Club Med has had a presence in the French ski resort of Tignes for 60 years now, but this recently constructed ski-in, ski-out property sitting just a stone’s throw from the base of the lifts and funicular opened its doors last December.
Its new unrivalled location in the upper village of Val Claret is one of Club Med Tignes’ biggest selling points and ideal for first-time skiers like myself who need easy access to a beginners’ slope and the “magic carpet” (upslope travelator). What’s even more ideal is that group ski and snowboard lessons with English-speaking instructors are included in the price of a stay and run from Monday to Friday, with a maximum group size of 12 people.
During my short stay, there were no other beginner skiers so my friend Simon and I were lucky enough to enjoy a private lesson (usually coming at an extra cost), during which I went from being completely clueless as to how to put on skis to tentatively snaking my way down a piste entirely unassisted. If guests are intermediate or expert skiers, they can explore the slopes alone or with a mountain guide.
But it’s not just ski lessons and mountain guides that are part of the Club Med Tignes all-inclusive package, it’s six-day lift passes too, which are handed over to guests staying for seven days on arrival along with a wristband permitting access to the guest’s room and ski locker.
This is all part of Club Med’s mission to provide a “frictionless” ski experience, so guests who want to hire equipment can even send in their shoe size, weight and height ahead of time so items await them in their lockers. This seamlessness will particularly appeal to families, which is a key target market for the resort.
