Chalet Host
Chalet Host jobs in a ski resort
Well you have all seen the movie Chalet Girl , but what in reality is this job all about when doing it for the season ?
Most chalet companies will be looking for someone who can look after a whole chalet on their own and if that’s the case then you can expect to be doing everything from brining in the wood for the fire to producing canapés for 14 before serving dinner !
In larger chalets you may well work with a chalet Chef , but the majority of the description below applies too.
What to expect as a Chalet Host
What you can expect though is a physically demanding job , yes you will be getting up before the sun comes up ( and if you only just got in , then that’s gonna hurt ) .Working all morning in the chalet and then back at work around 5pm to get afternoon tea cleared up and dinner on the go ;not to mention shopping day .You have to do all that but also head down to the local hypermarche and do battle with all the other chalet staff !
Basic Skills
First things first … you are going to need some catering skills and we are not talking about a few shifts at Maccy D’s here , chalet companies and their guest are looking for a tasty , balanced menu that you would be proud to serve at a dinner party , because that is effectively part of your role : hosting a dinner party 6 nights a week for a whole season ! Attending a chalet catering course can be a great idea , these are often run in the Alps during the summer months and can be rolled into a weeks holiday out there , Cool Ski Jobs will be organising these from May onwards along with UK based courses in August & September ; at the same time you should also take ( and pass ) your Food Hygiene Certificate Level 2 , these two qualifications will put you head and shoulders above the rest of the applicants that are looking for a ski job this winter.
Afternoon tea for your guests
Day to day jobs
That’s the bit we can teach you … but you are going to need a fair amount of common sense , a good attitude to work , the ability to work unsupervised and bundles of energy ! Have a look at a general list of things you could be expected to do in your Chalet :
- Making Breakfast ( up V early )
- Bake Cake for afternoon tea
- Clean all public areas of chalet (including the toilets )
- Making all the beds
- Prep for this evenings dinner
- Order wine from chalet manager ?
- Go out skiing !
- Clean up afternoon tea
- Prep evening dinner
- Wash up afterwards
- Let guests know about your day off
- Have you got all you need for tomorrows food
- Take the rubbish out / recycle all glass
- Go out for a beer with your guests !
On top of that daily list you can expect to go shopping , clear all the snow from your chalet , do inventories for the chalet manager etc etc
Fringe Benefits
So do you still think that you can handle it ? Well of course it’s not all hard work .. you generally get a chance to go skiing for 4/5 hours a day , 4 days a week plus you get a day off too ! The team that you work with can end up being your best buddies for ever .. I’m still best mates with some from 1994/5 !
You can expect to get the standard pay structure , which is generally French minimum wage , although once you have had deductions for flights/retainers /uniform / food / lodging etc you are left with maybe £80-£100 a week , but that’s all you need .. everything else is provided for you and if you treat your guests well and do a good job then the chalet hosts tips can be great !
Think that this could be for you ? .. Well don’t just sit there.. sign up for our Job Alerts and lets get you out on the slopes !
. So 10 minutes later and with a little help from the baker as he delivered the morning baguettes and I am into my chalet.I discover the guests had a little party last night , clearly wine & cheese was on “their” menu . Anyhow , get on with it and it’s:
.Digging myself out of tree holes , eating a squashed sandwich on a freezing chairlift , a quick vin chaud , more laps of our fav tree run then a little cheeky après ski for an hour ( really wish I had peeled all the veg for tonight !)
The winter season came to an end and you thought what to do … this is not a guidebook to how to live your life , just a brief snapshot into what some of us do to make ends meet before the snow starts falling !
To emphasis this point I bumped into an old buddy in the heart of Lindos village who introduced to me a weathered looking chap, who it turns out spends his winters as a ski instructor in the Kitzbuhel Red Devils (plus a fair bit of washing up in a hostel for free beer & food ) and to top it all,he whiles his summer away as a water-ski instructor on Rhodes