My opinion is that the hotel is very basic - the rooms are an average size; nice enough but a little bit shabby. Ours was also very cold (so that you had to sleep in your skiing fleece); although it was better after we complained. The two twin beds were small, a bit lumpy and very springy. The bathroom was clean, a good size with a shower you don't want to get out of. There was a balcony - great for the afternoon sun and a lovely mountain view. Maid service was OK. Our smoke alarm didn't work. We raised it, but it wasn't fixed for the rest of the week. We were told that it is not Italian law to have them and so it was not going to be replaced. This is indicative of the general careless, lackadaisical effort put in by the rep and hotel.

The hotel location is good if you can ski/board. It's a short walk/ski from a chairlift. Complete beginners may find it hard to get to ski school as it involves a daunting blue run from the lift top to the ski school meeting point. It's longer but involves no skiing if you get the bus to Sauze. Our ski school was poorly organised by the rep and the school. Make sure YOU put yourself in the right group - ours were mixed ability as the instructors didn't bother much to segregate them. Ski school was strictly survival of the fittest - don't lag or you'll be ejected with no refund.

Amongst the lowlights of the almost vitamin-free continental breakfast were dry bread, mouldy cheese (once), weak orange squash and cardboard cornflakes with worryingly tasting UHT milk. The absolutely undrinkable coffee was a true travesty for Italy.

The money-saving evening meal was OK, but a bit bland for our tastes - a mixture of Italian and English food. The soups were nice. You can choose either a vegetarian or a meat dish. Two good restaurants in Sauze are The Old Inn and The Godfather Pizzeria - both do traditional Italian food with good service. You might need them!

The cosy hotel bar is a good place to meet the other guests and for a glass of the excellent house red or decent coffee. The staff are friendly and will book things for you or run you up the very
steep half-mile to Sauze. The hotel is in a quiet area off the beaten track and there is no night life in Jouvenceaux - you will need to go to Sauze.

The hotel has thin walls and is extremely noisy. Count on being woken up most nights by drunks returning or room-mates hammering on the door to wake an alcohol-imbued, comatose key holder.

Our rep seemed uninterested in helping us at all. We considered that they were more interested in ripping you off with overpriced Après-ski. E.g. 5 Euros per person to enter the quiz with prizes that didn't look like they cost any more than the ticket. The whole hotel is leased to a ski company, so you book as a package.