Grandes Rousses Hotel & Spa

Location was fantastic, staff were super friendly.

Le hall d’entrée est bien décoré.

I had a wonderful stay at this beautiful hotel. The property is stunning, the rooms are very luxurious and comfortable, the location is excellent, and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful throughout our visit. Everything was really top-quality and I truly enjoyed my stay.

I only have some small suggestions that might make the experience even better.

First, it would be very convenient to have a hook near the shower in the bathroom so that you can hang a towel or bathrobe and easily reach it when stepping out of the shower.

Second, it took me a moment to understand how the bathroom window can be darkened or covered. At first it gives the impression that people outside might be able to see in, as there is no visible curtain or shutter. It might be helpful to mention somewhere, or briefly explain to guests before they enter the room, how this works so they know how to ensure privacy.

Finally, one small point regarding the prices of drinks: on our first evening we ordered a bottle of rosé wine and were charged €90. In our opinion, this is quite a high price for a bottle of rosé, and it might be worth reviewing the pricing.

I was the leader of a group of 5 friends looking forward to staying at The Grande Rousses 5* Hotel in Alpe d’Huez. Sadly we were let down on virtually every level from rooms, to food, to bar, to service and health &safety. Our room (123)was relatively small with two single beds squeezed together a little room on one side to climb in. We were right above the bar where an excellent solo singer/guitarist was playing so an early night was off the cards as the noise drifted up to our room. Another group member had no safe and when requested took 3 days to arrive.
The Esperance Restaurant was a beautiful venue and offered breakfast and an ALaCarte evening menu . Breakfast offerings were pretty limited in comparison with other ski resorts we have stayed in and service was inconsistent in regard to bread/jams on tables , chipped crockery and specialty drinks offered or not offered. Coffee tea flasks were small and often found to be empty. The scrambled eggs on one morning were a strange blue/green colour so were unappealing to say the least. Waiting staff were appearing at both breakfast and dinner with trays of food obviously unsure as to which tables they were for. There was a general sense of mild chaos and panic within the venue so there are apparently training issues to be solved.Being with Crystal Ski we were on a set menu with only two choices per course. Warning signs flashed up on the first few nights as ingredients were being repeated from starter to main and from main to desserts. Our first dinner included a tasty duck breast main, however two days later the identical dish appeared again. It was at this point that I arranged a meeting with the Restaurant Manager who agreed that these issues should not be happening. As a gesture of goodwill we were offered the choice of going A La Carte the next evening and were given a complimentary bottle of wine. This meal was certainly an improvement but there were still issues with certain dishes. We were back on the set menu the next evening and started with an excellent seared tuna dish but unfortunately matters went seriously downhill with the main courses as we were all served chicken which wasn’t cooked through and had to send them back to the kitchen. Another meal experience spoiled and a potential case of food poisoning avoided. On our final night we were back on the A La Carte with another bottle of complimentary wine and thankfully this evening went without a hitch.
The lounge bar was part of the reception/ foyer area and provided a well decorated and relaxing place to hang out for pre dinner drinks. Rarely busy however it was let down by inattentive bar staff who seemed more interested in chatting rather than serving virtually the only guests in the area. On our final night we had delicious cocktails then went to dinner for around two and a half hours only to find our empty glasses still on the table where we had intended taking after dinner coffees.
On a final note on health and safety the resort had experienced heavy snowfall in the week prior to our arrival . As a consequence there were two areas which we considered were dangerous and should have been cordoned off rather than having exposing guests to icy and slippery surfaces. These were the third floor spa and the rear entrance to the ski rental/ storage shop.
Finally the quality of any establishment can be judged by how they deal with legitimate complaints . The Grand Rousses Management judging by their responses to Trip Advisor reviews appear to think that by offering free drinks that all is done and dusted ,no other compensation should be forthcoming and clients will return home happy. Sadly not this reviewer who will follow up our terrible experiences with our Tour Company in the hope of getting satisfaction and appropriate recompense.
In closing I sincerely hope that The GR Team will review their practices put additional training where required and as a consequence truly live up to their 5* status.

Piscine, sauna, petit déjeuner, chambres, emplacement, ski room/location skis

A beautiful hotel perfectly located in the heart of Alpe d’Huez. The service is excellent and the team is always helpful and friendly. The spa is a perfect place to relax with an incredible view of the Alps. The breakfast is varied and very generous. A great place to stay in the mountains.
Rooms are very clean and cosy
Stafs very friendly and attentive to your demands.

This stylish, centrally hotel has been refurbished to a high standard. But while its marketing promises guests a high level of quality and service, it struggles to deliver.
The entrance foyer, lounge and dining room are certainly impressive. However, the rooms we booked were small for a four star hotel. They also had a number of issues, such as a missing safe, an unfathomable minibar system and intermittent TV signal. The large French window onto the balcony provided plenty of light, but was not ideal for ventilation. On a positive note, housekeeping was thorough and there was plenty of hot water.
Downstairs the lounge bar ambience was pleasant, but drinks were very expensive (gin & tonic 20 euros, cocktails 20-25). Wine prices in the dining room were equally high. Live music provided every evening was a nice touch, though the volume was intrusive at times.
Moving on to the outdoor wellness area: this consisted of a small heated pool and a hot tub (out of service), plus a basic sauna. An additional fee is charged to access the 'alpine' spa in the basement, where holistic treatments are available. Parking cost 30 euros a day.
Half-board meals were poor, ranging from the unappetizing, lukewarm or even inedible (uncooked chicken!). There was a general lack of organisation in the dining room, with waits between courses occasionally up to 30 mins. Admittedly our stay was during the very busy French school holidays, but staff must have been prepared for this.
All in all, far too many issues, though to be fair the hotel did their best to respond to our complaints. They admitted current problems in the kitchen, and tried to soothe the situation over with free drinks. We would rather have had real improvement. While the staff were friendly and hard working, poor communication and lack of training made for an unnecessarily stressful work environment.
Despite its high ranking, the hotel had no dedicated ski room with lockers and heated boot racks. Instead boots had to be changed in a very busy and cramped rental shop, with guests and non-residents competing for somewhere to sit.
Booking.com gives the hotel 4 stars, whereas the hotel itself claims 5 stars. From our experience it deserves no more than 3 stars. A shake-up of the management, and especially the kitchen, would hopefully restore its reputation for quality and service.

Emplacement exceptionnel, personnel formidable et SPA très bien

- great location, ski lift right on doorstep
- lunch and dinner food was great
- great lobby and bar area with a good atmosphere

L’emplacement

Ambiance chaleureuse et personnel tres attentionné
Superbe emplacement

Beds in the hotel are ridiculously narrow, probably from a leftover from the kindergarten. You cannot sleep there as every time you turn you are at risk of falling off. Towels in the bathroom are so worn down that you feel like using a sandpaper. Wifi speed is 2-3 mbps what is not enough for any serious work or video stream. Sauna near the pool is a joke, it had max 40 degrees in it.

The staff was incredibly kind and welcoming.
The location was perfect, and the spa services were outstanding. I also really enjoyed the excellent bar, and overall, the service throughout our stay was superb.