window seat. The airport itself was quite small, it kinda reminded me of a regional airport not much bigger than the Gold Coast. Once we cleared customs and gathered our bags we walked out to see our Club Med driver waiting to take us up to the resort which was just over an hour away (can take up to an hour and a half if there is snow on the roads heading up). Club Med can organise transfers to and from either the airport or train station where many Europeans access the very fast train.

We were very excited as none of us had been to Europe before, it was eyes wide open for the drive up. It seemed like only 10 minutes, if that, when we crossed the border from Switzerland into France. We then drove up very green valley with mountains on either side and small villages that looked hundreds of years old, it was just what we had hoped to see. Being late in the season and a warm sunny day we didn’t have to worry about snow on the roads so the drive easy.

The resort sits at around 1600m, if you aren’t staying on mountain you can easily get the gondola up from Samonens Village below. When we arrived at the resort we were greeted at the mini bus by smiling staff as we disembarked. All the Club Med’s we had been to had started on a positive note with warm greetings and this was no different. We were asked to walk straight in and grab a refreshment as we were briefed on everything to do with the resort. Our bags were taken to our room whilst our skis and boots were taken to our lockers, ready for tomorrow.

Our first impressions were that the resort obviously had a very new, fresh look and feel. It was modern, clean and aesthetically pleasing. I’d read some reviews prior to our trip and a few had complained that it didn’t have the wooden log cabin feel, but this isn’t that type of place, it’s more high end snow chic.

We headed to our rooms to check them out. We were in the club rooms which are the basic/club level and they were both more than adequate with balcony’s with a fantastic view or the mountains and pool area. There was plenty of storage space in each room, which meant we didn’t have any clutter around. The kids pretty much dived straight onto the wifi and their ipads as they must have had withdrawals after the long trip. The resort has free wifi but it’s fairly slow so we took up the paid extra boost for the week which was around A$50 and well worth it.

It was just about time for lunch so we headed up to the restaurant to try the buffet which Club Med’s are famous for. Upon entry to lunch we couldn’t but notice the breathtaking views on both sides out to the Alps. Apart from the views all I could notice was the what seemed an endless line of breads, pastries and cheeses…Wow! Walk past that and you had the hot food, cold foods, western , French, middle eastern and Asian styles. Further up and around the corner were desserts, and ice cream bar. There are also self serve outlets for soft drinks, juices, coffee, hot chocolate and beer. You can also order wine if you feel like a tipple….and yes all is included.

After filling up we headed back to our room to relax. Although tired from pretty much no sleep on the trip over we stayed awake to try to acclimatise to the new timezone. The boys wanted to check out the pool so we headed off for a swim. The kids had a ball changing from the indoor pool to the outdoor spa and back again. Some reviews I had read said the pool was cold but it was not at all, the indoor pool was 26C and the outdoor spa 32C. The outdoor pool was still closed as there was around half to a metre of snow around it and it was still fairly cool outside. We were lucky that later in the week due to the very warm weather the outdoor pool area was cleared and the pool was the place to be in the afternoon Spring sunshine as fresh fruit and snacks were brought out to the poolside guests.

After the pool we headed back to our rooms to freshen up. Our arrival day was on a Sunday and on Sunday afternoons you need to book your ski lessons in for the week. We were a little apprehensive as what level class we should put ourselves in as we were from Australia and these mountains looked so much bigger and steeper, so we assumed everyone was going to be of a high standard. Myself, Adele and Zane were advanced skiers back home and Kalan was upper intermediate. Kalan being under 11 (nearly 10) was booked in with the kids club, and was in the second highest level. We decided to try the second highest adult level, we thought if it was too hard we would just drop down the next day.

After some pre dinner drinks at the bar, we headed upstairs for an early dinner. The kids wanted to sit in the gondolas for something different. We decided to give the nightly show a miss and have an early night due to our jetlag, we wanted to be fresh for skiing in the morning.

We woke up keen to get going and filled up on breakfast. One thing about Club Med is it’s hard to choose what to eat as there is such a wide variety. I preferred to start with orange juice, bacon, eggs, sausages, hash browns followed by pastries, breads and coffee. Adele liked the fresh fruits and yogurt whilst the boys thought the pancakes were real winner.

OK so finally it was time to get ready to hit the slopes. We headed up to the locker room where our skis, boots and poles were waiting for us after we had booked them in for a wax and edge tune overnight. The locker room was huge, clean and you wouldn’t believe had a table with fresh pastries, a coffee machine that also did hot chocolate and chilled water on tap. A quick swipe of the wrist band unlocked our two lockers. We kitted up and walked no more than 15m and we were on the snow.

Directly out the door are the ski lesson meeting areas where you meet your instructors. Our instructor was a local Frenchman called Alain who was very polite and apparently he spoke the best English out of the instructors. Our group was a mixture of nationalities, mainly French but also South African, Russian and American. Alain told us we would be taking it easy the first day and he would show us around. It turns out it wasn’t so much as a lesson but a guided tour with some tips thrown in, which was great. After taking our first lift we were told we would take long easy run which was 6km down to Morillon village which sits around 700m. The Grand Massif area is made up of five resorts, Samoens (where Club Med is situated), Morillon, Sixt, Lescarroz and Flaine. From the top there are extensive views of Mt Blanc, the highest peak in Europe, I could just sit there and watch it all day, it was amazing.

The snow was great, nice and firm early and the views very impressive from whatever direction you looked. The runs were long, wide and uncrowded, not like anything back home in Australia. We all headed back for lunch. It was starting to warm up and the snow becoming very soft, it was quite heavy going in the afternoon and only a few decided to go back out with Alain.

The next day we tried some slightly harder runs but it seemed a bit easy and we hoped for something a bit steeper. The level of skier we were with was ok but they were quite ok staying on the intermediate runs. We did a black run on Wednesday and found it quite easy, most of the the group struggled a fair bit (maybe over stating their ability/level) so Alain said they would stick to easier runs from then on.

We asked Alain at lunch that day if we could move up a class the next day, he said we could handle it and arranged for us to join the live wire Michel who was a real character. The new class were bit younger and more energetic than the previous and were a massive step up in level. We were pushed from the start and to be honest I had trouble keeping up, but it was great a huge challenge and much more enjoyable. We went all over, mainly in the Flaine area which was by far the biggest of the five resorts. By lunch we were worn out, it was a hot spring week and seemed to be getting warmer by the day. Temps by mid afternoon were in the high teens and high 20’s down in Samoens village. Michel was great with Zane, getting him to ski right behind him. He gave him many tips and Zane’s skiing technique,speed and confidence improved out of site, I was struggling to keep up with him. On Friday afternoon Michel handed us all a skiing passport that had stamped in it that we had completed Class 3 level and were now level 4 which is the highest level that France has.

At Club Med the ski school with instructor runs from Monday to Friday, so after that you ski on your own, which was fine for us as Kalan was keen to show us his improvement. He had been telling us about all the runs he had done and that they got to do race training. After the first day he was moved up to the highest level class. Apparently his race times on the last day were enough to score an invite to trial with the Grand Massif junior race squad, not that there was any point as we were leaving on Sunday, but he was more than stoked to be asked. He started the week a bit shy and apprehensive with all the other kids being French and not really speaking to him, but it soon changed and he found out most spoke some English. Instead of hanging with us after lunch he preferred to head back out with the other kids for more skiing.

Myself and Adele decided to take the gondola one afternoon down to Samoens Village which sits at an elevation of 700m. We had heard so much about it we just had to check it out. The gondola is not far from the Club Med door, a short stroll across the snow next to the ski school meeting area. The view down on the gondola was amazing, lush greenery and high snow capped peaks, very much like what you see on the coverage of the Tour de France. We were lucky to have such great weather, temps were well above average. It was shorts and t-shirt weather, although none of us brought shorts with us. The village was a very warm 26C whilst the resort was sitting around 17C (but felt much warmer in the sun) by about 3pm.

A great option for lunch or dinner is the Skyline Restaurant which is a lot more upmarket. Run by 2 Michelin Stars French chef Edouard Loubet. You need to book a day ahead for at reception for dinner as it’s very popular. In peak time you are only allowed one booking for the week. The resort was only 60% full (can fit 1,000 guests) so we had a couple of meals and lunches at Skyline. The decor is very elegant and stylish, the entrance has a lounge area and piano bar where you can sit before or after your meal, or just sit and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere at any time after lunch.

The service was brilliant and the very knowledgeable staff made us feel more than welcome. The food as expected was first class. I thought being in France I’d try to the local delicacy of escargot (snails). I’m glad I tried it but wouldn’t have it again, I couldn’t get the vision of our own garden snails out of my head. If you have kids that are a little fussy then there may not be a lot on the menu to choose from, but they can always head down to the buffet to fill up. The rooftop area just outside off 360 degree panoramic views of the alps and the sunset we witnessed was truly amazing.

Both Zane and Kalan have always made friends at the Club Med’s we have been to. With it being school holidays in France most of the kids were French so there was a bit of a language barrier issue but they seemed to get around that. The older kids (11-17 year olds) also have their own play area with games and the Playstation is always a winner. Add to this the pool area and the nightly shows the kids put on and they are kept pretty busy.

I’m not sure how many drinks the kids consumed during the week, but they definitely kept the bar staff busy with making smoothies, ice coffees and soft drinks, as well as giving the hot chocolate machine a workout.

The pool area, besides having a spa outside also has a wet and a dry sauna, which I can thoroughly recommend. From what I’m told the dry spa may be good for your cardiovascular health, whilst the wet spa relaxes your muscles while giving your skin a healthy glow. I’m not too sure if it did anything for me but it felt good anyway. There is also a gym where you can either workout yourself or join in classes (all included ofcourse).

For those seeking a bit more relaxing time there is the Club Med Spa by CARITA at the resort where you can enjoy a massage, facial or beauty treatment. Adele spent a couple of hours there and wasn’t disappointed. This is pretty much the only thing that you need to pay extra for.

Each night at Club Med (and that goes for resorts all over the world) they have shows performed and run by the staff/GO’s. They are highly entertaining and of a good standard, well worth watching. After the shows which are usually around 9-10pm they also run a nightclub disco type thing around the main bar area for the late nighters. The Kids Clubs also do shows on stage which are great for the families, the smiles on the kids faces are priceless.

Our last night just happened to be the last night of the season and the staff were keen to go out with a bang and made sure everyone had a great time. The last show and dance party were quite memorable. I’m sure all the staff were looking forward to a well-earned rest, and possibly a late start in the morning.

Our time at Club Med Grand Massif Samoen’s Morillon had come to an end, and although we were a little sad to leave we now had some great memories of not only the French Alps but of our first Club Med winter resort. It was much more than I had expected. I do love the summer resorts and beach atmosphere, but I also love the snow, as does my Snowatch family. We now have our sites firmly on Japan and the new Club Med resort at Tomamu. It’s a little closer to Australia and the powder world renowned. The kids also have their eyes on the indoor wave pool for after skiing fun.

Thanks to Club Med for inviting us to check out this new jewel of the Club Med family. I’d certainly recommend Grand Massif to anyone and remember it’s all inclusive. Just arrive and then lock your wallet/purse in the room safe and enjoy all that’s available.

Australia’s Premier Snow Forecasting website – snowatch.com.au

#ClubMedInsider  #ClubMedGrandMassif

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By Pete Taylor
Snow Forecastor & Owner
snowatch.com.au

The simple reason why is because of the truly amazing experiences I have recently had at Club Med Sun resorts.

I’ve been lucky enough to have spent time with my family at three Club Med Sun/Summer resorts over the last three years. Having been a snow forecastor for Snowatch.com.au in Australia for around 20 years most of my holidays during that time have been to snow destinations. It was at a Christmas family get together that I heard my sister and her family raving about their positive experience that they had at the Club Med Cherating Beach Resort in Malaysia about 4 years ago. This is when my wife Adele and I started to think about taking our two young boys (Zane, then 10 and Kalan, nearly 7) on our first trip overseas as a family. Malaysia had never even been on our radar for a holiday, but after a bit of research and the positive vibes from my sisters family we decided to jump in and book 7 nights in the April school holidays.

We flew from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur and then a short flight south, where we were picked up by the Club Med bus and after a 45 minute drive we were at Cherating Beach. We were so excited to be on our first big trip as a family. After being let through the security checkpoint into the secure Club Med resort area we noticed that there were resort staff lining the driveway, smiling and waving  at us on the bus as greeting music played in the background. We soon found out that this is the greeting all guests receive, not a bad start. We were then greeted by the Resort Chief and our GO (Gracious Organiser), were served a local iced tea and given cool wash towels to freshen up and cool down as we got the run down of what happens during our stay.

We had traveled all day so it was time for a late dinner and off to the restaurant. We could not believe our eyes, there was food everywhere from all over the world. At Club Med they cater for a wide range of nationalities so you can choose from Western, Chinese, Japanese, French, Indian, Moroccan etc and it changes daily…and best part is that it’s all inclusive so we had already paid for everything. You can have all the food and drinks you desire at any time of the day (including desserts, cocktails, soft drinks and milkshakes which pleased Adele and the boys). The chefs cook for you on the spot, and the standard of food wouldn’t be out of place in our top restaurants.

Being such a long day and a bit jet lagged we set in for an early night. After a good night sleep and the timezone paying havoc with our body clocks we woke early to see the most spectacular sunrise over the beach, which was just outside out rooms. We quickly grabbed the cameras and headed out for some photos.

After breakfast which was once again a wall to wall smorgasbord, we took the kids over to the kids club area, signed them in and said goodbye for the day. The boys were a bit apprehensive/nervous to meet new kids but thought they would give it a go as they had been told of all the activities they would be doing. Myself and Adele decided we would head for the Zen pool that we had heard so much about. It’s about a 10 minute walk through the rainforest or a short trip on the resort train. The Zen pool area (quiet zone) is surrounded by two of Club Med’s three beaches and is for over 18s, and is a quiet zone for relaxing. There is also an ala carte restaurant, just outside if you like to hang around for lunch. We had a supply of magazines we picked up at our local newsagent before leaving home (mine surfing and Adele’s more girly type ones). It’s was just magic, the outlook, the service (yes they have a bar there and bring you drinks (non alcoholic) all day).

We headed back to the resort for lunch after a few hours of reading, relaxing, paddling in the pool and just admiring the scenery. Once again the food was spectacular. After filling up we took a walk around the resort, then resided by the poolside main bar area for a couple of drinks, mine non alcoholic as I was informed at kids club sign in earlier that the ‘Family Olympics’ were on the lawn at 3pm. The kids showed up right on 3pm and the parents were encouraged to join in the fun and games. My youngest Kalan was on one of the other teams and he loved that he got to compete against his dad in various activities. Once the games had finished we signed the kids out and were told that the kids will be in a show after dinner at 7:30pm in the auditorium.

We went back to our room to freshen up and the kids were beaming. They told us of all the amazing things they had done on their first day. Archery, sailing, kayaking, watersports and trapeze. Kalan told us how he swung through the air from a great height on the trapeze. We thought he must have just played on a swing of some sorts not far off the ground. Little did we know that it was indeed very high (and very safe) and he did in fact swing, and fly through the air.

Zane told us of his fantastic day and that he had met another Zane from Australia who was the same age, they would become great inseperable buddies during our time at Cherating.

After dinner we headed to the auditorium to see the boys (who are not born performers) do their show. Kalan came out with the smaller kids who all performed including jumping from a mini tramp into the arms of one of the staff trapeze coaches and then swung through the air landing on the soft mats. Myself and Adele looked and each other in disbelief thinking he must have been telling the truth about the trapeze. Once the kids performances have ended the main show starts. Every night the staff perform on stage a mix a musical mix of singing, dancing and acrobatics. It’s highly entertaining and it was standing room only each night. Once the show has finished the party begins, whether it be a dance party on the beach or a fireworks display. Of course if you want a quiet night you can easily retire back to your room.

The next six days were more of the same, relaxing, swimming, long walks, eating and drinking in the most picturesque settings, sailing, archery, kayaking, tennis, darts  and table tennis. Adele also joined yoga on the beach and had timed for a massage at the day spa (which was the only thing not included). The kids loved seeing the monkeys come down from the trees and rooftops every afternoon.

Zane found out there was a daily soccer match that anyone could enter and adults and kids from all corners of the globe would join together at 5pm for an hour of semi competitive fun. So it was out of kids club by 4pm, swim in the pool for an hour then off to soccer. Club Med has their own soccer/football field just a short walk from the main resort area. I even joined in for a game later in the week, and I’m not much of a soccer person so volunteered as goal keeper.

We also me the other Zane’s parents Dean and Melissa who were having as much fun as we were. We were enjoying ourselves so much that we didn’t leave the resort area once, it had all we needed and more.

Once we got back to Australia all we could do was think about doing it all again at another Club Med resort, so we started planning out next trip. Our reason for choosing another Club Med resort wasn’t so much for the exotic picturesque scenery and warm weather (although that helped), it was because of the positive experience we had whilst there with the Club Med staff. The GO’s (Gracious Organiser’s) were the most friendly, respectful people I’ve ever met and they come from all corners of the globe. The staff always go the extra mile. Everyone from the cleaners, gardeners, drivers to the Chief of the Village (General Manager) all treat you as though you have been friends for years. You are made welcome even before you set foot off the bus on arrival, no matter what country you are from. For service staff that work so hard and long hours it’s hard to believe how they can smile and be so helpful and happy towards the guests all day and night long. This must be a reflection on how they live and work as a team.

We decided to reduce our travel time for the next trip and try Bali. Many think of Bali as a place for drunken Aussie bogans but the resort area of Nusa Dua is a gated area of luxurious resorts, of which Club Med is one.The formula was pretty much the same, the staff were once again so welcoming. There was also a bit of a bonus for myself as Club Med Bali has it’s own 7 hole par 3 golf course and a surf break out the front of the resort. This time Adele was brave and gave the trapeze a go (quite a few times). I’m terrible with heights so took the photos from below, it’s pretty high up. The Bali experience was just as good as Cherating, the staff were fantastic once again, the Chief (GM) even brought around fresh fruit platters to those around the pool each day, interacting with each and everyone.

There are many outside activities and tours you can take in Bali that the staff can organise for you or you can just stay and use the many facilities that they have. The Zen pool area was brand new, much larger than at Cherating Beach, and the best part was it was about a minute walk from our room across the manicured lawn that was so soft under foot it felt like velvet.

We were now well and truly hooked on the Club Med holiday lifestyle and we started to look a little further afar for our trip the following year (May 2017). Since our first trip two families who live in our street have also had holidays  at Club Med Bali after hearing our positive feedback and they weren’t disappointed.

Club Med La Plantation D’Albion in Mauritius was our next choice. We did look into the Maldives but it didn’t seem to have as many things to do for the kids. Mauritius most famous for the now extinct Do Do bird and the steep volcanic mountain backdrops that rise up along the coastline, framed by luminous turquoise ocean waters across shallow reefs that surround the island.

This time Adele’s parents came along, they too were keen to sample what we had spoken so highly about. We had an amazing week made even more comfortable once again by the staff and our gracious host Renate from South Africa who was head of Guest relations for the English speaking guests.

The weather was once again beautiful, a bit cooler than both Bali and Malaysia but still in the high 20s.  The beach and water was so clean. We pretty much tried everything, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, sailing and  snorkeling on the reef off the resort which was a highlight. The boys kept me active playing tennis (they have many courts), and golfing on the large putting green, chipping green and driving range. Myself and father in law Phil even won one of the daily archery tournaments taking down the Americans, South Africans and Chinese. It was all in good fun.

Of the nightly shows I think the standout was the Michael Jackson show, I think the star was even better at dancing like Michael than the late king of pop himself. We also really enjoyed the ‘White Night’ (each night has a theme that guests are encouraged but not expected to join in). The main pool area was decked out like a five star restaurant for all guests and we ate and drank like royalty as acrobats performed over the pool.

With such positive experiences at the three Club Med summer resorts we visited we are now looking at trying one the 32 Club Med snow destinations. We are leaning towards the brand new Club Med Tomamu in Hokkaido, Japan which opens in December. From what we have been told the formula is the same, the emphasis is on fun and getting the guests involved. All resorts are fully inclusive so all meals, drinks and activities area all included, there is no need to get the wallet or purse out unless you want extras like tours or day spa use.

Of course the main reason for going would be for the excellent dry powder snow that the Hokkaido area is well known for, but also the added extras that Tomamu offers like the ice bar and village and the indoor wave pool. Flying to Tokyo and then taking the bullet train up north would also add to the experience (although you can also fly up as well).

Once we tick off a Club Med snow resort, who knows if we will then continue onto more snow resorts or perhaps head back to the warmth. I’m thinking the new one in Lombok, Indonesia opening in 2019 would be nice, but for now the snow is calling and I can’t wait. And of course I will be sure to tell you all about it.

Pete.

(The above editorial is entirely my own thoughts. I have not benefited in any way from Club Med.)

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