The Ski Holiday Blog

Author Archives: Chris Callaghan

Club Med – All Inclusive Ski Holidays have never been so good!

By Chris Callaghan | Published: January 24, 2011
Club Med in Peisey-Vallandry
Club Med in Peisey-Vallandry
  • Return flights and transfers
  • Accommodation
  • All meals (including lunches) with wine, beer and soft drinks
  • Unlimited drinks and snacks
  • Ski and snowboarding lessons
  • Local Ski Pass
  • Mini Club and Juniors’ Club
  • Baby Welcome
  • All leisure activities

As far as business models go for ski companies, you have to go an awfully long way to beat the example set by Club Med, as I found out in Les Arcs last week. I received an invitation to stay for 4 nights in the 4 star Hotel Club Med Peisey Vallandry to see what all the fuss is about, and I have nothing but good things to say!

Read More »

Posted in Chalet Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Morzine – A Brief History

By Chris Callaghan | Published: July 12, 2010
The polar opposite of 1970s tower-block resorts like Tignes and La Plagne, the beautiful, charming ski resort of Morzine began life as far back as 1090. The area was one of only two crossing-points over the river Dranse and as such was of great geographical importance.
 

Around the start of the 12th century, Cistercian monks began arriving in the area of St Jean d’Aulps on pilgrimage from other areas in France, most notably Dijon. The term Cistercian comes from the Latin ‘Cistercium,’ which was the name given to the Dijon village of Cîteaux from whence the monks mostly came. By 1181 they had fully established themselves in St Jean d’Aulps and in the surrounding territories, and Morzine became a “monastic grange” from the abbey of the same name. Read More »

Posted in Resort Histories | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Keswick Beer Festival Weekend 2010

By Chris Callaghan | Published: June 9, 2010
For us at Interactive Resorts, the annual Keswick Beer Festival is as much a part of the job as sending out booking confirmations and updating chalet availability. Last year’s trip set a high water mark for Cumbrian shenanigans which we knew would be hard to beat, but things began well with the decision to take the train instead of a coach. And so it was that at around half nine last Friday morning, a motley crew of pirates-to-be (yes, we had a fancy dress theme!) assembled at Euston station for the 3 hour train ride into the stunning greenery, open water and heather-clad peaks of the Lake District.
Read More »
Posted in Events and Festivals, Interactive Resorts, Misc | Tagged | 7 Comments

Nightlife and skiing in St Anton

By Chris Callaghan | Published: March 23, 2010

Badly cooked sausages, Euro Pop, lederhosen and dodgy dancing. Until early January this year, that was about the extent of my knowledge of Austria. I joined a few friends to hit the outstanding resort of St Anton, and my eyes were opened! Verbier last season was the first time I’d ever ridden outside France and I came back with mixed feelings on the place…St Anton is a different story.

Read More »

Posted in Chalet Reviews, Resort Reviews | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Life at Interactive Resorts

By Chris Callaghan | Published: December 1, 2009

Few office workers spend their working life chatting about one of the things they love the most. Few get to spend their days surrounded by like-minded friends, banter abounding, helping their clients into the holidays they want. But we do, and we do it well! As a proud member of the sales team here at Interactive Resorts over this past year, I’ve seen it all. “Heroes and Villains” at the Christmas party last year saw everybody in fine form, and rarely if ever have so many cross-dressed Wonder women been in the same room at the same time…most of them Company Directors too! Read More »

Posted in Interactive Resorts | 1 Comment

Keswick Beer Festival Trip 2009

By Chris Callaghan | Published: June 12, 2009

For the team here at Interactive Resorts, group trips away are an absolute highlight in the calendar and few are as eagerly anticipated as our annual pilgrimage up to the Lake District for the Keswick Beer Festival.

Read More »

Posted in Events and Festivals, Interactive Resorts | 2 Comments

Skiing in Val d’Isere, apres ski and a little taste of Tignes!

By Chris Callaghan | Published: May 8, 2009

Chalet Cherrier dining roomAfter another busy season in the London office, expectations were high for the end-of-season staff trip to Val d’Isere. The requirements were simple; amazing weather, fresh snowfall, beers a-plenty and laughs all the way, and we were not in the least disappointed on any count.

Read More »

Posted in Interactive Resorts, Resort Reviews | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Spring Powder in Verbier

By Chris Callaghan | Published: April 12, 2009

Our Morzine Chalets specialist, Chris Callaghan waxes lyrical on Verbier ski resort, having just returned from his first taste of boarding outside of France.

Read More »

Posted in Resort Reviews | Tagged , | 1 Comment