The hotel has a great location in the village and is very close to the lifts. You can ski down to the lifts each morning and it’s a short walk (less than 5 minutes) back up if you choose not to ski back which isn’t as convenient as walking. The hot tubs are ok though robes are not provided in the rooms which would be useful to wear to and from the hot tubs.
Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. The hotel was constructed in the early to mid-90’s and hasn’t been refurbished since judging by the décor. The Wi-Fi is incredibly slow once the hotel is more than approximately 25% full, the bed was terribly uncomfortable and the 2nd floor gym has been created from a bedroom with limited, dated equipment. Everything is very tired from the kitchenette to the bathroom and the furnishings and beds are 10 years past their prime and it would seem the hotel was constructed with little to no sound insulation between rooms or floors.
I stayed at the Hearthstone Lodge for the 2016/17 winter season from 24 November to 17 March and the reviews from other guests about paper thin walls and the noise are 100% true. I specifically requested a quiet room prior to my arrival given I was going to be there for 4 months and having read previous reviews, but was given a room on the 3rd floor above Mountain High Pizza. This is the only late night food offering and open to 2am at weekends over the winter season. Naturally the party goers therefore head there when worse for wear and the noise comes with them. After 2 weeks of putting up with the noise I asked for a change of room only to be told there were no other rooms they could move me too! Two weeks into a four month stay and they couldn’t find me another room? Really!
The noise from adjacent rooms (and above/below) is just as bad. The walls are so thin you can hear the next-door occupants having normal conversations, telling their kids off, having friends in for drinks etc and just going about their normal routine.
The noise issue is not helped by the hotel renting out the rooms to large groups who naturally make more noise. This includes school parties who run up and down the corridor yelling at each other and others who are drunk or under the influence of various drugs. There was a permanent haze and smell of marijuana in the hotel corridors which the management ignore (along with the noise) despite stating they have a zero tolerance to drugs and a quiet time after 10pm.
I was staying in the hotel as part of the Winter Sports ski instructor program so didn’t make my booking direct with the hotel. Because of this the hotel management referred me back to the Winter Sports rep with any issues/complaints. I therefore don’t know what was agreed between Winter Sports and the hotel but my room was only cleaned/given a linen change once per week and the standard of the cleaning left a lot to be desired. If I didn’t leave a note requesting it, the carpet wasn’t vacuumed or the tiled floor mopped. It was basically a very quick change of the bedding and towels and on to the next room. This was the case for all the rooms occupied by the Winter Sports Group. I raised this with the Winter Sports on site rep and was told they had the same problem with their room. I was expecting the Winter Sports rep to address the situation rather than agreeing it was an unsatisfactory service but nothing changed. In all the other hotels, I’ve stayed in over the years’ rooms are cleaned daily and supplies replenished but not at the Hearthstone Lodge.
I can’t be certain of the exact price paid but on the basis my single room supplement was £150 per week it seems reasonable to assume the weekly room cost was £300.
In summary, if you are a group under 25 years old who want to get drunk, takes drugs and hold later night room parties then this is the place for you as the management will turn a blind eye. If, however you are a family or a couple or just looking for a reasonable night’s sleep I would strongly recommend staying elsewhere.
