France

Club Med Les Arcs Panorama: An Alpine Mountain Paradise


Do you love to indulge in all-inclusive resorts,

eat the best food and drink the best wine? Do you love a 360-degree, stunning summer and winter snow-capped mountain views of France’s original “mega-resorts” Les Arcs France? If you do, I have the place for you to go – Club Med Les Arcs Panorama in southeast France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. 

Club Med’s newest all-inclusive resort in the Alpine region, nestled in Vanoise National Park, and tucked into both the borders of Italy and Switzerland, opened in December 2018 and overlooks the Tarentaise Valley and the quaint town of Bourg Saint Maurice. Boasting floor to ceiling panoramic views of mountains from every vantage point within the resort, “Club Med Les Arcs” rests in the forest floor some 1600 metres above sea level and listed as a “4-Trident” Resort.

4Ψ Villages are considered to be Club Med’s finest, offering a level of luxury of the highest standard.

 

Summer Fun at Club Med Les Arcs Panorama

What makes Les Arcs Panorama a special place for summer vacationers, is the recreational area where the resort is situated. Vanoise National Park is famous for bird watching, animal spotting, hiking in meadows, trying out new sports, enjoying rafting and cycling while indulging in tasting the magnificent ham, cheese, and wines from local restaurants of the Savoie area of the spectacular Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

For families who want to have a quiet day, kids can enjoy themselves at Baby/Petite/Mini Club Med while parents can pamper in the Cinq Mondes spa, have a workout in the gym, take a dip in the pool, indulge in the jacuzzi or relax on one of the terraces of the club.

Brand New Building, Brand New Resort

“Club Med Les Arcs” luxury resort was built to accommodate visitors from near and far. Over 400 rooms across 18 floors will accommodate more than 900 guests. Parking is available for those who drive in for their stay and airport shuttles can be arranged and booked with a resort package. Fitness enthusiasts will find a wealth of activities available right including the stairwells where numbered steps are calculated between floors, guaranteeing those 10,000 daily steps are achieved!  

Les Arcs Panorama also offers an exclusive space for the more upscale clientele. Le Belvedère is the 5Ψ Luxury Space with 24 rooms and is the perfect option for those in search of privacy with luxurious private lounges, concierge services and large, spacious suites for the entire family.

My Club Med Resort Room

The room I stayed in was a balcony superior room on the 17th floor and would definitely be a secluded spot for a couple to get away from it all.  If you wanted to book this room and were traveling with more than 2 people, my advice would be to secure two connecting rooms or move up to the junior family superior room.

Your room includes:

  • Balcony
  • Television
  • Wifi (not the best but works for emails and texting)
  • 2 USB ports to keep the iPhone and GoPro charging
  • Iron and ironing board
  • Safe
  • Tea kettle
  • Coffee maker
  • Separate toilet (water closet)
  • Twin vanity sinks
  • Hairdryer
  • Heated towel rail – for North Americas, this would be a real treat in the winter.

Here is what the room did not include that is often standard in many North American hotel rooms at the 4-star level:

  • No mini/bar fridge
  • No alarm clock 
  • No air conditioning

Club Med Les Arcs Panorama Restaurants – Buffet

The White Stone is the main restaurant where you will find popular buffet breakfasts, and lunch and dinner options. Breakfasts offer European staples of sliced local meats, local cheeses, fruits, bread, yogurts, and oatmeals while rotating mains such as scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, and an omelet station will sate your traditional breakfast cravings. Lunch and dinner change daily with a mix of world flavours curated by the resort’s chefs and focusing on local specialties. And while the restaurant does not offer bar service, the lobby lounge serves up wicked cocktails and draft beer that you may bring into the restaurant with you. One of the best features of this restaurant is the terrace. Sunset dining, overlooking the Tarentaise valley and admiring the mountains is an experience to enjoy as often as you can.

1790 Gourmet Lounge

The fine-dining restaurant, the 1790 Gourmet Lounge, offers an a la carte and fixed menu service and is located on the 11th floor of the resort.  The 1790 extends a complete bar service to her guests so sip a beer or savour your favourite cocktail here. The 9th-floor lounge area also doubles as a dance hall and theatre, additionally serving up afternoon tea with sweets and savouries should you find yourself peckish from the mountain air. 

Recreation Options at Les Arcs Panorama

Having only enjoyed the resort in the summer season, I’m only able to share my experiences reveling in their sunny summer season recreation options, including a gym, TRX studio, yoga, and other fitness classes, an indoor and outdoor pool and an infant wading area. The recreation desk, located on the 11th floor of the resort, is open between 5:30 am-7:30 pm daily except Friday and offers a signup service for the next day’s activities. And only the activities for the next day. Unfortunately, you cannot fill up your recreational activity dance card for the entire week. Included in your stay are mountain biking (muscular and electric), plus the equipment rentals and bucket list-worthy guided hiking excursions. Activities not included and at an extra cost include rafting, paragliding, treetop trekking, quad biking, horseback riding, canyoning, and golf. I would absolutely love to return in the winter to enjoy their entire cold-weather Club Med ski outdoor experiences!

Designed With Couples and Families In Mind

I love traveling with my kids, but I also love my downtime and kid-free moments. I saw Baby, Petit and Mini Club Med and knew this was the perfect place for families who like to spend time together and also for when Mom (and Dad or Auntie) want some adult adventures. 

Winter or summer, kids travel or a romantic Alpine vacation for two, Club Med‘s Les Arcs Panorama offers everything an outdoor enthusiast could desire. When was the last time you stayed with Club Med?

 


My stay was hosted by Club Med Les Arcs Panorama as part of a press trip. 
All opinions are my own.

Kathryn Dickson is an award-winning Canadian television and documentary editor, travel writer and content creator, based in Toronto. Her television work can be seen on CBC, GlobalTV, Slice, History Channel, HGTV and more. Using her journalism and filmmaking skills, she has ventured into documenting her travels with her family near and far to inspire and teach other families about adventure with their children, about different cultures, traditions and ways of life. Make sure to follow Kathryn’s adventures on her Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Pinterest channels.

 

 

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