We were invited to discover Evian Resort: luxurious hotels with spas and restaurants, and a renowned golf course, all offering moments of well-being and family moments.
We kicked off on Saturday morning with a stroll around the town of Evian where we discovered the original source of their famous water. The town is really pretty with it's lakeside location, quaint streets and pretty boutiques. We stopped frequently to admire the window display of chocolatiers and boulangeries as we passed.
For lunch, we were trying the new restaurant of the Casino in Evian which is part of the resort. This Italian restaurant is called Umberto and is located just across the road from the lake.
With its bright, stylish decor and appetising menu, it’s a bustling spot and popular with families. Alba chose a pizza from the children’s menu which arrived shaped like a rabbit, much to her delight, Jude wanted a grown up pizza while Jean and I shared the antipasto della Mamma to start which was a great selection of fresh cheeses, meats and vegetables, following which Jean opted for a calzone and I had the tagliata which was delicious and full of flavour.
Feeling full after a delicious meal, we took a walk along the lake before the clouds started to roll in and we decided to head for the hotel.
The Evian Resort is composed of two hotels: The Hotel Royal and the Hotel Ermitage both a short distance from the town centre. We were staying at the Hotel Ermitage. It’s a beautiful building in stunning surroundings and we were impatient to explore. The interior of the hotel is both cosy and stylish at the same time and we were greeted with a warm welcome before being shown to our rooms. We couldn’t believe it when we saw that we had been given two large adjoining rooms with two bathrooms (one including a huge shower which Jude was very excited to try) and comfortable beds for everyone. One of the things we liked about the layout is that there was a little corridor between the rooms so we weren’t all on top of each other which was nice. The children had little biscuits waiting for them as well as apple juice and we had some nice alcohol free wine and plenty of fruit.
Alba was desperate to try the Kid’s Resort so Jean walked over with she and Jude while I stayed with Elio who was on the verge of falling asleep. It’s a lovely walk to the kid’s club through the grounds and the club has its own 1000m2 site complete with indoor swimming pool. The Kid’s resort is divided into three age groups (Baby Club, Kid’s Club and Teen’s Club) with differing activities depending on the age. The staff are all fully qualified and organise lots of activities and events for little guests when the club is open during school holiday periods. Jude and Alba were sad to be missing the Halloween festivities.
On arrival both children decided they would like to swim but we hadn’t brought their swimwear. This didn’t become a problem however because the resort has plenty of swimwear for guests to borrow in case they don’t have their own with them.
Back in the hotel and Jean met with the General Manager Mr. Caquelard to learn more about the hotel. He was really kind and it was clear that all the staff have the guests’ happiness at heart.
Before long we back at the Kid’s Resort to collect Jude and Alba who had had such a great time they didn’t want to leave. We managed to extract them eventually by reminding them they would be coming back the following day with Elio who we took with us to introduce to the team. Marie-Claude was very kind and reassured us that it would be no problem to leave Elio and she even found a quiet spot where he could rest if he became overwhelmed. This was really comforting as we are often nervous about leaving Elio with new people so we left feeling confident with the plan for the following day.
For the evening, the hotel had organised a delicious puree for Elio to eat in our room where he would stay with a babysitter for a couple of hours while Jean, Jude, Alba and I went down for dinner.
We were eating at the restaurant La Table but we decided to have a drink in the bar first and discuss our day. The restaurant itself is very family friendly with a nice menu for children and activities book to keep them busy. We had a nice meal and the service was friendly and efficient. After dinner, Jean was keen to stop in the bar to watch the rugby for a few minutes while the children played, before heading back to the room. Elio wasn’t asleep but he had been well looked after and we really appreciated being able to eat in the restaurant.
We had a bit of a complicated night with Elio who didn’t sleep much, but it meant we were all awake nice and early and ready for breakfast which offered a nice selection of pastries, eggs, meat, cereal, yoghurt etc. Jude quickly discovered the pancakes and piled his plate high.
At 9.30 we dropped the (very excited) children at the Kid’s Resort while Jean and I headed for the golf academy which is also part of the resort. We accidentally took a detour to the main golf club which is a beautiful place before reaching our destination a short drive from the hotel.
The hotel had organised a golf initiation for us with one of their instructors. I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive about this. I have never played golf before and imagined it would be a good opportunity to embarrass myself but as soon as we met our instructor Paul, I forgot all about that. We began by running through the different clubs and which one is used for what, before heading out to the putting green. Paul explained everything so clearly that it made it easy to understand how and why we move the club and the body to engage with the ball. With Pauls’ instruction, I went from barely being able hit the ball to managing a few decent swings towards the end, and Jean who has played a few times before learned a lot of techniques that will improve his game in the future. We laughed a lot and it was much more relaxed than I had expected. I thoroughly recommend this activity while you are there. We were really sad when it was time to leave.
On the way back to the hotel we collected the children from the kid’s club before brunch. The children had all had a great time and Elio had been relatively calm which was a relief.
The brunch at the Hotel Ermitage is rather famous in the area with lots of locals coming to enjoy their Sunday as well as guests. This delectable spread features fresh fruits, homemade jams, sizzling bacon, and globally inspired dishes, all set in a convivial atmosphere. Jean really liked the Oeuf Benedicte and the children were spoilt for choice :-).
Following brunch it was sadly time for us to pack our bags and head home. We really had a wonderful time at the resort which offers a huge range of activities to keep everyone occupied, as well as a spa for those looking to relax. The landscape is lovely and the views are incredible. Absolutely every employee we met was kind and friendly and the children were made to feel welcome wherever we went which was lovely. We don’t often return to the same place more than once but we would definitely love to go back here.
Thank you to all the staff for making it such a wonderful weekend.
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