Ski with Colin
Go Early - Go High - Avoid the Crowds
Sestriere - Hotel Gran Roc - Via Lattea
15th - 22nd December 2023
Superb high altitude resort
Fabulous range of skiing
400 kms of piste
Lovely modern hotel at 2035m
(and a great price to kick off the Winter)
Flights and bags, resort transfers, half board for £730
Getting there
The Flight
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BA0726 London Heathrow to Geneva 15/12/23 08.35 / 11.20
BA0727 Geneva to London Heathrow 22/12/23 12.15 / 13.05
The Accommodation
The Gran Rock puts a modern twist on rustic alpine design, and there’s an up-to-date feel throughout, from the open plan bar and lounge to the spacious bedrooms with their timber feature walls. You’ll be staying in quieter spot outside the resort centre, so it’s great if you like a more laid-back atmosphere.
Mealtimes are another highlight here. There’s a big continental buffet breakfast to kick things off, where you can take your pick from fresh breads, cereals and omelettes – or just grab a quick coffee and pastry if you can’t wait to hit the piste. In the evenings food is plentiful, well presented and varied.
Alex Evans
I can not believe this restaurant is only a 3 star.
The set dinner menu was excellent and we looked forward to dinner every night. The facilities are lovely with a fantastic modern bar.
All the staff were great and made our stay very enjoyable.
Amber C
"We stayed at Hotel Gran Roc for our family skiing holiday, and had an amazing time. The hotel is incredibly comfortable, and a quick walk to the slopes across the road (<5 min). The highlight however is the excellent food! The quality and service is top notch."
CornwallPiskie
“The best ski hotel we've ever stayed in. 5 course gourmet meals every night and friendly, efficient amazing staff. It felt like going out for a superb dinner every evening and with substantial breakfasts we really didn't need lunch.”
The Restaurant
The Setting
Sitting at 2,035m, Sestriere's one of Italy’s highest resorts, so you should get great conditions, whether you’re making those first turns in the nursery area next to the village or testing your technique on the Olympic downhill. Skiing-wise, there’s more than a week’s worth here. Stay local and explore the mix of wide-open and treelined pistes or clock up the kilometres with a cross-border trip to Montgenèvre in France.
The Skiing
Sestriere was a pioneer in snowmaking facilities leading to it building an arsenal of nearly 1000 snow cannons in the 1970s and 80s - long before most of Europe began even thinking about snowmaking. Today, the combination of altitude and snowmaking technology makes Sestriere one of the world’s most snow sure resorts - this means that it's a safe bet throughout the whole season, which runs from early December through to late April – longer than many other resorts.
Sestriere will not win any beauty contests but it was built for a purpose - simply to go skiing. Sestriere is all about location, location, location, it has a pleasingly sunny & snow laden location very close to the slopes. What Sestriere lacks in sparkle it more than makes up for with acres of impeccably maintained terrain, excellent off-piste and, actually, as it’s surrounded by mountains, some rather brilliant panoramic views
