Chalet Altepost, St Anton, Austria

The chalet is very lovely inside and very modern. The bedrooms, beds and bathrooms were all really comfortable – that side of things was perfect. I would probably have made the top area a bit more homely as it looked a little sparse with just a table and chairs. Nathan and Claire our hosts were really nice and very accommodating, they were helpful if there was anything we asked for. Getting around was made difficult because of the weather – the snow was coming down so hard and fast and the walk included 80m of very steep street – a set of stairs wouldn’t have been out of place. You couldn’t have done it in ski boots unless you schussed down on your bum. Some people in the chalet ended up getting a taxi. I’d still say the location is still good – you’re in one of the best ski resorts in Europe at the end of the day, so a hike out at the end of the day is neither here nor there. The main thing that needed improving was the food, which was pretty bad. I don’t know whether it was the end of the season, the standard of the produce, or the methods of cooking but compared with other chalet holidays the overall quality just wasn’t good. Our hosts certainly did their best with what they had but they weren’t chefs. They were using bottles of wine that you could get for 49 cents in the Spar shop. At breakfast, the sausages were exceptionally greasy (I don’t know whether they were poor quality sausages or just badly cooked). Dinners were very potato dependent – when I asked for rice instead they were absolutely fine about it, but if they changed the menu choices anyway it would have been a better experience. They constantly seemed to be bringing out bread! The Hors d’Ourves were diabolical. We were given a piece of cheese, a walnut and a fig – on a stick – just one stick per person. If you’ve been skiing all day you don’t want that. Even if it had just been a party platter of something like sausage rolls or chicken nibbles it would have been a lot better. I’d suggest they go for something more sensible rather than wasting time being adventurous and making it all look fancy. It seemed like they’d been given a budget and it was running out at the end of the season so they were constantly scrimping back. They did cakes on a couple of days which were really nice, so I’ll give them brownie points for that!

A lovely chalet, it has a curious Aust-mod theme about it, blending the charm of this town with modern furnishings. To add to this concoction, you have the illusion that you’re escaping from it all, while also being within a short walk from the action. Five hundred metres from the Rendl cable car - accessing the south piste - and a little further to the Galzig lift, the refreshing walk will perk you up in the morning before hitting the mountain. The fantastic après ski and nightlife is fairly close too, at just four hundred metres. So regardless of whether you’re a party animal or a quiet-night-in skier, you’ll have the separation of revelry and rest.