What 'catered' really means in a French chalet

Catered is one of the loosest words in Alpine letting. At the top of the market it usually means a chalet host or manager, a chef, daily housekeeping and a driver on call within the resort. Below that it can mean a cook who prepares dinner six nights out of seven and leaves the kitchen to you on the staff night off. Both are legitimate; they are not the same week.

The questions worth asking are simple and specific. How many nights does the chef cook, and is the staff night off fixed? Is breakfast served or laid out? Are children fed separately and at what hour? Is the driver dedicated to your party or shared with another chalet? Does housekeeping include a full change of linen mid-week?

Food and drink are where budgets drift. In most French chalets the tariff covers the cooking, not the shopping list at the level guests imagine — fine wine, spirits and anything ordered from outside the standard menu are billed on top. Ask for the wine list and the mark-up before you arrive, and if your party drinks seriously, ask whether you may bring your own and pay corkage.

The other detail people forget is dietary planning. A good chalet chef wants your allergies, aversions and children's habits a week ahead, not on the first evening. Send them in writing with the arrival details; it is the single easiest way to raise the quality of the week.

Finally, ask who owns the relationship. Where we place guests, the chalet team is briefed by us directly, and requests during the stay come back through one point of contact rather than being negotiated at the kitchen door.