Alpe d’Huez is famous as a regular hill climb in the Tour de France, and as one of the earlier ski stations in France – it was developed from the 1920s. In the late 60s it was regarded as one of France’s most upmarket purpose built resorts – but the development of Les Trois Vallées, Val d’Isère, Tignes, La Plagne, and Les Arcs saw Alpe D’Huez fall from favour in the 1970s and early 1980s. Today, it definitely has a tired, aging feel (and a lot of bad architecture), but there are new buildings coming in and a newer, bunker-style Club Med.

Trivia: 

• This is where the first platter lift for skiers was opened in 1936 with perches by Jean Pomagalski, creator of the Poma company (which, no surprise, is based fairly nearby).
• Alpe d’Huez hosted the bobsled events in the 1968 Albertville Olympics.

Did we enjoy it? Yes. Did we like it? Not really – we won’t be back. 

Ski Report: The ski area is big, with 249 kilometres of piste and 84 lifts. The most resort-like place we’ve been in Europe, which is not a good thing. If the snow is not new (which is an issue – this is quite far south), the grooming is an issue – they are probably the worst groomers in all of Europe. Way too many British holidaymakers out to party, and the caliber of skier is so low it’s disconcerting and dangerous. The infrastructure is old, and everything seems overpriced. 

Alpe d’Huez is famous for the 18km “black” Sarenne run. It’s not particularly advanced, but it is fairly long, without amenities the entire distance. It’s isolated and a great spot to pack in a picnic lunch – which many were doing. It took about 45 minutes of waiting in lines to get to the top of the run; the descent took about 20-25 minutes.

Lodging Report: Tricky. Stay anywhere near the main areas and slope side lodging, you’ll hear loud, drunk British tourists singing into the wee hours. We stayed at the *Grandes Rousses Hotel & Spa Alpe d’Huez, which claims to be a five star (more like a three star). Small rooms, very inflated room prices, extremely expensive food and bar (€21 cocktails in winter 2025), €55 upcharge per person to use the spa. Mediocre breakfast, and our dinner at *L’Espérance in the hotel was quite poor. There is a free outdoor pool and tepid barrel sauna that is free for the guests to use. We didn’t see any other places that were dramatically more appealing.

Other meals:

• **Restaurant Le Génépi was a nicer option, on a side street and a bit tucked away. Good service, charming setting, well-plated food. I didn’t love the menu, Galen liked it better. Worth trying for a date night.
• **Pinocchio was a good choice, very tasty pizza and friendly staff. It’s tiny and we were lucky to get a last minute table day of – call in advance.
• On the slopes, it’s a shame to miss **La Folie Douce. It’s not as elaborate as the Val d’Isere location, but it has a lot of the same elements – fun! We had a drink and watched the lunch performance.
• **Restaurant L’Aventure is a bit hidden on the slopes, with a great sunny location and very friendly staff. The food wasn’t amazing – good quality, perhaps just too rushed in execution and under spiced/cooked.