The Story of the Early Catered Chalet Breaks
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009In 1770 the inaugural tourist hotel was opened up in Chamonix Mont Blanc.
Before this date Chamonix France was a savage and tough rural town where the people hunted animals and produced their cereals.
Farms at that time were used to farm dairy cows during the summer months.
The milk was preserved by turning it into cheese and butter and kept in the valley for eating over the difficult winters.
In the winter season the barns were bolted, and valued possessions were put safely in a liitle mazot.
The person who came up with the chalet vacation is unknown, it was in all probability numerous passionate people who recognized a idea which was novel.
For entrepreneur Erna Low it all began when she was a homesick student and could not see her family back home as much as she liked.
Therefore in the early 1930’s she took a risk and placed ad in the broadsheets to ask guests on a skiing vacation. The cost was £15 and they journeyed to and from the town, had dinner and board in the sole chalet, and paid for ski equipment and lessons.
The vacation was laborious, there were no skiing lifts, no safety fixations, merely heavy leather shoes, but it was so popular that Erna Low kept on taking people on vacation, seeing to it that she found supreme chalets and ski guides.
Ski holidays in the early years were a far cry to the luxury ski accommodation we have today.
In the early days hot water was in short supply, bathrooms had to be shared out by all of the punters, and there wasn’t a cook; all the punters were expected to help out with the chores.
It was a complete lottery as to who may be in the accommodation for the trip, one may be surprised to meet new friends, or grimace at the thought of having to spend any more time with them.