All About Ski
Rooms: Most rooms within our allocation have twin beds, but if you especially require
a matrimonial bed, please state this when making your booking. Particularly in Austria, twins
are two mattresses on one base, each with its own duvet. Some hotels are also able to provide
three bedded rooms, in some cases even four bedded rooms, but you may find floor and drawer
space cramped and extra beds will often be of a folding type. Single rooms are limited in
number and, in many cases, may be inferior in standard and position to other rooms in the
hotel. The extra charge paid for a single room is for the convenience of having a room to
yourself. Where you make a special request, such as for a bath or adjacent rooms, or rooms on
lower floors, we will make every possible attempt to arrange this although we CANNOT GUARANTEE
IT. No distinction is made between a terrace and a balcony, or a bath and a shower. Linen is
not always as large as in Ireland, towels can be small and in Italy these may be of a woven
cotton rather than the fluffy looped type we have at home! Any charges for infants cot hire and
food should be paid direct to the hotel.
Apartments: Studios and apartments may not always be ready for immediate occupation on
your arrival, as the accommodation needs to be cleaned and checked after the departure of the
previous week's guests. We will of course, make every effort to ensure your accommodation is
available as close to your arrival as possible. Towels are often provided in apartments but not
always, so check the brochure description before departure to see whether or not you should
take your own. Apartments can only be occupied by the number of persons shown on your booking
confirmation. If you wish to have extra persons staying in your apartment a charge will be
payable before you return home. This will be in the region of €240 but our local representative
will be able to confirm the exact amount.
Apartment Deposits: All apartment owners will ask for a loss/damage deposit when you
arrive, this will usually be around €150-€300 in cash for each apartment and is returnable at
the end of your stay, but non-refundable in the event of major loss/damage or unreasonable
cleaning requirements. Credit cards and cheques are not generally accepted, except in France
where most of the large apartment agencies will take an imprint of your credit card. Further
special conditions apply to French apartments - check accommodation descriptions for
details.
Damage: If damage is caused to a hotel room or apartment, the party leader and the
occupant are jointly liable. All damage must be paid for immediately. The accommodation owner
may require a deposit from the occupant to permit continued occupation, or may require the
occupant to vacate the premises immediately. In this case Panorama has no responsibility to
accommodate the customer for the rest of the holiday.
Fitness rooms: Fitness rooms in hotels vary widely and it is unusual to find all the
equipment you would find in a gym at home. Supervision is not always arranged.
Noise: It is not usual for buildings in ski resorts to have fitted carpets; they would
not last very long. You will usually find that the floors are terrazzo or varnished wood,
sometimes with rugs. This means that noise travels at night. Most people in the building will
want to sleep so all guests are asked to keep the noise down after midnight.
Self Catering & Aparthotels: We thoroughly recommend the freedom of a self catering
holiday but would ask you to consider that apartments inevitably vary in quality. Some are
older than others - meaning the equipment will be more used and, just like at home, one tank of
water will not provide six baths! Sheets are always provided, but not always towels (check
accommodation description for details) and there will usually be a toilet roll but this won't
last all week! We suggest you take a few essentials with you (salt, pepper, coffee, tea,
washing-up liquid, tea towel, dish-cloth, pan scourer and matches). It is unusual to be
provided with a kettle overseas but don¿t worry - a saucepan does the job just as well. You
will be provided with one key to your apartment. Extras are usually available but you may be
required to pay a deposit for these. This deposit is usually about €10 and is refundable when
you return the keys.
Why Choose a Panorama Chalet? A chalet is the perfect way for groups of friends and
families to holiday together. A warm welcome awaits you in all of our chalets, which range from
the simple and traditional to the more luxurious. So, take a look at how you and your group
will benefit from a chalet holiday:
- A relaxed, 'home from home' atmosphere in comfortable surroundings.
- A sociable environment shared with like-minded skiers and boarders.
- Daily buffet breakfast including cereals, croissants, cheese, yoghurts and fruit.
- Daily afternoon tea and freshly baked cake, bread and preserves.
- Delicious home cooked evening meals, followed by coffee, six nights a week.
- Free wine or soft drinks served with dinner.
Exclusive Use of Chalets: A chalet is ideal for your own house party, having the
accommodation exclusively for your group. We do ask for a certain occupancy of the chalet to
guarantee exclusive use (see each individual description for details). If you do not have
sufficient people to fill a chalet, then we can also make a charge for each empty space
equivalent to 70% of the holiday cost for that week.
As chalets are ideal for a group holiday, we reserve our larger chalets for exclusive group
sales until August. Our smaller chalets are retained for group reservations until the end of
September.
Chalets for Singles, Couples and Families: Chalets are also the ideal opportunity for
singles, couples and friends to make new friends and to enjoy the good company of fellow chalet
guests. From October onwards, all of our chalets are available for individual reservations, on
a non-exclusive basis.
Children in Chalets: We are delighted to welcome children in our chalets when they are
travelling with a group that has reserved the whole chalet. In addition, once the chalets have
been released for individual sales, families with children are welcome in all our chalets
during the following holiday times:
Austria:
Chalet Florianihof, Kitzbuhel Dec 24, 31; Feb 12
Andorra
Chalet Motxo, Soldeu-El Tarter Dec 19, 26; Feb 12
Chalet Casale, Soldeu-El Tarter Dec 19, 26; Feb 12
Unfortunately, apart from the above dates, we cannot take bookings for parties including
children under the age of 16 unless they are part of a group who has reserved the whole
chalet.
Useful Information
- For your extra comfort, we recommend you bring your own slippers as outdoor shoes are not
welcome inside our chalets.
- Towels and linen are included.
- All our chalets are non-smoking.
- Your chalet hosts have one well-deserved day off per week. On this day your breakfast and
afternoon tea will be prepared and laid out for you to help yourselves. In the evening, you
will be able to eat out in one of the resort's restaurants (at your own cost) - your chalet
host or representative will be able to help you choose one.
- Chalets vary in size and layout so ensure you read carefully the chalet description or
contact our Specialist Ski Sales Team for advice.
Carriage charge for own skis
More people take their own skis and snowboards on holiday than ever before. As a result, it
is becoming increasingly difficult for charter airlines to cope with the extra weight. This has
increased the risk of luggage being offloaded on to other flights. Therefore, in common with
most major winter sports operators, we have introduced a system to improve the reliability of
ski and snowboard carriage. If you wish to take you own equipment, this must be pre-booked and
a charge of €19 for each ski/snowboard bag will be made to your holiday booking. It is
essential that you advise us or your travel agent of this at the time of booking. It is
possible that carriage not pre-booked may be declined by check-in staff at the airport. Should
your skis or snowboards fail to arrive on your flight they will be forwarded to you as soon as
possible at no extra cost. If they do not arrive in time for your first day of skiing we will
arrange ski hire for you until your own skis or snowboard arrive, and the €19 charge will be
refunded to you in resort. If you purchase a snowboard or pair of skis in resort, there will be
a carriage charge of €10 payable in resort for the return journey.
Please note: Only one set of ski equipment is permitted per ski bag on the flight.
Carriage charge for own skis
More people take their own skis and snowboards on holiday than ever before. As a result, it
is becoming increasingly difficult for charter airlines to cope with the extra weight. This has
increased the risk of luggage being offloaded on to other flights. Therefore, in common with
most major winter sports operators, we have introduced a system to improve the reliability of
ski and snowboard carriage. If you wish to take you own equipment, this must be pre-booked and
a charge of €19 for each ski/snowboard bag will be made to your holiday booking. It is
essential that you advise us or your travel agent of this at the time of booking. It is
possible that carriage not pre-booked may be declined by check-in staff at the airport. Should
your skis or snowboards fail to arrive on your flight they will be forwarded to you as soon as
possible at no extra cost. If they do not arrive in time for your first day of skiing we will
arrange ski hire for you until your own skis or snowboard arrive, and the €19 charge will be
refunded to you in resort. If you purchase a snowboard or pair of skis in resort, there will be
a carriage charge of €10 payable in resort for the return journey.
Please note: Only one set of ski equipment is permitted per ski bag on the flight.
AT THE RESORT
Arrival: When you land at your holiday destination airport, you will be greeted by a
Panorama representative. As soon as everyone is aboard the coach, your representative will take
you to your accommodation.
Transfers: Transfer times cover the average period taken from leaving the airport to
arrive in your resort. A further allowance should be made for time spent in resort,
transferring between properties. The times shown are approximate, as journey times can vary due
to road works, traffic, weather conditions etc. Some properties are on steep, narrow roads that
cannot be reached by coach, or weather conditions may prevent access. Please be prepared for a
short, uphill walk. Because of icy weather, it is not always possible to arrange luggage
transfer. If you are travelling with young children or have mobility problems, please ask our
reservations staff to discuss suitability.
Satellite TV: Please note that satellite TV featured in hotels may only receive CNN or
NBC Superchannel and not the European satellite channels.
Meals: Most of our hotels are offered on a bed and breakfast or half board basis
(continental breakfast and evening meal). It is possible that you may miss a meal due to the
time of arrival or departure from your hotel.
Money: Major credit cards can be used in most resorts for making purchases but it may
not be possible to draw cash, as even if there are banks in resort, the opening hours coincide
with skiing time. Travellers cheques are easily changed, just ask our Panorama
representative.
GREAT FOR CHOICE
Learn to Ski and Board Packs
We offer great value Learn to Ski and Learn to Board packs, perfect for anyone new to the
sport. They include everything you'll need as a first timer: lift pass, equipment hire and ski
or snowboard school. In addition, pre-booking your ski or board pack means our resort staff can
arrange everything for your arrival, leaving you more time to relax in to your holiday. Our
Learn to Ski and Learn to Board packs are available in selected resorts, chosen for their first
class ski and snowboard schools, good nursery slopes and gentle pistes.
Ski and Board Schools
All our resorts offer group ski tuition for beginners and lower intermediates. Enrolling
for group tuition is the ideal opportunity to meet fellow beginners and have lots of fun. With
help from knowledgeable English-speaking instructors, you'll find yourself progressing to the
higher slopes in no time at all. For more experienced skiers and boarders, we recommend you
take advantage of private instruction which can be arranged locally. On rare occasions, due to
weather conditions or lift queues, ski or board lessons may be moved from a morning to an
afternoon. You will be informed of any changes once in resort.
Board for a Day
At all our resorts, Panorama offers one day snowboarding tasters. Equipment is provided for
the day and there is an hour or two of qualified instruction. Costs for this vary from resort
to resort but are generally in the region of €30.
Switch Packs
Many skiers would like to try boarding but are reluctant to commit their whole week to it.
Our Switch Pack allows you the flexibility to swap between the two. You may like to try
boarding for the first few days and then revert to skiing. Alternatively, you may prefer to
save the boarding until later in the week. Switch Packs are available in most of our resorts
and provide either standard board and boots or high performance skis and boots. Please note,
while equipment is interchangeable, tuition is not, so if you start in ski school but swap to
boarding you cannot swap into board school or vice versa.
Ski lessons
On rare occasions, due to weather conditions or lift queues, ski school lessons may be
moved from a morning to an afternoon. You will be informed of any changes once in resort.
Ski packs
If you have not already done so, we strongly advise you to pre-book ski packs. If you have
pre-booked your ski packs, these details will appear on your invoice. You MUST take this on
holiday with you in order to claim your ski packs. Our representatives are aware of pre-booked
ski pack details in advance and have will already have acquired your lift pass and arranged
your ski school lessons if you have booked them. On the coach to your resort, you will be
advised when and where to go to collect your ski packs. If you have not pre-booked your ski
packs, our representatives will be able to help you organise them but this will take longer and
may also be more costly (we are only able to secure favourable rates for pre-booked items).
Having to organise your ski packs after arrival may also interfere with your first day's
skiing.
Unused ski pack
If you are ill or injured and can no longer use your pre-booked ski packs, you should first
of all try to claim a refund locally from the suppliers. Our representatives will be pleased to
help you if required. If you are unable to secure a refund locally, you should claim for a
proportionate refund through your travel insurance. Any such claims must be accompanied by a
report from our representative. Panorama is unable to give refunds for unused ski packs.
Snow guarantee
Snow is usually plentiful in our resorts. However, should adverse weather conditions cause
closure of 80% of the lifts and cancellation of ski school in your resort, our representative
will make every effort to arrange transportation to another resort where skiing is possible
(within 1 hour 30 minutes drive and subject to availability of coaches when you have pre-booked
a lift pass). We will provide lift passes in the alternative resorts (but not ski school) and
we cannot refund unused ski packs. If the resort is open but, in our opinion, snow conditions
are very poor, then we will endeavour to arrange transportation to another area offering better
conditions, if available. In this instance, transport and lift pass costs will be
charged.
Ski helmets for children
Ski helmets are available for hire in all our resorts although, for increased security of
fit, we suggest you purchase this relatively inexpensive piece of equipment.
NB Under a new Italian law, it is now compulsory for children under the age of 14 to wear a
helmet whilst skiing or boarding in Italian resorts.
Free Ski Helmet Rental for Children: When a full ski pack is booked for a child, we will
offer free ski helmet rental (based on purchase of lift pass, equipment and lessons).
Ski Guiding
In Andorra and Italy, we offer a ski guiding service. Our ski guides have a good all-round
knowledge of the resorts and will help you to cover more ground with a group of like-minded
skiers and snowboarders (groups are divided according to ability). Our ski guiding service runs
five days a week, is available free of charge and can be booked in resort, on a
first-come-first-served basis. Please note, our ski guides are not qualified ski instructors
and do not provide ski tuition. If this is required, you must book the services of the ski
school.
PANORAMA PLATINUM
Treat yourself - spend your skiing holiday in a Platinum hotel and combine adrenalin filled
days on the slopes with indulgent evenings enjoying relaxing spa and leisure facilities. Our
Platinum accommodation offers comfort and style for guests who demand high standards and the
chance to enjoy extensive leisure facilities outside skiing time.
Because You Deserve It
Our carefully selected 'Panorama Platinum' properties include some of Europe's best four
and five star ski hotels, each offering a high degree of comfort and style. Whatever your
choice, you can be assured of quality accommodation, good food and excellent service.
The properties listed have been allocated the prestigious 'Panorama Platinum' symbol. For
further details on facilities and treatments please see individual hotel description.
FREE Pre-booked Seats
We have included pre-bookable seats in your holiday at our Platinum properties. This means
that you and your party will be seated together on your flights.
Platinum hotels
Bulgaria
Hotel Kempinski, Bansko
Andorra
Sporthotel Hermitage, Soldeu El Tarter
Austria
Schwarzer Adler, Kitzbuhel
Kitzhof Ski, Kitzbuhel
