Hotels Villars Switzerland
Sunny and pretty ski resort with access to large ski area. Great for intermediates & close to Geneva
Hotels Villars, ski holidays Villars
Villars (and adjoining Les Diablerets) is one of those resorts that is often unfairly overlooked by British skiers when choosing a destination for their next ski holiday. It is a pretty resort close to Geneva (which makes is a great weekend resort) and has a surprisingly large ski area best suited to intermediate skiers. However, there are some good beginner slopes and there is a spectacular off-piste route off the back of the Les Diablerets glacier at over 3,000 metres all the way down to the village - best done with a qualified mountain guide!
Please note that with the slow mountain train access from the resort to the main ski area (takes 20 minutes), some old T bar lifts and some slow chair lifts this is not a resort for those in a hurry.
View 1 ski chalet in Villars
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Resort statistics
- Beginners
- Intermediates
- Experts
- Snow sure
- Off-piste
- Ski area
- Charm factor
- Non-skiers
- Nightlife
- Practicality
- Fine dinning
- Short transfer
- Resort value
Airports
- Sion (45 minutes)
- Geneva (1.5 hrs)
Pros
- Pleasant, relaxing resort village
- Close to Geneva making it a good weekend destination
- Good nursery slopes and miles and miles of good intermediate cruising
- Good range of off-slope activities and diversions
- Link to Les Diablerets and its glacier (Villars ski area 125 kms, Les Diablerets area 100 kms)
Cons
- Unreliable snow cover at the beginning and end of the season
- Getting up the mountain is on a charming but rather slow traditional railway
- Not much for experts on piste although there is some good under utilised off-piste terrain
Resort Restaurants
There are many good restaurants based in hotels but others are the 'Sporting' for good pizzas and the 'Vieux Villars' for local specialities and there is also very popular is the Rotisserie.
Mountain Restaurants
The Golf is always excellent. The Lac des Chavonnes is a popular choice and worth the walk from Bretaye. There is also a very good restaurant at the top of the Roc d'Orsay gondola. Other restaurants on the hill were generally large and canteen style with dull menus. However, there is a small one (not marked on the piste map) at Les Diablerets which was very twee in a rustic way. Also the small metal clad hut at the top of Glacier 3000 serves excellent food and is run by a charming if slightly eccentric chap.
Apres Ski
Head for the Sporting and the Mini-Pub.
Nightlife
Good fun can be had at the Bowling bar. Head to El Gringoos for a dance in the disco. New venues include the Warm-Up bar, the Morocan and BBlounge.
Resort Map Note only lifts departing from the resort base are shown.
Key
Funicular
Cable Car
Gondola
Chair lift
Drag lift
Ski Hire Shops
| Location | Name | Stars | Discount | Promo Code |
| A | Sport's house | Up to 45% | AlpineAnswers |
The star rating for the ski hire shops is an indication of the level of service; quality and variety of stock, and the space and decor of the shop. It is also a reflection on the price. A five star rated shop will offer great service and equipment but also will charge the highest price. Ski hire shops with a two star rating have less variety and older, poorer quality of stock but are cheapest.
Ski Schools
| Swiss Ski School | +41 24 495 22 10 |