"Chalet with pool" covers very different realities in Courchevel, from a swimming pool heated all year to a small plunge pool listed as one. Here is what to check before booking.
Usable length, not surface area
To actually swim you need at least 8 to 10 metres of length. Below that it is a relaxation pool: pleasant, but you will not swim lengths. Always ask for the length in metres, never the surface area.
Temperature and heating
A mountain chalet pool needs to sit between 28 and 30 °C to be usable in January. Ask whether heating runs year-round or is switched off out of season, and whether the water is already up to temperature on arrival day.
Safety with children
This is the point most often overlooked.
- —A coded or lockable access door
- —A safety cover on the pool
- —Non-slip flooring around the water
- —A clearly stated depth
- —Visibility from the living areas
What an indoor pool actually changes
In the mountains, two days out of seven are often disrupted by weather or tired children. An indoor pool transforms those days: children burn energy, adults recover after skiing, and nobody has to drive to a public aquatic centre.
Questions to ask the owner
- —Is the pool private to the chalet or shared?
- —What is the exact length and depth?
- —Is the water heated continuously, and to what temperature?
- —Is there a sauna or hammam next to it?
- —Is maintenance done during the stay, and at what time of day?
The pool at Chalet Les Cochettes
Our private indoor pool is 10 metres long, heated year-round and reserved exclusively for guests of the chalet. Access is through a coded door and the pool has a safety cover, which makes it comfortable for families with young children. It sits on the lower floor, looking out onto the forest.
Where the chalet is
Chalet Les Cochettes is in Courchevel 1300 Le Praz, three minutes from the village and six minutes from Courchevel 1850 by gondola, at the gateway to Les 3 Vallées.