Skiing at Tremblant

Skiing is tops here. It’s #1 in the Northeast. The pedestrian village is a miniature of Whistler in BC, fun for strolling and apres-ski. The restaurants are of great variety and each one is better than the next.

Walking in the town of St. Jovite with it's eclectic shops and quaint renovated buildings during a flaky snowfall was so beautiful.

Scadinave Spa is a must. It’s tucked away in the woods along a river. They have outdoor pools and hot tubs, indoor saunas, and steam. What a nice way to spend a snowy or cold afternoon. Massages are so relaxing.

Manitou Lodge at the top of the mountain overlooking the slopes and Lac Tremblant serves nice mountain fare.

Dogsledding was so appealing, but the shortest session was they hours --- we didn't want to give up a day of skiing. Maybe next time

Quick Tips:

Check the internet and your hotel for possible discounted lift tickets.

Take the bus to the mountain on weekends. If you're not there early enough for the free parking lots, the fee is .

Have some maple syrup on snow -- you twirl it up on a popsicle stick to make a lollypop!!

Ride the Cabriolet to get an overview of Tremblant.

Venture away from the touristy (although excellent) restaurants to drive a few miles for lots of ambience and lower prices.

Best Way To Get Around:

A car is a definite must to enjoy the area. There is bus service for C to take you to the mountain -- it follows about a 10-mile route from the town through the village and finally to the mountain (see Tremblant "101")to better understand the layout of the area).

The pedestrian village is well marked to find your way around -- some small inclines and cobblestone streets add to the charm.

Plenty of sidewalks in the village and the town make walking easy. There are lakes everywhere and the mountains make the walk seem so short.

Best Things Nearby:
Tremblant ski area and pedestrian village

Lac Moore across the street with skating and boating

St Jovite – this town is six miles away with eclectic shops and lots of restaurants

Best Things About the Resort:
Location across the street from Lac Moore

Friendly staff

Spacious accommodations

Well equipped kitchens

Resort Experience:
This one-, two-, and three-bedroom timeshares are in the second best spot in the Mont Tremblant area -- the prime spot being, of course, in the pedestrian village at the foot of the mountain. This resort has six buildings facing Lac Moore; it's about two miles from the mountain and within walking distance of the shops and restaurants in Tremblant village and six miles away from St Jovite, a small town with preserved Victorian buildings turned into eclectic shops and many restaurants.

Each building is slightly different, but most condos have great unobstructed views of the lake. All units are spacious and spread out in two- and three-story buildings(no elevators) built into the hillside. Large decks, fireplaces, full kitchens with dishwasher, and a communal washer/dryer in each building make this resort very comfortable. There are lots of stairs here and much uneven ground due to the fact that there is still some construction going on and the driveway is not paved.

Summertime must be beautiful here -- barbecue grills are spread about along with tables, Adirondack chairs, swings, and benches. A children's play area occupies a grassy area and there is a small summer use only pool facing the lake. Across the street is a private dock and boats for La Voliere's guests.

The furniture is functional and comfortable but done in "60's style modern" bought on a budget. A condo decorator could really make these units so appealing -- even on a budget. Nice touches are dark wood moldings, heavy wood doors, French doors leading to a very large deck (some are shared) from both the living room and bedroom. There is lots of storage space and the kitchen is large, opens to the living room/dining room, and is well equipped with all appliances, even a dishwasher, cooking utensils as you're used to at home and service for eight.

No daily cleaning is offered but on Wednesdays you can exchange towels. Upon check-in you are given a loose-leaf folder with lots of info about the resort and surrounding areas. There is a small grocery store and a 7-11 type store within walking distance and two full service supermarkets in St. Jovite.

There are tons of restaurants of all kinds from gourmet fare to pizza and burgers are nearby -- about 10 within walking distance. We found the food excellent, well prepared and nicely presented at all of the restaurants -- not one complaint. They have a few shops that specialize in meals prepared to be reheated at home - they are inexpensive and of really good quality. We even bought some to bring back to the states.

The resort is quiet, peaceful, relaxing, and in a great location. Not many resort activities were offered but the staff is very willing to make any arrangements for you. They plan to have more in-house offerings as the resort grows. The few minor complaints are easily overlooked. I highly recommend La Voliere and we are looking forward to our next exchange.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Fair
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

What a place!! No wonder it's voted the #1 resort in the Northeast. Certainly lives up to its accolades. Mont Tremblant is visually pleasing upon arrival - the colorful village, the beautiful homes, hotels and condos, the mountains and the lakes.

If you arrive by car, there are free parking lots and some more convenient lots for a fee - free buses to the mountain run regularly throughout the condo area at the mountain. Buses for $1.00 each way come from as far away as 10 - 12 miles and run every half hour or so until about 11pm. Employees are pleasant, helpful and friendly.

The "Tours de voyageurs" building houses a ski shop, rental/repair, guest services, ticket sales and basket storage. What we found difficult here was that there were very few benches to change into ski boots - only three chairs and two small benches. We found no typical base lodge for "brown baggers" on the North Side either - Everyone here is on "vacation." The locals seem to drive to the South Side - about 9 miles away to the more typical base lodge. But the North Side and the pedestrian village is where you want to be.

Now to the skiing...intermediate heaven!! With a 2800-foot vertical drop, the runs seem long and the rating of slopes (blue, green, black) is in keeping with the East. This a mini "Whistler" - you can see the "Intrawest" influence everywhere. (These are the developers). The three faces of the mountain - North Side, South Side and Sunnyside - make it easy to "follow the sun" or "escape the wind."

Beginners have a great area on the lower part on the North Side with wide, gentle slopes, breaking off occasionally to a little steeper intermediate handle if they choose to try. Intermediates can basically ski anywhere that's groomed. The black diamonds are steeper trail, but they are mostly wide and groomed. Experts will find their exhilaration on ungroomed slopes with moguls - defined as double black diamonds. Don't expect the "Birds of Prey" of Beaver Creek - remember that you're at a smaller Eastern-type mountain.

Instructors with the kids’ ski school seem to love what they're doing. Kids are skiing, laughing, and enjoying learning. The instructors are interested in them, helping them with their clothing, skiing backwards to encourage and observe them, constantly praising them and giving them tips, and having a good time when taking a hot chocolate break.

One nice aspect of this mountain is that all lifts converge at the summit, where there is a nice lodge. Families and friends of different ability don't have to spend much time getting to the meeting place. I'm excited about Tremblant - it's the classiest, most fun resort in the East - definitely deserves the ratings. START MAKING PLANS.

The Manitou is Tremblant's praise-winning mountain top lodge. This is an Intrawest creation -- their signature three-story heavy wood -- lots of glass and stone lodge with and outdoor deck for the better weather.

The main floor has lots of seating space, a small ski apparel alcove that sells whatever you forgot at the hotel for a rainy day, a sunny day, or a freezing day. A bar overlooks the slopes and Lac Tremblant in the distance. In addition to alcoholic drinks and beer, the bar serves cocoa and specialty coffees -- cappuccino, espresso, mocha, etc. -- in cups, bowls, and Irish coffee cups, which is a nice touch instead of a Styrofoam cups.

The Manitou is an extremely well designed buffet style restaurant. Separate stations provide good flow and eliminates lines and congestion usually typical at most ski areas. The Manitou has a grill station for hamburgers, fries, hot dogs and poutine (a Quebec specialty -- fries topped with chunks of mozzarella cheese and gravy -- yummy). A salad bar, soup bar and drink station are self-serve. There is a cold made to order sandwich bar, a hot carving station for a meal or sandwich, and a pizza/pasta station. Specials such as salmon pie, chili in a taco shell or curried chicken are served in another area and one last buffet area for desserts. Six cashiers keep the lines moving, some accepting cash only.

The lower level is much more casually done in light wood tones and school cafeteria style tables for brown bag lunches. They have an express station for pre-made sandwiches, drinks, snacks and desserts for those in a hurry to get back to the slopes.

Though not as lavish as the Whistler, Sun Valley or Deer Valley mountain lodges, the Manitou is a top notch place to warm up by the fireplace, sip a warm drink or savor an excellent mountain lunch at average prices (C$2-8 for drinks to entrees and sandwiches).

This is a great place to meet, even just to warm up. All lifts to the top converge here so it is easy to meet up with friends and family who ski different abilities or like different slopes or boarding parks.

1. A car makes your stay much more enjoyable, but there is a bus that runs past La Voliere every half hour until about 11pm. For C$1, it takes you from St. Jovite (six miles away) to the pedestrian village at Tremblant.

2. There is still construction going on, but it was not noisy or bothersome, just a bit of an eyesore around the parking area.

3. Shampoo and conditioner are not provided, and while you're at it, bring along a bar of soap -- these are by far the smallest I've ever seen.

4. Sponges, scouring pads, and dish detergent are not changed each week even if previously used, so I like to bring my own along -- I've assembled a "condo pack" for these little things.

5. Doors do not lock automatically here and you cannot lock it with the key -- you must use the handle: push it in and turn it. Remember to lock the deck doors, too, as you share the deck with your neighbor.

6. There are lots of steps here because the resort is built into the hillside. There are no elevators and the ground is uneven due to the construction. The driveway has not yet been paved. Bring good walking shoes.

7. Free skating is just across the street on the lake -- a long oval track is cleared by a plow. No skate rentals available, so bring your own.

8. There is one internet terminal in the reception building -- the cost is C$3 for 15 minutes.

9. Phone calls are expensive at C$.39 a minute to the States. Calling card and 800-number calls cannot be made from your room. There is a public phone in one of the buildings.

10. We could not receive phone calls except during front desk hours: 9am-5pm. They do have voice mail, but we could not get it set up, even with the help of the receptionist. Hopefully, it will be fixed soon.

11. The radiant heat in the floor feels so nice, but it takes a long time to warm the unit. A fireplace helps on cold days. Only fireplace logs can be used -- they can be purchased at the front desk for C$5 each or for half that price at the supermarket.

12. The Sunday night wine and cheese party is to get acquainted and to tell you about specials and discounts on skiing, dog sledding, spas, and restaurants. We did take advantage and saved a few dollars and were treated to a drink at Le Bernadin restaurant.

13. Bring towels for the pool and lake -- there are no beach towels provided.

14. The timeshare salesman called to make an appointment, but was not forceful -- we explained that we had all that we needed.

15. The sign to the entrance is hidden. The resort entrance is easy to miss -- make sure you follow the instructions given on the confirmation from RCI. It's on the left just across from the lake.

16. Make sure you accept an exchange here if it comes up on your search. You really will enjoy the area -- more beautiful than I had imagined with all the lakes and mountains.

Being from the Northeast, we had heard of Mont Tremblant long before its ascendence as the #1 ski mountain in the Northeast. In 1990, "Intrawest" bought and developed this area into the charming and popular area that it has become. We were going to ski at Mont Tremblant, enjoy the pedestrian "village" - but - we were staying out of town - two miles away.

Our first day is usually spent "exploring and reading" to acclimatize to our new surroundings. We were so confused...so I'll try to prepare you ahead of time - "Tremblant 101."

The ski mountain with all its surrounding hotels, condos and unique pedestrian village is referred to as TREMBLANT - not Mont Tremblant - just TREMBLANT. This is the area that has earned all the accolades, and it is charming, but also the most expensive area in terms of lodging and restaurants. The hotels have heated outdoor pools, indoor pools, public areas with fireplaces, restaurants of all types, room types from hotel units to penthouses - it's all here. The pedestrian village reminds one of "Old Quebec" - hilly, cobblestone-paved, lined with boutiques and all kinds of restaurants and bars. A "Cabriolet" (a six-passenger open tram) transports both pedestrians and skiers from the parking lots, over the tops of hotels to the base of the ski area. The hillside of Tremblant is dotted with "Intrawest-created" multi-million-dollar condos, townhouses and homes.

Within this pedestrian area are more subdivided areas to help direct you through the village. Many of these are named after the hotel or shop building that dominates the area - such as DesLauriers, Johannsen, St Bernard areas. The "Vieux Tremblant" area has individual small buildings turned into restaurants and bars - these may have been the original mountain buildings from years ago, or maybe they are new - but it looks really great.

The next area is "VILLAGE OF MONT TREMBLANT" or Mont Tremblant secteur de village. This is the former village as it was before the mountain was developed - it's only about two miles away and borders on two lakes. It is no more than a mile or so long and easily walked on a sidewalk that is plowed in winter. The Mont Tremblant Hotel with its renowned Le Bernadin Restaurant is possibly the center of activity in this small village - we also find a few ski shops, B&B's, condos, small hotels/motels on the lake, little homes on the lake, two small grocery stores, a pizza parlor, real estate agencies, a few French and Italian restaurants, another pizza parlor, a couple of family restaurants, post office, furniture store, and coming soon, a pharmacie. The lake even has a quarter-mile track plowed for ice skating - and it's free. This area is less expensive than Tremblant, the restaurants are excellent, and the bus comes past each half hour to take you to the mountain.

The last area is ST. JOVITE, also known as Mont Tremblant Secteur de Ville - the Town of Mont Tremblant. Confused yet?? This is another 6 miles away, but connected by bus for $1CDN each way. It is a quaint, charming town with preserved historical homes that are now boutique shops. A wide range of restaurants, specialty food shops and bakeries for eating in or taking out are spread through the town. Chain brand supermarkets, gas stations, fast food outlets, and less expensive hotels (such as Holiday Inn Express) are on the outskirts. Again, you'll find that the further away from the mountain you are, the less expensive. Great bargains here and a great way to spend a blustery, cold or rainy afternoon when skiing may not be so appealing. Don't miss "Petit Hameau Area," an enchanting little area with specialty shops - especially on a snowy afternoon.

Have fun and don't miss out on the areas away from the mountain itself - hope this helped you out.