Châtel Reviews & Ratings

It's the best of both worlds, really. What you have here is a charming, rustic French village with super restaurants and bars and with local skiing punching well above its weight, that's also linked to the massive Portes du Soleil circuit with over 650kms of varied runs. Want to tootle around sunny, friendly local pistes and stop off for coffee and lunch at a wide choice of scenic restaurants? No problem. But why stop there? Take your mixed-ability family and friends on a circuit from France into Switzerland. The easy connecting lifts aren't super busy and each resort you visit is a delight in itself, from Avoriaz next door to charming villages like Morzine and Les Gets. Don't leave Chatel without visiting nearby Chapelle d'Abondance just down the road to ski Cret Beni - the Spring skiing here is turning back is a joy - birds twittering, one restaurant bar, total happiness. A bit further on Saint Jean d’Aulps has the longest descent in the PDS (7kms), is wonderfully old fashioned and serves one of the best steaks I've had in France (apart from Le Renard in Chatel owned by chef Rob Brown of course). Chatel is great for couples and groups with varying ski skills. And wherever you roam in the Portes du Soleil, you'll find your ski tips turning back to Chatel for its looks, charm and snow quality. No wonder people return year after year.

The whole trip was amazing. The ease of access to the whole region is amazing. The skiing along the France Switzerland border is amazing. Visit Avoriaz to ski is an absolute must!

Really enjoyed Chatel, quieter than other resorts both town and piste but really relaxed with easy access to Avoriaz.

Chatel is beautiful. We really enjoyed our ski trip here. There’s a variety of slopes, lots of lovely blues and reds - and also blacks for those more advanced skiiers. The lift system is great. The snow was pretty good for December. Some nice cafes on the slopes for drinks & food. Loved it!

Châtel is a fab family friendly village which links up to loads of places in the Portes du Soleil - we were with a beginner so were able to ski in Avoriaz and Switzerland in the mornings and practice with him in the afternoons in chatel which was the perfect balance

The best week ever in Chatel and Avoriaz , super well groomed pistes and plenty of food / drinks / bar choices…… I’ll be back

Had not been in this area for 30 years. Last visit was to Avoriaz before they were linked. Being old did not partake of much apres but the singing (as out of tune in France as UK) in the early hours indicated it was excellent. Lift system really good and huge area to ski. Pistes were maybe not as ‘groomed’ as some due to the amount of snow falling so a nice problem to have. Bakery near apartment good. Would return.

Large ski area. Great choice of slopes. We went in March and the snow wasn’t great as you head back to the town. When the snow is poor in chatel you can go to Avoriaz though. Only negative was the green runs back to the car park were not useable so the only way back was a red which was overused and slushy. Not overcrowded. Lots of young adults in Avoriaz having a lot of fun! Chatel is calmer and very family friendly.

Great traditional quaint French resort with red and blue slopes perfect for intermediate skiers. Started skiing here when I was at school in 1980's.

Easy access to lifts at various points in the town, with free parking. Access to miles and miles of slopes across the Portes du Soleil area.

The town could do with a larger and cheaper supermarket though.

Came end off Jan 26. Family of 4. Ski conditions were good, runs well looked after. Lots of button lifts, some very long. You can easily access them wider ski areas including avoiraz .
Super markets quite expensive. Food n beer also quite expensive. Nice village and all staff we met were lovely. Been in a few family run restaurants which have been lovely, but expensive.

I enjoyed skiing in Châtel as it was a nice quiet week after the New Year crowds had left, so there was plenty of the space on quite empty pistes.
Although the gondolas are fine and the chairs are ok, there are still too many button lifts. It’s about time some of the longer buttons were replaced with chair lifts, especially the over 1 km long Chalet Neuf!
The skiing was good considering the recent lack of snowfall - the resort had done a good job of retaining and maintaining what snow there was.

This was the second time visiting Chatel and I find it great for if you want to go far and discover Avoriaz and Morzine, but also just skiing around and near Chatel provides some great runs.
Nice big areas for beginners and family, nothing too busy and too steep.
Lots of restaurants with lovely French Cuisine to choose from with very high quality food without obscene prices.
I'd definitely ski Chatel with my family when I get the chance.

It’s been 14 years since I last skied in Châtel- the resort has really developed for the better, lots more to do, much nicer restaurants etc, every meal we had was fantastic. We had some issues as a family with very young children with us - our chalet was slightly out of town so navigating skis etc & buggy’s was at times a lot. More lockers at the bottom of the Super Châtel lift would have been really helpful.

We have skied from Chatel many times for Chatel read the whole of Portes du Soleil, vast area with well groomed slopes for all standards. Currently in a low snow season so no powder for 2 weeks but still loads of piste to go at.
Will be back year after year.

Great family friendly area and safe for kids. Public lift to 2 bars for those that don’t ski but want to meet friends in the bar at lunch or apres

Great restaurants on the mountain. Family friendly, cruisey runs. Connected to much bigger Portes du Soleil but cheaper and quieter than the other resorts

A fantastic resort
Ski in ski out
Connects to masses of other ski resorts including avoriaz
Extremely pretty and accessible
Lovely chalets and restaurants
Skied there nearly 20 years

Chatel is a great resort with many ski runs in the port du soleil region. Whilst it can be busy lifts are very efficient and there is not a lot of waiting around. Accommodation is great with many chalet and hotel options and there are ski runs for everyone. The town itself is amazing with a mix of modern and traditional buildings. There are great places to eat on both the slope and the town. A great place with great slopes for skiers and snowboarders!

Chatel is a lively and charming family-friendly resort. It has direct connections to the slopes with the gondola located near the top of the resort, connecting the resort to Super Chatel where there are a few blues and reds. From there, you can take two chairlifts to reach Linga and two more to reach Plaine Dranse and be able to access the rest of the Portes Du Soleil domain. Also, the buses to either Vonnes, Linga or Pre La Joux are all free which is an added bonus if you’d rather skip some chairlifts. Within the resort, at Christmas time (when I went) there were lots of activities going on, such as an ice rink and a merry-go-round, as well as Christmas-themed events held for kids, so it is very family-friendly. There are a few good bars too but I would say it’s much more directed towards families than après-ski, unlike other resorts such as Avoriaz or Chamonix.