Chamonix is big - and busy for most of the year. The best advice is to stay at the heart of things and where better than the Oustalet? Just minutes from the Aiguille du Midi cable car and a short stroll to the centre of town, this little family-run hotel rates highly – and not just for its excellent location.
The chalet building is newish, a tad anonymous from the outside, but warm and welcoming as soon as you step through the door. OK, so it doesn’t take a huge effort to run a successful B&B hotel in such a popular location. But the young owners ensure that the accommodations are pristine, each with a balcony or terrace, the beds are comfy and when you need help, it’s comes with a smile.
There’s a jacuzzi and, if you reserve the (winter-only) sauna or hammam, you can have it all to yourselves. In summer, the swimming pool has a lawned ‘plage’ which is a good size for a town centre hotel. There’s space, too, downstairs with an open-plan bar/breakfast room/lounge. And, of course, Chamonix has a wide choice of restaurants to choose from, many within walking distance.
A car is unnecessary in Chamonix (the ski navette stop is about 250m from the hotel) so book an inexpensive transfer with www.chamexpress.com if you need a lift from Geneva airport.