What is it like to work a winter season as a chalet host?
We’ve all seen chalet girl, and have all wanted to live our fantasies of falling in love with chuck bass on the slopes. Sipping champagne in luxury chalets and ripping up the slopes with your mates.
But it’s not exactly like that. So what is it actually like to work a ski season as a chalet host?
We’ve worked many seasons now, winter and summer but nothing could have prepared us for that first season. And it was definitely the best season we’ve done so far!
Okay so you’ve secured your job as a chalet host for the Winter and you’re absolutely buzzing but also most likely cr*pping yourself. That’s why we are here to tell you what to expect and to help you be a bit more prepared. And not entering the season blind thinking you’re going to be the next snowboarding world champion.
First let’s talk about the actual job and the work side of things.
So what is a chalet host?
A chalet host is based in a chalet, usually with another person or a chef.
The host is there to look after the guests. To welcome them, entertain them and help them with any questions or queries they need whilst staying with you. Think of it as running your own B&B and these are your guests that you’re there to serve and look after so they have a great holiday. Most chalet hosts do everything in the chalet from cooking breakfast, afternoon tea and a 3-5 course evening meal. To cleaning the loo and keeping stock of bog roll to wine and tea bags.
You’re the chef, housekeeper, front of house and manager all at once. Don’t worry if you don’t have any experience in cooking or housekeeping you will be given detailed training and given a set menu of recipes to follow that you repeat each week.
We had zero experience as chef’s and managed after two weeks of training to pull out 4 course evening meals, we couldn’t even pronounce the names of!
By the end of the season you will be making these recipes with your eyes shut and making beds in 10 seconds flat..
What does a typical day look like for a chalet host?
Morning/Breakfast:
You will most likely wake up around 6am and get to your chalet around 7ish depending on what time your guests have decided they want breakfast.
Starting early may not sound appealing but the earlier the guests eat, the earlier they’re out and up the mountain. Which means the sooner you can get your jobs done and out and up the mountain too!
Breakfast usually consists of laying out a continental option. Which you will be given training on how to set up and you will most likely also cook a hot option. A lot of the companies we have worked for normally cook bacon and accompany it by a different type of egg each day. So breakfast is fairly straight forward.
You will normally be working in a team of two. One who mainly does the cooking and one who does most of the hosting. We always worked as a couple. If you’re not there as a couple you’ll be paired with another solo chalet host or chef.
Once breakfast is done and cleared away, one of you usually starts the daily cleans of making beds and doing general day to day cleaning. The other will do the food prep for the rest of the meals for the day.
Afternoon
Most chalet companies serve afternoon tea for the guests to come back to from the mountain. This often consists of baking some sweet treat and leaving it for the guests. We often made brownies, Victoria sponge, mince pies and flapjacks.
** Also, this is a great time to do any evening prep that can be done in advance to give you a head start for evening service.
Depending on what time your guests leave in the morning, and you get your jobs and prep done. You will usually be out of the chalet by 11am. This means you have around 5-6 hours free in the day to go up the mountain before needing to be back for evening service!
You will most likely be able to ski every day, which is way more than any other job in the mountains (except for a ski instructor… obviously).
Evening
Evening service starts around 5/6pm getting prep ready and service from 7pm onwards. Depending on what time you’ve agreed with your guests. Again, you will be given training on how to prepare the menu for your company and most service is done by 9pm (ish). Most of the time the guests always want you to stay and have drinks with them. It’s such a fun social role and the guests are usually great.
Most days are the same when being a chalet host. You will have one day that is different which is changeover day. This is normally a Saturday or Sunday and it’s when your old guests leave, and new ones arrive. This day is normally full on and you most likely won’t get up the mountain that day. Changeovers are hard work prepping everything for your new guests changing beds, deep cleaning showers and toilets and restocking your fridges ready for the upcoming week.
Stick Toffee pudding made by us the first week of training.
So now you know what the workday is like what about the social side of things?
So when you’re not working you will usually have 1 or 2 (if you’re lucky) full days off. These are great to have a lie in and catch up on sleep as being a chalet host means a lot of early starts and late finishes.
Like we said earlier you will normally have loads of time in the middle of your split shifts to go up the mountain every day if you want. The social scene in a ski resort is HUGE. There’s always something going on and every day is the weekend. The resorts are packed with seasonnaires and guests all partying and having a good time.
It’s so easy to go out and honestly the best memories are made with randoms dancing on tables at Folie. But just remember that 6am start the next day and don’t burn yourself out.
*Top Tip
The best tip we can give you as a chalet host is to just realise how lucky you are to be there in that job. It may be hard work and some days all you want to do is die with your head in a bucket with smell of cooking eggs making you want to barf. But just remember you’re there to have an amazing time in the mountains, meet new people and just have the time of your life. Don’t let it be cut short by calling in sick because you’ve partied too hard or burned yourself out or broken a leg up the mountain trying a backflip.
Hopefully this has answered all your questions about what it means to be a chalet host and gives you a little more info on how to be better prepared for your season.
Wondering what to pack for your season? Click here for ultimate winter season packing list!
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