All inclusive ski holidays, the private chalet way
What all inclusive really covers in a staffed chalet in Courchevel, Verbier, Zermatt or St. Moritz, how that differs from a ski package, and the questions that stop surprises on the final bill.
Most all inclusive ski holidays sold in the UK are packages: a tour operator bundles flights, transfers and a room or a chalet bedroom, with meals on a set board basis and sometimes a lift pass and ski hire. In a staffed luxury chalet the idea works differently. You rent the whole house with its own team, a chef cooks for your party alone, and transfers, ski passes, lessons and childcare are arranged around your dates rather than fixed into a bundle.
That difference matters when you compare offers, because the same two words cover very different stays. In two of our chalets the open bar and dinners five evenings a week are part of the stay. In others the chef and team are included while the food and wine are bought for you and charged at cost. A few houses are let self-catered, with a chef on request. Below you will find each chalet’s inclusions as its own description states them, then a checklist to take into any conversation, with us or with anyone else.
To be clear about who we are: Lutetia Group is a Paris agency, founded in 1989, that rents private chalets and villas with a concierge. We are not a tour operator and we do not sell flights in a bundle. What every stay includes, as listed on each property page, is a daily breakfast, a dedicated concierge before and during your stay, and a personal welcome on arrival. Everything else is set out in a written proposal before you commit. You can browse our luxury chalets in the Alps by resort if you already know where you want to ski.
Package or private rental: what the rules say
Checked against official sources, so you can plan with confidence.
Under the UK Package Travel Regulations 2018, a package is a combination of at least two different types of travel services for the same trip or holiday, for example combined by one trader before a single contract, or sold at an inclusive or total price.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Package Travel Regulations 2018, reg. 2The regulations recognise four types of travel service: carriage of passengers, accommodation, rental of cars and certain other motor vehicles, and any other tourist service that is not intrinsically part of the first three.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Package Travel Regulations 2018, reg. 2Accommodation combined with other tourist services is not a package if those services do not account for a significant proportion of its value and are not advertised as an essential feature of the combination.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Package Travel Regulations 2018, reg. 2(6)ATOL is financial protection when you book a package trip that includes a flight. It is not travel insurance.
Source: atol.org, What does ATOL protection meanZermatt is car-free: private vehicles may only go as far as Täsch, where shuttle trains leave every 20 minutes for a 12-minute ride into the village. E-taxis and a free e-bus serve the village itself.
Source: zermatt.swiss, ArrivalCourchevel is 179 km by road from Geneva airport and 176 km from Lyon-Saint-Exupéry, about two hours from each. From Moûtiers, the nearest railway station, the drive up takes 30 minutes.
Source: courchevel.com, Getting to CourchevelSki package or staffed chalet: what each one includes
The left-hand column describes the general pattern of the all-inclusive offers that appear when you search, not any single operator, so always read the small print of the one you are considering. The right-hand column is how stays in our chalets work.
- A package suits you if you want one price that includes the flight, you are happy to share a hotel or chalet with other guests, and set meal times do not bother you.
- A staffed chalet suits you if you are travelling as one family or group, want the house and the team to yourselves, and would rather choose your own menus, flights and pace.
- Weighing up 5 star skiing holidays in a hotel against a private house? Our comparison of a chalet or a hotel for a luxury ski holiday covers service, space and privacy.
| Typical all-inclusive ski package | Staffed luxury chalet | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you sleep | A hotel room, an apartment or a bedroom in a shared chalet | The whole chalet, for your party only |
| Flights | Usually included, from a UK airport on set days | Not bundled: you book your own, or ask our concierge about a private jet charter |
| Transfers | Shared coach or minibus at fixed times | Included in some chalets, arranged on request in others; a private driver in many |
| Meals | A set board basis: half board, full board, or breakfast, tea and dinner most nights | A private chef for your group; the number of dinners and whether food is in the price vary by chalet |
| Drinks | House wine with dinner in some offers, the rest extra | An open bar in Azelia and Orizon, drinks included in Gus and Avalon, at cost or on request elsewhere |
| Lift pass and ski hire | Sometimes included, often an add-on | Delivered to the door in several chalets, arranged on request in all |
| Lessons and childcare | Usually booked separately | Private instructors and childcare arranged on request |
| Timing | Fixed arrival days and meal times | Check-in arranged according to availability; meal times agreed with the chef |
| Paperwork | Package travel rules apply, with ATOL protection when a flight is included | A tailored proposal and a written rental agreement for the chalet and the services you add |
Neither model is better in itself: they answer different briefs.
Five kinds of all-inclusive chalet
Read enough descriptions of all inclusive luxury ski holidays in private chalets and they fall into five patterns. Any of the first four may be described as all inclusive, so it helps to know which one you are looking at before you compare two quotes. Every type below also includes the daily breakfast, the concierge and the welcome listed on each property page.
- Still deciding whether you want a chef at all? Our guide to catered, part-catered and self-catered chalets compares the catering models in depth; this page stays with what all inclusive actually covers.
| Type | Our examples | The table | Drinks | Transfers and ski passes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fully inclusive | Azelia (St. Moritz), Orizon (Verbier) | Breakfast daily, afternoon tea, dinner with canapés five evenings a week | Open bar with champagne included | Chauffeur 8am to 11pm (Azelia) or a driver round the clock (Orizon); lift passes, hire and airport transfers on request |
| Catered, drinks included | Gus and Avalon (St. Moritz) | Breakfast and afternoon tea daily, chef’s dinners five evenings, early meals for children | House wines, spirits, cocktails and craft beers included | Chauffeur from 8:30am to 11pm; passes, hire and instructors on request |
| Chef and team, food and drink at cost | Zeyr, Anelle (Zermatt); Ambre, Astral, Auron (Verbier); Sally, Valmont, Dace (Courchevel) | Breakfast and a main meal on most or all days, cooked by a private chef | Bought for you and charged at cost or separately | Passes delivered in five of them; station taxi arranged in Zermatt |
| Chef and service, billing confirmed in your proposal | Erise, Oris, Osco, Morelle, Flys (Courchevel) | Half board from a private chef in most, with breakfast; afternoon tea in several | Not stated in the descriptions | Airport transfers and ski pass delivery included at Oris, Osco and Morelle |
| Self-catered or bed and breakfast | Nore, Calista (St. Moritz); B&B option at Avalon, self-catered option at Astral | Daily breakfast as on every stay; a private chef on request | On request | Chauffeur, grocery delivery and ski passes on request |
Drawn from each chalet’s description. A service marked on request exists but is quoted for your dates.
What is included, in each of our chalets
This grid is the one we use ourselves when a client asks what is in the price. Not stated means the description is silent on that point, not that the service is missing: we confirm it with the house and write it into your proposal.
| Chalet | Chef and meals | Drinks | Arrival and getting around | Skis and passes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azelia, St. Moritz | Breakfast and afternoon tea daily, gourmet dinners five evenings, daily massages | Unlimited champagne, premium wines, open bar | Chauffeur 8am to 11pm; airport transfers on request | Lift passes, equipment, instructors on request |
| Gus, St. Moritz | Breakfast and afternoon tea daily, dinners five evenings, early meals for children | House wines, premium gin, cocktails, craft beers, spirits | Chauffeur 8:30am to 11pm | Ski passes, equipment, instructors on request |
| Avalon, St. Moritz | Fully catered (breakfast, tea, dinners five evenings) or bed and breakfast | House wines, spirits, cocktails, gin bar on the catered stay | Chauffeur 8:30am to 11pm; airport transfers on request | Lift passes, equipment, instructors on request |
| Nore, St. Moritz | Self-catered with daily housekeeping; chef on request | Champagne on arrival | Chauffeur and grocery delivery on request | Ski passes, hire, instructors on request |
| Calista, St. Moritz | Daily breakfast; chef on request | On request | Transfers on request | Ski passes and instructors on request |
| Zeyr, Zermatt | Breakfast and afternoon tea included; dinner six evenings, food and drink at cost | At cost | Electric taxi between station and chalet on arrival and departure | Ski pass delivery |
| Anelle, Zermatt | Breakfast, afternoon tea and half board; ingredients charged separately | Not stated | Electric taxi at the station; a driver with an electric vehicle | Passes brought to the chalet; in-chalet ski fitting on request |
| Orizon, Verbier | Breakfast daily, tea six days, dinner five nights with canapés; local taxes covered | Open bar with wines, beers, spirits, champagne | Driver and two minibuses around the clock | Lift passes and hire on request |
| Ambre, Verbier | Breakfast and tea daily, dinner six nights; food and drink charged separately | Charged separately; champagne on arrival | Chauffeur from morning until 10pm | Lift passes and equipment delivered |
| Astral, Verbier | Catered (breakfast, tea, dinner six nights) at cost, or self-catered | At cost | Chauffeur 8am to 1am; helicopter transfers on request | Lift passes delivered |
| Auron, Verbier | Breakfast and tea daily, dinner six nights; food and drink at cost | At cost; champagne on arrival | Chauffeur 8am to 1am; helicopter transfers on request | Skis, boots and lift passes delivered |
| Sally, Courchevel | Breakfast, tea, and lunch or dinner each day; charged separately | Charged separately; champagne on arrival | In-resort chauffeur | Not stated |
| Valmont, Courchevel | Breakfast, tea, and lunch or dinner each day, butler at meals; charged separately | Charged separately; champagne on arrival | Private driver eleven hours a day | Not stated |
| Dace, Courchevel | Breakfast and dinner every day, at cost; afternoon tea on request | At cost | Driver nine hours a day; airport transfers on request | Lift passes and hire on request |
| Erise, Courchevel | Breakfast, afternoon tea and half board | Not stated | Airport transfers on request | Ski pass delivery on request |
| Oris, Courchevel | Private chef, butler and house manager | Not stated | Airport transfers included; driver on request | Ski pass delivery included |
| Osco, Courchevel | Breakfast, afternoon tea and half board; grocery shopping before arrival | Not stated | Airport transfers included | Ski pass delivery included |
| Morelle, Courchevel | Half board, with a butler and a house manager | Not stated | Airport transfers and a shuttle to the resort included | Ski passes delivered |
| Flys, Courchevel | Breakfast and tea daily; chef and maître d’hôtel six days a week | Not stated | Resort driver across the Three Valleys; a compact 4×4 for guests | Ski equipment fitted in the chalet |
Daily housekeeping is stated for most chalets. Childcare, private instructors and in-chalet treatments can be arranged on request in most.
Five phrases worth a second question
Most misunderstandings about luxury ski package holidays and staffed chalets come from a handful of words that sound precise and are not. These are the ones we explain on almost every call.
- At cost. The chef and the team are part of the stay; the groceries, wine and spirits are bought for you and billed at what they cost. The menu stays open, since you are not limited to a house list, but the final figure depends on what your party eats and drinks. Ask how and when that account is settled.
- Five or six nights. In most chalets the chef cooks dinner on five or six evenings a week. On the others you dine out, and our concierge can book the table for you.
- Ski pass delivery. The passes are brought to the chalet so nobody queues at the ticket office on the first morning. Delivery is a service: it does not by itself mean the pass is in the price, so ask whether passes are in your quote or bought for you and added.
- Transfers. An airport transfer and a station transfer are different things. In car-free Zermatt, Zeyr and Anelle arrange the electric taxi from the station, while the road from Geneva to Courchevel takes about two hours. Our guide to Geneva to Courchevel transfers sets out the options.
- Local taxes. Only Orizon’s description states that all local taxes are covered. Elsewhere, ask whether the tourist tax is already in the figure you are given.
Confirming an all-inclusive week, step by step
This is the order we follow with clients, and it works just as well as a checklist if you are comparing several offers.
- Describe the party
Who is coming, the ages of any children, who skis and at what level, and any dietary needs. It decides whether you need a children’s early supper (offered at Gus, Avalon and Orizon), a bunk room or a nanny.
- Get the meal plan in writing
Which meals the chef serves, on how many evenings, and what happens on the others. If lunch at the chalet matters, say so: Sally and Valmont already plan lunch or dinner every day.
- Ask how food and drink are billed
Included, at cost, or charged separately, and what the bar covers. An open bar with champagne, as at Azelia and Orizon, is very different from a selection of house wines.
- Map the journey door to door
Airport or station, who drives, and the driver’s hours during the week, which range from nine hours a day to round the clock depending on the chalet. Helicopter transfers can be arranged from some chalets in Verbier and Zermatt.
- Sort skis, passes and lessons
Whether passes are delivered, whether equipment is fitted in the chalet, and which days you want a private instructor or childcare. Our concierge service books them so everything is waiting on the first morning.
- Read the proposal and the agreement
Your advisor sends a tailored proposal and a written rental agreement. The booking is confirmed on signature and receipt of the deposit, and a security deposit is requested before arrival. Flights and travel insurance stay with you unless you ask us to arrange a private charter.
Chalets with the most built into the stay
From the open bars of Azelia and Orizon to the transfers and pass delivery included at Oris, Osco and Morelle.
The chalets side by side
Size and highlights at a glance; the inclusions are in the grid above.
| Residence | Guests | Bedrooms | Bathrooms | Living area | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chalet AzeliaSt. Moritz | 14 | 6 | 7 | 1,000 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Hammam, Massage Room, Jacuzzi |
| Chalet OrizonVerbier | 16 | 8 | 9 | 1,000 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Hammam, Sauna, Massage Room |
| Chalet GusSt. Moritz | 20 | 9 | 9 | 930 m² | Indoor Pool, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Sauna, Massage Room |
| Chalet AvalonSt. Moritz | 20 | 7 | 7 | 1,000 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Sauna |
| Chalet ZeyrZermatt | 12 | 6 | 7 | 565 m² | Sauna, Massage Room, Jacuzzi, Gym, Elevator |
| Chalet AnelleZermatt | 12 | 6 | 6 | 692 m² | Nordic Bath, Hammam, Sauna, Massage Room, Jacuzzi |
| Chalet AuronVerbier | 14 | 7 | 8 | 1,150 m² | Indoor Pool, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Sauna, Massage Room |
| Chalet OrisCourchevel | 12 | 6 | 7 | 518 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Sauna |
| Chalet OscoCourchevel | 14 | 8 | 9 | 520 m² | Heated Pool, Nordic Bath, Hammam, Sauna, Gym |
| Chalet MorelleCourchevel | 12 | 7 | 8 | 900 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Sauna |
| Chalet EriseCourchevel | 12 | 6 | 7 | 600 m² | Ski-in / Ski-out, Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Wine Cellar, Sauna |
| Chalet ValmontCourchevel | 14 | 6 | 7 | 717 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Sauna |
Rates are on request and depend on dates and services. Your advisor confirms availability and the final details of every residence.
How we keep all inclusive honest
The phrase is easy to print and easy to misread. This is how we make sure it means the same thing to you and to the house.
Inclusions in writing
Meals, drinks, transfers, passes and taxes are spelt out in your proposal before you sign, with anything charged at cost marked as such.
Houses we have seen
Our team has visited every residence, so we know what the chef’s kitchen, the ski room and the driver’s car actually look like.
One concierge for the extras
Instructors, childcare, restaurant tables, treatments and private jet charters go through the same person who knows your brief.
Beyond the website
Some fully staffed chalets are available without being published online. Tell us the level of service you want and we will include them.
All inclusive ski holidays: your questions
Anything else? Our team in Paris answers personally, usually within the day.
Ask our teamWhat is included in an all inclusive ski holiday?
It depends on who sells it. A package usually combines flights, transfers, accommodation and a board basis, sometimes with a lift pass and ski hire. In our chalets, every stay includes a daily breakfast, a concierge and a welcome on arrival; beyond that, chef’s meals, drinks, transfers and passes vary by house. Azelia and Orizon include an open bar and dinners five evenings, while others charge food and drink at cost.
What is chalet board basis?
Chalet board is the term operators use for the catering in a staffed chalet: typically breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner on most evenings of the week. In a private chalet the same pattern applies, but the chef cooks for your group alone and menus are agreed with you. Check how many dinners are served, and whether food and drink are in the price or billed at cost.
Can you book a catered ski chalet without flights?
Yes. We rent the chalet with its team and services, and you choose how to get there: your own scheduled flight, the train, or a private jet charter that our concierge can arrange on request. Oris, Osco and Morelle in Courchevel include airport transfers, Zeyr and Anelle in Zermatt arrange the electric taxi from the station, and other chalets organise transfers on request.
Are lift passes included in all inclusive ski holidays?
Not always. Some packages include a pass, others sell it as an option. In our chalets, passes are delivered to the door at Zeyr, Anelle, Ambre, Astral, Auron, Oris, Osco and Morelle, and arranged on request elsewhere. Delivery saves the queue but does not by itself mean the pass is in the price, so ask whether it is in your quote.
Are drinks included in a catered chalet?
Only in some. At Azelia and Orizon an open bar with champagne is part of the stay, and Gus and Avalon include house wines, spirits and cocktails on the catered option. In chalets such as Ambre, Auron, Dace and Zeyr, drinks are bought for you and charged at cost. Your proposal states which applies before you book.
Is an all inclusive ski holiday worth it?
It is worth it when the inclusions match how your group really skis and eats. A fixed price suits those who want certainty; at-cost billing suits groups who want to choose their own wines and menus. The best value comes from not paying for what you will not use, which is why we list each chalet’s inclusions before talking dates.
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Tell us what all inclusive means to you
Share your resort, dates and the level of service you have in mind with Nathalie Nguyen or Adam Haddad, and they will come back with chalets whose inclusions match, published or not, set out line by line. Message us on WhatsApp at +33 7 80 98 05 43 or write to contact@lutetia-group.com; we usually reply within the day.