Funny times in Les Gets and Morzine

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I was in Les Gets to have my funny bones tickled and ski legs challenged. Following the success of its first edition in 2023, the Montreux Comedy Festival set up shop again in the Portes Du Soleil resort for a wild week filled with fun and laughter.  Montreux Comedy Fait Du Ski or Montreux Comedy goes Skiing is the new must-see event of the winter season in Les Gets, a unique experience where comedy and skiing meet. The cream of the British and French standup scene took to the stage one after the other offering some exceptional moments of comedy. 

Chortle award-winning comedian Phil Wang, had the audience in stitches as he described how he had spent £600 on clothes he’ll never wear again (it was his first and possibly last time skiing) and host Maisie Adam (familiar to many from Mock the Week and Have I Got News for You) mercilessly ribbed members of the audience but in such a charming way that everyone left with a smile of their face, ready to hit the slopes the next day in good spirits.  As an alternative après ski activity, it was hard to beat.

Staying in Les Gets

Les Gets is part of the world-class Portes du Soleil ski area comprising 12 resorts in France and Switzerland. It’s an attractive, sunny village of traditional chalet-style buildings with Chalet Hotel Blyth, an uber luxury catered chalet (my home for two nights) being the latest offering. It is ideally located close to the ski slopes and village centre. There are two mountainsides on either side of the village – Les Chavannes (the main Les Chavannes chairlift and Telecabine is less than a 5-minute walk away) and Mont Chery (slightly further) offering a wide range of skiing.  

Boasting eight spacious double or twin bedrooms, all thoughtfully designed with en-suite bathrooms (or in one case a copper bath within the room itself) and fitted with luxury amenities, the chalet hotel is ideal for both couples and families alike, with options to book individual rooms as well as exclusive hire

Chalet Hotel Blythe is a collaboration of some of the finest construction, architectural and design talent, all from the Les Gets/Morzine area. Marullaz architects are responsible for the innovative building design whilst Shep and Kyles have been responsible for the truly stunning chalet interior. The building has been constructed by Grosset-Janin who has been building fabulous properties throughout the Alps for 70 years.

Featured in The Sunday Times as one of the “best 15 new places to stay in the Alps this winter”, I was expecting great things and wasn’t disappointed. It was wow after wow from the moment we arrived. Just an hour’s drive from Geneva airport, there’s an underground car park accessible via an ultra-modern vehicle lift, two charging points for electric vehicles and a ski room with glove and boot warmers. Outdoor shoes are not allowed in the chalet so my stay started rather unglamorously as I padded around in holey socks!  Hardly in keeping with the ultra-chic interiors, all wall-to-ceiling windows, modern light fixtures and a monster of a dining table. 

One of my favourite parts of any ski holiday is getting together around the dinner table after a great day skiing, sharing great food and great wine in great company. There’s a stunning rooftop terrace and cosy mezzanine lounge – the ideal place to enjoy an après-ski tipple along with some of the craziest but comfiest chairs I’ve come across, complete somewhat bizarrely with stirrups. Chalet Hotel Blythe hosts an array of wellness and spa facilities including an indoor swimming pool; outdoor hot tub; sauna; hammam; ice room; and gym, along with a tranquil treatment room offering rejuvenating and deep tissue massages.

The chalet/hotel comes with an excellent pedigree. Owners Andy and Tracey Bell are also the owners of and visionaries behind the major renovation of Grade II Moor Hall Restaurant with rooms in West Lancashire. Moor Hall holds two Michelin stars whilst its sister restaurant, the Barn at Moor Hall, on the same site earned its first Michelin star in 2022.  Head Chef Peter Webster, who has over a decade’s experience working in Michelin-starred restaurants, hotels and country houses in the UK prepared a dinner worthy of the chalet’s opulent decor, succulent scallops, mouthwatering melt-in-the-mouth lamb and always everyone’s favourite but not easy to get right, a souffle.

Then time to hit the bar for some of the finest local cheeses and wine. Chalet Hotel Blythe offers a complimentary ski butler service, providing assistance in arranging lift passes, ski pass bookings, beauty treatments and massages, slopeside picnics, ski lessons and more through its dedicated concierge service. As the luxurious new kid on the block in Les Gets it was hard to beat.

Staying in Morzine

Les Gets shares the biggest area of local slopes in the Portes du Soleil region with its neighbour Morzine offering 120km of marked runs, 71 runs, 47 lifts and 15 fun runs. The glorious thing about the Porte du Soleil is the ability to stay in several resorts within a one-week ski holiday and so it was to Morzine that I headed for my final couple of nights. An easy 15-minute transfer from Les Gets. No catered chalet here but my self-catered apartment Elevation Alps’s L’Echo du Pleney, Cosmiques was still very much on the luxury end.

Elevation Alps is an independent luxury accommodation provider in Morzine, a perfect destination for short breaks being so near to Geneva Airport with a 1 ½ hour transfer time. At least seven of the properties allow flexible booking for a minimum of 3 nights. 

L’Echo du Pleney, Cosmiques is a brand new 3-bedroom apartment in the centre of Morzine, just across the road from the Super Morzine lift and in the centre of the village. Split over two floors and with a private entrance and surrounding garden, it feels like a stand-alone chalet with windows on 3 sides, a wraparound terrace and a private hot tub. I loved the open plan living with dining, kitchen and lounge area downstairs and 3 bedrooms upstairs. 

The 70 sqm apartment is light and airy, the bedrooms large and the living space stylish and contemporary with locally sourced artwork and comfortable seating along with a Smart TV with soundbar. After a hard day skiing sometimes, you just want to sit down and watch the telly! There’s also a TV in the children’s bunk bedroom. Both double bedrooms have superking-sized beds which can be split into twins if required, guaranteeing a restful night after a fun day on the mountains. 

The apartment’s USP is not only is it supremely comfortable with plenty of space and all the modern amenities you come to expect, a coffee machine and better still Yorkshire tea bags, but it’s the location that sets it apart, everything is a very easy walk away, 2 minutes for the SuperMorzine Telecabine, 5 minutes to the Pleney Telecabine and 2 minutes to the nearest Spar supermarket. I live minutes from several supermarkets in London, so am used to constantly dashing out for forgotten ingredients.

Elevation Alps are extremely helpful and willing to go out of the way to make sure that you are happy. MD Kathryn Leake was at the apartment to meet me and show me how everything worked, including the thankfully very easy to operate hot tub, not something you want to be faffing with when you’re itching for a dip. The introduction is not rushed and Kath positively fizzes with enthusiasm for the company and resort where she lives all year round. It’s this local knowledge that sets them apart as well as their concierge services, a private chef or fully stocked kitchen or better still fully stocked wine cooler.

With two village centre lifts, joining different sides of the Portes du Soleil area, Morzine offers direct access to Avoriaz perched at 1,800 m on the cliffs above. The Portes du Soleil is ideal for keen intermediates skiers who like the ability to clock up the ski miles and ski from A to B, ticking of various resorts. However, the same came be achieved by basing yourself for a couple of nights in one resort and then moving to another but not scrimping on the quality of accommodation. 

I was more than a little impressed with Chalet Hotel Blythe oozing the X Factor whilst Elevation Alp’s L’Echo du Pleney, Cosmiques offered a chance to relax in comfortable surroundings with easy access to such a large ski area and a wide variety of runs. It’s a winning combination.

For more information on Les Gets, Morzine and Portes du Soleil see online.