Appartement 8 personnes Les arcs 1800 • Alpes - paradiski

The apartment was great in most respects, and the price was competitive. It is a pity that GSI undermined this by a number of relatively small failings.

The biggest problem is the huge stress I was caused on the day of arrival by the lack of instructions about late check in. They only allow pick up of keys after 5pm and they close at 7pm, which is a very narrow window. I told them weeks earlier that I would arrive after 7 unless my train was exactly on time and my taxi transfer went very smoothly. I was told to contact the office the week before, to get the late check in details. When I did this, I was told to phone on the morning of arrival, which was not entirely convenient, as I was on the train. When I did phone I got a recorded message that repeated for ages and eventually let me leave a message, which was never returned.

After realising they were not going to phone back, I tried again several times and eventually in late afternoon was answered, to be told that I would be sent an email by 6pm. (Why did they ask me to phone if an email was to be sent? Why does it need to be left so late to send it? Why not send it a week earlier, so the client isn't left wondering if the email will come through and they might be left with no way to access the accommodation?)

No email had arrived at 6 so I had to try to phone again. Eventually, it was answered at 6.45, by which time I was in the taxi, knowing it would not arrive until about 7.15. They promised the email would be issued by 7. It was not, so I then knew the office had closed and I still did not know how to get the keys. Thankfully, the email eventually arrived at 7.10, so I went to the lockbox to pick up the keys. They were not there! I nearly had a heart attack!

I set off to find the office, hoping they were still there and fortunately I spotted someone going past me with a batch of envelopes, so I followed him to see if he was heading to the lockbox, which, thank goodness, he was! Eventually, I got my key.

I was worried the entire day, which would have been completely avoided if GSI did not insist on doing everything at the last minute.

Other concerns:
There are QR codes in the apartment to check in and get the wifi, but they don't work and GSI don't tell you this. They did not include all the instructions in the late check-in envelope, so I only found out by going to the office the next morning.
Some of the air vents in the windows seemed to be broken and they let in a constant cold blast and excessive noise from Follies Douce, just across the piste.
It isn't GSI's fault, but the pool and spa for the apartment is shared with all the surrounding apartments and hotels and they were unpleasantly overcrowded, so we did not go back.