If you’ve booked a trip to Les Deux Alpes, well… Lucky you! Les Deux Alpes is one of my favourite ski resorts, and it has a great selection of pistes from simple slopes in town through to challenging runs off the top of a glacier. Yup, it’s pretty awesome.
There is also a lot of accommodation in Les Deux Alpes, from high end apartments and chalets to budget options.
In my most recent trip to Les 2 Alpes, I stayed at a budget hotel, the Hotel Jam Session. The hotel was bundled with my Snowtrex Les Deux Alpes deal, which also included the lift pass. Intitially I was tempted by the low price point, seeing as I was travelling solo.
So how does it stack up in my review?
This review does contain affiliate links.
Review of the Hotel Jam Session
The Hotel Jam Session is a pretty basic ski hotel which wins it’s main points for being both very well located for the mountain, and managed by a friendly and welcoming team. We’ll start with the welcome and the team.
I arrived really late, thanks to a misadventure with a hire car. The poor girl at reception had to wait beyond her shift for me to arrive, but when I did she was both courteous and friendly. A good intro to my slightly stressed arrival.
My room was as I expected – very simple but with everything I needed for my stay. A bed which was comfortable, a shower that delivered hot water on demand, central heating, a TV and free wifi. That’s about everything.
Some rooms have balconies. Mine didn’t. But that was fine for me…
Honestly, there isn’t much to say about the room itself. Yes, it needs some updated furniture and fittings. But then, hey it would probably cost twice as much. And let’s be honest here. After a day on the mountain you want to grab a shower, sit down for ten minutes then go hit the bar – right?
And in this respect the Jam Session ticks the boxes.
It also features:
- A good sized boot room with heated boot hooks
- A piste literally behind the hotel, it would be ski in/ski out if there wasn’t a service lane between the hotel and the piste
- A gym – yes but I didn’t get to check it out but it looked more than adequate
- Breakfast and dinner included… More on that in a moment.
So, you might be in a basic hotel, but you’re definitely getting a bargain here.
Food and drink at Hotel Jam Session
I mentioned the warm welcome and the team at Hotel Jam Session, and this is evident from the service provided by the Italian brothers who run the hotel. One runs the bar, the other the restaurant and both were friendly and courteous to me throughout my stay.
This may be France, but the food and dining experience is very much Italian. Think gnocci, pasta and a salad bar in the evenings, plus wine or beer. A great deal. Breakfast is a standard continental affair, with pastries, coffee on tap and all the meat and cheese, fruit, cereals and breads you need to fuel up for a day on the slopes.
Again, you’re not getting fine dining, but the food is very good for what it is and clearly made with some Italian knowhow.
And then its over to the bar! Or, go and explore the town if you want to make a night of it….
Where is the Hotel Jam Session located?
Although it isn’t in the centre of the main town of Les Deux Alpes, the Hotel Jam Session is well located and easy to find if you’re arriving by road. It’s about a 15 – 20 minute walk into the town itself, although there is also a free navette bus which stops about 3 minutes from the front door.
The Hotel Jam Session is located adjacent to the south facing piste in Les Deux Alpes. Perched quite high up the hill, the hotel is set amongst a cluster of relatively uninspiring concrete blocks and apartments just a few minutes walk from the Villages chair lift. OK, don’t let the description put you off there.
Yes, this area of Les Deux Alpes is not the most attractive, with concrete stairwells and covered walkways the norm here. There are zero points for Savoyard architecture or chocolate box quaint around here I’m afraid. But what the area lacks in architectural splendour, it makes up for in ameneties and access to the mountain.
Read my Les Deux Alpes review.
The Hotel Jam Session actually sits on top of a covered car park, which is super handy for those coming by car. The hotel then straddles a walkway, with the hotel and reception on one side, and the bar and restaurant on the other. It’s all very clear once you’re there.
Literally 2 minutes from the front door is a small supermarket, Sherpa, which stocks pretty much all the supplies you might need, plus loads more you won’t.
And walking the other way, towards the lift station, you’ll stumble across ski rental locations, kebab shops, coffee bars and pubs, pizza take out and even a nightclub (apparently). While that might sound like it’s a pretty happening area, I actually found it to be rather sleepy when I was here. I did take a stroll to explore, but mostly it was small groups of French guys and the odd Brit or two drinking beer outside a bar.
The most lively apres was actually in the Hotel Jam Session bar, which got pretty busy once people had showered post-ski sesh. It’s not the biggest bar either, but the vibe was friendly, mostly people watching football on the telly.
So, the scores are in.
Hotel Jam Session Summary:
Quality: ⭐⭐
Rooms could do with an update in places.
Comfort: ⭐⭐⭐
Perfectly adequate for what you get. Soft mattress + hot running water + central heating.
Location: ⭐⭐⭐
Points for proximity to the mountain. Area not the nicest, and it’s a little walk from the village centre.
Value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
You get a lot for your budget accommodation.
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐
A budget hotel that punches well above it’s weight.
