You may have been to an all-inclusive beach holiday in the Caribbean or Mexico. Or perhaps one of the very upscale cruises where everything including the French champagne is part of your cruise fare. But have you ever had an all-inclusive ski holiday? Probably not, unless you are from Great Britain and do your skiing in France, Austria or Switzerland. The 'catered chalet' is a unique British institution. Tour companies rent a chalet from the owner for several seasons and send out a 'chalet girl'; usually a well-spoken young woman aged 18-23 who has done a 'Cordon Bleu' cookery course. Her job is to do everything in her chalet to take care of guests: make, serve and clear up 3 meals a day, clean the property, make the beds, give advice on the best runs and ski shops etc. Staying in a catered chalet is truly a relaxing experience: no cooking, no cleaning, no hassle. When you come home from the slopes your chalet girl will have a delicious cake waiting for you with tea and hot chocolate (they call it cocoa in England), and later on will serve wine and a 3 or 4 course meal. By the way, 3 meals a day means breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner - you have lunch up the mountain. This concept is now starting to be introduced to North America. So far it has served exclusively the British market, but some companies are now introducing it to North Americans. After all, it can't only be the British who prefer not to spend their vacations shopping, making beds and cleaning up. One of the innovators marketing this service to North Americans is Whistler Deluxe, owned by a British couple. They offer 65 properties in Whistler, and British-style catering is offered as an option in all their properties. So if you want a Whistler rental which combines the pampering of a luxury hotel, with the privacy and charm of some the loveliest mountain homes in Canada (think peeled log interiors, cowhide rugs, wood-burning fireplaces, steam rooms and private hot tubs), give them a call. Whistler is just 2 hours from Vancouver, up the extremely scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway. |
