REVIEW: Ride and Slide Chalets - Morzine

If Blur's 'Boys and Girls' had been written about us mountain bikers then it would have been ‘following the herds down to Morzine'. Every summer many make the pilgrimage through Gatwick or Luton, past the hen parties in anne summers gear headed for Malaga to Geneva and then on to Morzine for days of gravity filled fun. Accommodation options have grown over the years but some of us have got a bit older and are now looking for a bit more comfort and pampering than a tiny room and a trip to the supermarket every night. If somewhere more upmarket but at a reasonable price is what you are looking for then Ride and Slide should be top of your list. Set up by two Brits (John and Lisa) they offer 4* chalets at what can only be described as an amazing price. We stayed in their chalet (about ten minutes walk from the Pleny lift) set up on the hill, with pleasant views from the hot tub which was ideal for soothing aching muscles at the end of the day with a beer. The chalet is also decked out with sauna, sky tv, Nintendo and a range of other luxuries which mean that getting home from a day on the hill doesn’t have to mean third world living. Rooms are clean and en-suite, there is secure bike storage, transports are smooth and staff are pleasant. So far so good, but having been the victims of some of the package deals in Morzine, the food has always been something that disappointed. We stayed half board and were overall hugely impressed in terms of the quantity and quality of the food. Breakfasts were enormous and included cooked options on top of cereal and bread and cheese and evening meals were of a high quality and very fresh and healthy as well as being accompanied by a hefty serving of wine. Even the most fussy eaters are accommodated and often you are offered choices for meals. All in all, a great option for a little more luxury. John the owner is a mountain biker and is full of advice (which bike shops are best etc) and his wife Lisa understands client care to a tee. Somehow they, in partnership with their staff create a home from home atmosphere without being too intrusive to your holiday. When you consider the standard of the accommodation and the price, this is potentially a nailed on option for combining a week with the kids and the wife with a week on your own on the hills with the mates. Packages are largely pretty tailor made to peoples needs but start from a weeks Bed and Breakfast for £250 which you will struggle to beat for this high quality (and even out competes much lower end options). Details can be found at www.rideslide.co.uk or by contacting John on [email protected]