With all the spectacular weather we have been having this summer, you really don’t need to travel far to get that holiday feeling. Both the Alps and the Jura are adorned with picturesque villages that literally take your breath away, and most of them will have at least one chalet or hotel to suit your budget!
Once such place which we were lucky to fall upon by chance just a couple of weeks ago is the delightful “La Terrasse de Verchaix”, near the popular mountain resort of Samoëns.
Owned and run since 2006 by an English couple, Philip and Louise Taylor, La Terrasse is located in Verchaix on the sunny slopes of the upper Giffre valley, overlooking the holiday village of Morillon.
Sleeping up to 22 guests in 7 en-suite bedrooms, La Terrasse provides the ideal location for a short summer break – or much longer if you have time to take in all the local activities. These range from walking and cycling, to swimming, rafting, tree-climbing, tennis, horse-riding, and much more. The list is literally endless – there is even a lake in Morillon with its own beach, supervised by lifeguards in the summer, which you can access via a nature trail that starts just a short walk from the chalet.
Service that goes above and beyond….
While most of the businesses we feature on this site and the Know-it-all passport® guidebook are recommended to us by our readers, La Terrasse is recommended to you through our own experience of the chalet. We stumbled across the hotel while venturing out on a walk in Samoëns recently, and were immediately struck by how friendly and accommodating the owners, Philip and Louise, were.
Having stopped for a quick cup of coffee at La Terrasse, we got talking to the owners who could see that we were keen to venture further up the mountain, but were inadequately prepared with just a couple of bottles of water in our rucksack. Although the breakfast service in their café had just finished, they offered to make us some sandwiches and provide additional fruit for our outing which meant that we were able to visit a famous landmark on the mountain above the chalet – the Chapelle de Jacquincourt. And what a beautiful 5-hour round walk that turned out to be!
We returned in such good mood that we decided to stop off for a celebratory beer on our way back and were, once again, treated to great service whist sitting on their large outdoor terrace with amazing views over the Giffre valley. With more time to relax over a drink, we then decided to find out more about the chalet to see what else it has to offer our readers!
Flexible options
Flexibility seems to be one of the main attractions to La Terrasse – you can book catered or self-catering rooms for week-long stays or short breaks. With 7 alpine-styled rooms (split between 4 twins / doubles and 3 family rooms catering for 4 people), all with en-suite facilities, the chalet can accommodate virtually any combination of people on holiday. When we were there, Philip and Louise were just clearing up after a party of cyclists who had taken over the entire chalet.
Below are just some of the standard services you can expect to receive at the chalet – but Philip and Louise aver very welcoming so if you have any special requests, don’t hesitate to ask!
- Generous breakfast buffet and cooked breakfast
- Licensed bar
- South-facing dining room with balcony and stunning views - just let the owners know if you want to dine in the evening and they can prepare something special for you on request.
- Open plan living with sofas and coffee table to enjoy pre- or post-dinner drinks, or just chat and play board games
- Free wireless internet access throughout
- Daily housekeeping service
Additional winter services include:
- 3-course evening meal including wine, prepared by a professional chef on 6 evenings
- Afternoon tea with freshly made cakes and hot drinks
- Spacious 7-seater, outdoor hot-tub, from which to 'drink-in' the magnificent views
- Daytime minibus service (on request) to supplement daytime ski bus schedule to / from slopes (included for fully catered guests)
- Fireplace
Summer activities
Whilst Verchaix is a popular destination for skiers wanting to access the pistes of the Grand Massif, it is perhaps less known by expats for its summer activities. However, given that it is located just an hour’s drive from Geneva, it is the perfect location for either a day trip to the mountains or a mini-break where you can unwind for a few days and really take advantage of the huge range of outdoor activities on offer in this region. A car is recommended if you want to explore outside the immediate area as the chalet is located 1200 metres up the hillside with spectacular views over the valley, and there is no public transport in the summer.
In the summer there are:-
- 450 kms of beautiful marked pathways for walkers.
- 600 kms of challenging marked tracks for mountain bikers (in the Grand Massif) and 135 kms in the Les Gets/Morzine region.
- White-water sports, fishing, horse riding, tennis, crazy golf, tree climbing, archery, rock climbing and many other organized activities.
- Fantastic cycling routes including many of the classic routes used in the Tour de France
Affordable prices
Prices are very reasonable and range from €88 per room per night for a 4-night break, breakfast included, in a twin or double room with en-suite, up to €145 per room per night for a 1 – 3 night break in family room for 2 adults and 2 children, with en-suite but not including breakfast. Click here for the summer price schedule.
Café-Bar La Terrasse
If you don’t have the time to stay overnight but just fancy a day out with a nice lunch or afternoon snack, then the hotel’s café-bar is an ideal place to stop for refreshments in between activities.
The bar is open daily from 14h30 for drinks, snacks and ice creams, but if you want to stop for lunch, then you just need to make a reservation beforehand. Click here to view the full menu, which includes their Friday evening special of Moules Frites for just €15!
La Terrasse de Verchaix
Chef Lieu
74440 Verchaix
+33 4 50 90 12 67
+33 6 13 86 23 80
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.terrasse-de-verchaix.com
