Nowhere is perfect, but Chalet Cannelle comes close. This is a stunning 200-year-old farmhouse with original timbers running wild. It stands on the edge of the tiny hamlet of Suvay in the Abondance Valley, a picture of rural simplicity that gives way to lovely contemporary interiors. The vast lounge has a high ceiling, an open fire and comfy sofas scattered about, but the star of the show is the enormous window that frames huge views of Les Dents du Midi. The 6 chic bedrooms come in cool chalet style. Some have private balconies overlooking the valley and all have smart bathrooms.
During the peak ski season (late Dec-April) you have the option to book the whole place, ideal for a house party with family and friends, with owners Andy and Lorraine doing all the hard work. After a lovely breakfast, you’re whisked off to the lifts at Châtel (1km up the road), then disappear into the mountains of the Portes du Soleil, some of the best skiing in Europe. At the end of the day, you return for afternoon tea, a soak in the hot tub, then discover the big surprise - Andy’s outstanding food. If you're after a romantic trip for two, you can book B&B and venture out in the evenings. Whatever you do, just come: it’s gorgeous, it’s great value, and you couldn’t hope to fall into better hands.
Highs
- The house is so beautiful you may spurn the mountains for a day at home. Andy and Lorraine look after you brilliantly and make your stay very special
- Perfect for couples but also very family-friendly - extra beds and cots, a family room, a playroom, tailored meals
- Andy’s cooking is so much tastier than most of the food you eat in restaurants; whole-chalet rates during the peak ski season include breakfast, afternoon tea, dinner and all your drinks - wine, beer, vin chaud
- The Portes du Soleil - 650km of skiing on one very well-priced pass. There’s plenty to do in summer, too: hiking, mountain biking, zip wires, wild swimming
- You don’t need a car in winter and airport transfers are easily arranged
Lows
- Dinners are only served if the whole house is booked
- Some of the bedrooms aren’t huge and a couple don’t have much of a view
- This isn’t a ‘ski in, ski out’ chalet, but you’re shuttled to and from the lifts every day
- No TVs in the bedrooms, but there’s one in the lounge (that’s never used!) and the kids' den
- Baby cots
- High chairs
Some equipment may need to be requested in advance
Available on request.
Special meals are available for kids - you can discuss dietary requirements in advance. You can store and prep your own lunches/snacks in the kitchen.
- Xbox
- Playroom with toys, games, dressing-up boxes and TV
- Gardens to play in
- Skiing in the Portes du Soleil
- Mountain biking in summer
- The Châtel multi-pass - access to swimming pools, bathing lakes, tennis courts, bobsleigh runs and zip wires
- Boat trips across Lake Geneva (15km away)
- Alpine Chalet
- 6 bedrooms
- Breakfast
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Babysitting
- Creche / Kids Club
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Daily Maid Service
- Towels & Bedlinen
- Concierge Service
- Playroom
- Xbox
Rooms
Chalet Cannelle is an upside-down house, with the main bedrooms below the lounge. All are spotless with an uncluttered contemporary chalet style (low ceilings, lots of smart wood). Comfy super-kingsize or twin beds are dressed in white linen, and stylish bathrooms come with Cowshed products.
The Deluxe Rooms (Capra, Feather, Bumble) are the best, each big and beautiful with doors onto a balcony for views of the valley and mountains. They can be made up as doubles or twins. Antler (double only), the other room with a valley view, is a little smaller, but this doesn’t matter - it’s a warm, cosy room with a chic feel. Expect lovely colours, pretty fabrics and a smart bathroom with a power shower over a big bath.
Owl, a double or twin, is the biggest room. It doesn’t have the view, but inside there’s a sofa from which 2 single beds emerge - perfect for young families. It has a bath with a power shower overhead, and you’ll find the odd piece of upcycled rustic wood. Bear is the cosiest room with a cabin ceiling and a vast shower. It too can work as a double (for 1 adult) or twin (for 2 kids), and is good for older children who want a room to themselves.
Features include:
- Central heating
- Cots available
- Hairdryer
- Toiletries
- WiFi
Eating
Andy’s fresh, local food is a lovely surprise - you don’t expect to find such accomplished cooking on a holiday like this. He’ll mix and match more creative stuff with delicious comfort food - roast chicken, a vegetarian Thai, seafood curry - all just as tasty as his formal dishes.
Breakfast sets you up for the day. You get fresh bread, croissants and pains au chocolat, then homemade yoghurts, jams and muesli or local ham and cheese. There’s fresh juice and always something hot - home-cured smoked bacon and eggs from the chickens in the garden. For lunch you’ll probably eat at a mountain restaurant, or you can pack your own (you'll need to get your own supplies, but they can be stored and prepared in the kitchen).
As for dinner, the 4-course menu is preceded by aperitifs and accompanied by lovely wines. There’s no choice but dietary requirements are discussed in advance. We were served porcini mushroom and Gorgonzola arancini (fabulous), a pumpkin ravioli (light as a feather), a plate of Taleggio cheese (irresistible), then a Sicilian lemon and vanilla pannacotta (the best comes last). Fish and meat are served regularly, and accompanied by seasonal produce, much of it from their kitchen garden.
If you take the whole chalet during the peak ski season, dinner is included for 5 of the 7 nights, along with afternoon tea and drinks. You eat at a big table under a beamed ceiling, or out on the terrace with the mountains looming above.
It's worth noting that dinner is only offered when the whole chalet is booked, but you can book B&B and eat out. When deciding where to go, Andy and Lorraine are happy to make suggestions, book tables and order taxis.
Features include:
- Breakfast
- Communal dining
- Kids' meals
- Vegetarian options
- Picnic lunches
Activities
- The Portes du Soleil area straddles France and Switzerland, offering 650km of fantastic skiing, connecting Châtel with Avoriaz, Morzine, Les Gets, Champeréy and Morgins. The 6-day passes are well-priced and cover all runs and lifts. Andy and Lorraine can arrange ski hire and advise on local ski schools
- If you need a little pampering, head to Lavey-Les-Bains for a blissful dip in the natural thermal pool, with the warmest water in Switzerland
- Walking and hiking are the big draws in summer, with lifts running to the top of mountains to make your life easier. Hundreds of km of signposted tracks wait, with low-level walking through valleys and serious hiking in the mountains
- Mountain biking and road cycling are hugely popular, too. Mountain biking is more adrenaline-inducing - you can strap your bike to the side of a cable car, then roll (or speed) down the mountain. For a calmer experience, opt for an e-bike!
- In summer, the fantastic Châtel multi-pass gives access to 24 lifts, local swimming pools, bathing lakes and tennis courts, plus discounts for bobsleigh runs and the Fantasticable, a zip wire 240m above the valley, which travels at 120kph
- Some excellent day trips are on your doorstep: Thonon-Les-Bains for lovely old buildings and beaches on Lake Geneva; Evian, where ferries zip you across to Lausanne in Switzerland, and Montreux (also in Switzerland) for its famous summer jazz festival and Christmas market
- Or visit Annecy to the south for some excellent shopping and its picture-perfect lake
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Boat trips
- Cycling
- Hiking
- Historical sites
- Ice skating
- Mountain biking
- Museums / galleries
- Shopping / markets
- Skiing
- Snowsports
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Well being
Best Time to go
If you book the whole chalet during the ski season, Andy and Lorraine do everything - cook, clean, polish and shine - and you’ll find yourself in a deliciously small house party (you can throw in a few children, too). If this is what you’re looking for, believe us, you’ve found it here.
But this is a house for all seasons and there’s masses to do in spring, summer and autumn, when you take an individual room. The lifts are handy for walking and mountain biking, although they close from late April to June. However, there are plenty of mountains that remain accessible on foot or by car.
But this is a house for all seasons and there’s masses to do in spring, summer and autumn, when you take an individual room. The lifts are handy for walking and mountain biking, although they close from late April to June. However, there are plenty of mountains that remain accessible on foot or by car.
Our Top Tips
Chalet Cannelle is pretty much on the Swiss border and if you are arriving in a French hire car, you can’t drive on Swiss motorways unless you have bought the vignette (annual permit). You must tell your car-hire company if you are going to do this.
Equally, if you hire a Swiss car you must tell them that you are going to drive into France so that they can make sure you have a non-Swiss registered car (in this case the vignette comes included).
For hiring a car during winter, you must hire from the Swiss side as French cars are not equipped for mountain driving.
Equally, if you hire a Swiss car you must tell them that you are going to drive into France so that they can make sure you have a non-Swiss registered car (in this case the vignette comes included).
For hiring a car during winter, you must hire from the Swiss side as French cars are not equipped for mountain driving.
Location
Chalet Cannelle is located in the hamlet of Suvay, 1km north of Châtel in the Abondance Valley, France. It’s 5km west of the Swiss border and 35km south of Lake Geneva (also known as Lac Léman).
By Air:
Geneva is not only the nearest airport (75km), but it has a huge range of international flights - click on the links below for a list of airlines. It has exits on the Swiss and French sides of the border. There’s also a small airport near Annecy (110km away), served by internal flights from Paris.
From the Airport
Transfers can be arranged (see Rates), and you don’t need your own car in winter, when travel to and from the ski lifts is included in the price. If you’re coming in summer, we recommend hiring a car to explore - see below.
By Train:
There’s a station at Thonon-Les-Bains (40 minutes from the chalet), served by local trains from Lyon (where you can connect with the high-speed TGV from Paris). There’s also a station at Aigle in Switzerland (about 40km away), with trains to and from Geneva airport; it's connected to Châtel by bus in winter. Andy and Lorraine can arrange transfers from either station.
By Car:
When the snow has vanished a car makes sense, as there’s lots to do in the wider area. See our car rental recommendations. Note that you’ll need a vignette (annual permit) to drive on Swiss motorways.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.
More on getting to France and getting around
Airports:
- Geneva 75.0 km GVA
- Annecy Haute-Savoie Mont Blanc 110.0 km NCY
Other:
- Beach 40.0 km
- Shops 1.0 km
- Restaurant 2.0 km
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