Résidence Club MMV Le Golf

"Skiing is a dance, and the mountain always leads.”

Résidence Club MMV Le Golf has a prized position in the small and friendly ski resort of Moriond, part of the Three Valleys which is famous for being the largest ski area in the world. These stunning Alpine peaks and their valleys comprise dizzying heights, over 600km of pistes, no less than 169 ski lifts, high-altitude perfect-powder, stunning scenery and well-maintained ski runs for all levels of skill/bravery/stupidity, depending on how you look at it. The hotel blends into its mountain surroundings harmoniously, made entirely of wood and gables. Being south-facing, it soaks up the dazzling winter sun and looks out over the valley, providing guests with wonderful views from their apartment, the restaurants and terraces. It has the advantage of being at the top of the town, but is just a quick walk away from the shops and restaurants of Moriond, where we found plenty of places to buy supplies for those meals en famille, from supermarkets to delicatessens and of course the obligatory fantastic French bakery, linchpin of every town throughout the country.

“Skiing: the art of catching a cold and going broke while rapidly heading nowhere at great personal risk.”

We were staying with my sister and her family. My husband and I would grab an hour or so of quiet time to ourselves in the mornings, enjoying a cup of coffee on the balcony and watching the snowy mountain peaks being tickled by the colours of dawn. We loved the little ritual of going to buy fresh bread and then making breakfast for everyone. We had it at the hotel's buffet a couple of times, on our first morning and our last. It was fresh and plentiful, with lots of choice, including delicious pastries and preserves. It was nice to have a balance between eating out and those informal family meals around the kitchen table, accompanied by good conversation, games and of course, fine French wine.

The boys are super keen skiers and were the ones hurrying the show along. The hotel is purpose-built with skiing in mind, with a ski room and a locked storage area. They were the first to be suited and booted. Located at the foot of the ski trails, it literally is no more than a minute to the network of lifts that will take you as far as you want to go into some of Europe's best pistes. I would join them for a morning and duck out after lunch to enjoy some quality 'me time' with the aid of the sauna, or wave goodbye to them at the door, exaggerating my bruises to excuse my lack of gung-ho. Truth be told, I loved hanging out in our pretty apartment and wanted nothing more than to read a book on our private terrace or linger over lunch in the brasserie. My kind of holiday favours relaxation over adrenaline, and luckily Résidence Club MMV Le Gold offered us the best of both worlds.

“Turn right, turn left, repeat as necessary.”

Another reason I was often happier at home was so I could indulge in a bit of foodie-ism, trying out my French and Savoyard dishes now that I was in the homeland of the recipes and could get my hands on the genuine ingredients. Our kitchenette was well-equipped, and the design of the apartment had a cosy ambience - in part due to the open-plan lay out, in part the ubiquitous wood with its warm tones, as well as the traditional rustic-chic décor. Our bedroom was cosy and carpeted, with wooden panelled walls, a sloping ceiling, a work desk and its own entrance to the terrace.

The whole family had a wonderful week skiing in France, no matter how much skiing was actually done. Résidence Club MMV Le Golf was the perfect place for a relaxed family holiday.