A week in Aigle with the family: our experience at the aparthotel

Jules and I have two kids. Travelling with them is a logistical exercise. You need a bed for each child, a kitchen so you're not eating out every evening, and a space where the adults can unwind once the little ones are asleep. Ski resorts are beautiful, but the prices are dizzying. For a week-long stay, accommodation alone quickly eats through a comfortable budget. Aigle is 20 minutes from the slopes at Leysin or Les Mosses. And Nonanteneuf is a real apartment — a proper kitchen, a real living room, actual beds in actual bedrooms. At a price that left us with a budget to actually enjoy ourselves.

We arrived on a Sunday evening after four hours on the road. The kids were grumpy, bags scattered across the corridor, and all I wanted was to not have to go back out to find food. I opened the fridge — empty, of course, but clean and spacious. Opened the cupboards: pots, a pan, a chopping board, full crockery. Within ten minutes I had heated up pasta from what we'd packed in the cool box. The kids ate at the living room table. We had a glass of local white wine on the sofa. Quiet. It sounds trivial put like that. But if you're used to hotels with children — expensive room service, a tiny bathroom, two beds pushed together — you understand what it means to have real space. The kids had their room. We had ours. For laundry, the building's shared laundry room is available to all residents — a detail that means you can travel light and not come home with a suitcase full of dirty clothes. And the light. Nonanteneuf's apartments are bright, with views of the Alps. In the mornings, my eldest would wake before us and sit on the sofa watching the mountains. I found him like that two or three mornings in a row, silent — which is nothing short of miraculous for him.

We hadn't planned anything in advance — that was rather the point. Here's what happened naturally. Monday and Tuesday, we explored Aigle on foot. The castle is a must, and the kids loved it — there's a real wine museum inside, with areas designed for families. In the evenings, we cooked. We shopped at the local market or the Migros in the town centre, ten minutes' walk away. Wednesday, we went up to Leysin. Cable car, picnic, back before the little ones fell apart. The advantage of staying down in the valley: no stress getting back. Thursday, a gentler day. We cycled along the Rhône — Aigle sits at the heart of a well-marked cycling network. The younger one was in a bike seat, the older one pedalled away. We stopped at a vineyard for a quick tasting. Friday and Saturday, back up into the mountains towards Les Diablerets and Glacier 3000. And Sunday, we packed up the apartment — almost reluctantly.

We'd do exactly the same thing, with one change: arrive on Saturday rather than Sunday to catch the Aigle morning market. What we really appreciated: flexible check-in, the quality of the bed linen, and the fact that everything was clean and functional without us having to manage anything. No landlord texting at 10pm to check everything's okay. No reception closed on weekends. What could have been even better: we were looking for local tips — the spots the locals know. We discovered afterwards that a short online guide is available through Nonanteneuf, listing the team's favourite local addresses. Worth consulting before you arrive. Aigle isn't a destination sold to you as a postcard. It's a living town rooted in its land, with vineyards running down to the rooftops and the Alps rising at the end of every street. Travelling with family? Check our availability or write to us and we'll find the right option together.