SOWELL RESIDENCES Crêt Voland

Cette résidence est bien située dans la station des ménuires (très chouette station) proche de la croisette.
On accède à la croisette via un ascenseur et nous sommes quasi au pied des pistes.
Notre appartement était dans le bâtiment le cret volant qui est un peu plus difficile d'accès car nous devons emprunter un escalier métallique.
Cependant, l'appartement n'est pas très optimal.
Il y a une très mauvaise isolation, il n'y a pas assez de rangements pour 6 personnes.
L'agencement de l'appartement n'est pas terrible et l'équipement de la cuisine est trop léger (une petite poêle pour 2 dans un appartement pour 6).

Merci à Christine et Jean-Yves pour leur accueil et disponibilité.
Logement conforme aux photos.
Superbe appartement spacieux avec très grand balcon. Wifi dans l’appartement et TV dans la salle à manger et chambre.
Station sympa, avec encore de la neige fin avril. Nombreuses navettes gratuites sur le domaine et jusqu’à Val d’Isère. Merci également à Laëtitia pour ses conseils et réservation.
Je reviendrai avec grand plaisir.

Logement propre et fonctionnel. superbe vue sur les pistes.
l accueil à l arrivée est agréable , camilla est très professionnelle et très à l écoute.nous avons passé une semaine agréable.la situation de l immeuble est optimale, l acces au centre de la station est facile.Nous pensons revenir l'année prochaine

This place is quite interesting, I have two tips:

1. If you are browsing this accommodation as an option then move on.
2. If you have booked, then bring the following:
a. A sense of humour;
b. Cleaning products;
c. Mattress covers;
d. Earplugs; and
e. Low expectations.

The experience in February 2022. This 4 star accommodation is above the resort. There is an unreliable and pokey funicular thing that is used to get from resort level to the accommodation, or a long walk, or maybe even a taxi. I shall be frank and state that this way of accessing the accommodation is at first novel and amusing, but after a few apres trips out hugely frustrating and a single reason to not bother with this place.

However, if you can see beyond this and you do come here then after your long journey and your first experience of the funicular you will have the pleasure of checking in. On my arrival to the reception (which is modelled on a custody suite) I joined the back of a queue. Now being British a queue is not something to shirk away from, especially if there are only 5 other people in front, but 1 hour and 20 minutes later I had the room keys in my hand. A queuing duration only equalled in pleasure / theme parks and on that basis I should have had the most enjoyable stay in this accommodation. I was disappointed that 4 star reception chose not to be available 24 hours a day, as I often felt the need to not be helped by them at any time during the day and night.

I was allocated an apartment on floor 6. An option of stairs or a lift to get from bottom to top is expected for 4 star accommodation, so I should have been excited about a continuation of these high standards. The standards did indeed continue, there was a locking door to the apartment.

It was once I opened the door that the other 4 star elements were in fact discretionary. Hygiene and cleanliness, the 'do it yourself' approach was kind of unique for a 4 star, and when I had finished the initial cleaning I was proud that I could personally raise the accommodation up a further star.

The carpark view was nice (I like cars). The kitchen facilities had everything one could need, except a work surface. The bedroom was missing the 4 star ensuite, or maybe I was just unlucky. The bathroom was functional, I especially liked the built in foot bath that was a feature of the shower tray, and this foot bath didn't even need a plug! One of the televisions worked, which is all a couple really needed anyway. Once I was acclimatised though (and when I tried really hard to ignore how much this cost) it was OK. If not the 4 star room that I may have paid for.

The accommodation is ski in and ski out. This is a massive bonus when set against my apartment being on floor 6, the ski / boot room on floor 2 and the exit to the walk to the snow on floor 1. Actually, forget the ski / boot room as it was more of a store room for laundry, with no heated boot storage and questionable security, resulting in most guests taking their kit to their rooms. This came with associated and constant clomping noises as all guests liked to do the ski boot shuffle in the rooms and corridors at all times of the day and night. Lovely.

The swimming pool. I took a look at this potential 4 star highlight. Great credit to the owners who appear to have made a summer sheep dip facility into some form of entertainment for humans (children mainly) in the winter. The compliance with hazard signage was lacking on the door, but any sense of smell or sight should trigger a cautionary approach to entering the pool room.

The 4 star dining facilities, in a similar way to hygiene, took a do it yourself approach. The in house dining options consisted of a pizza bar (I never saw this open though), a functional bar serving beer, wine and coffee and a mini market selling many items so one can fulfil the option of self catering. There was plenty of choice, and the bread was nice in the morning. Eating out was easier.

Now that I have been home for over a week I have had time to reflect on my stay in the Sowell Residence. I can set my experience against my other resort experiences over the years and if I think really hard I could come to the conclusion that in the past I have underpaid for excellence.

Sadly, I can't come to that conclusion. I can only conclude that the experience here was under-whelming, disappointingly expensive, lacking in quality, at the lower end of cleanliness, a poor customer experience and the accommodation not as advertised.

I am also disappointed that Crystal Ski include this accommodation as one of their Les Menuires options (although I didn't book through Crystal).

Choose wisely people, but don't pick this one.

La situation de l'immeuble Brelin est absolument exceptionnelle. La gestion est faite par 'Sowell Résidences'.

Arrivés samedi 12 février vers 20h après une route très éprouvante, il a fallu faire la queue à la réception et attendre longtemps son tour, que l'unique personne s'occupe de nous. Vraiment inconcevable pour un jour d'arrivée.

Nous avons loué un appartement 6 personnes pour l'occuper à 4.

L'appartement a été conçu avec les critères des années 1970: une salle de bains et l'unique WC dans la salle de bains.
Table : 1,40m x 70 cm
Comment peut-on imaginer occuper cet appartement à 6 ?

Il faisait sale à l'arrivée. Des monticules de poussières et de poils partout dans les coins et sous les lits, ainsi qu'au sol de la salle de bains.

Insuffisance d'eau chaude le soir.
Il y a un Wifi, qui n'a jamais fonctionné (point d'accès saturé ?)

La salle de bains a été rénovée. Baignoire avec douche.

La kitchenette minimaliste a aussi été rénovée, et on tombe sur des trucs inimaginables:
1) l'évacuation de la hotte est inexistante (ni évacuation ni recyclage). Ça vous souffle donc dans la figure par la fente de 3 mm qui séparet la hotte de l'armoire fixée au-dessus. (voir photo)
2) il y a un trou d'aspiration plus près du plafond de la kitchenette, mais ce trou communique juste avec le placard à balais.

Les draps sont fournis, emballés dans du cellophane, et comportent de nombreuses taches et souillures. On m'a dit que ça provenait des machines à laver...

Le local à skis est collectif pour l'immeuble.

Il y a dans l'immeuble une petite piscine de 6x2m, l'odeur de chlore était trop forte et je n'ai pas testé.