Planibel Apartments La Thuile Review: Honest Family Pros & Cons

If you’re planning a family ski trip to La Thuile, there’s a very good chance you’ll come across Planibel Hotel & Residence. It’s one of the main accommodation options in the resort — but it’s not always obvious whether it’s the right choice for families.

This review is for families travelling with children who want somewhere practical, well-located, and easy to manage during a ski trip — not necessarily luxury, but something that makes day-to-day life simpler.

Quick Answer: Are Planibel Apartments Good for Families?

Yes — if you value practicality over luxury.

They are:

• well located

• spacious compared to hotel rooms

• and make ski days easier to manage

They’re not the most modern or stylish accommodation, but for families, they work.

We’ve stayed in the Planibel complex multiple times as a family, usually as part of a Crystal Ski package. Having everything organised together — flights, transfers, accommodation and skiing — made the trip much easier to manage, particularly with a child. Planning a trip to La Thuile with kids? Start here: → La Thuile Ski Trip with Kids: Honest Family Guide (Crystal Ski Review)

This guide includes links to the options we’ve used or considered. Some may be affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend accommodation we’ve personally stayed in and would choose again.

Where Is Planibel La Thuile?

Planibel is located in Frazione Entreves, around a 2.5‑hour transfer from Turin Airport.

It sits just outside the centre of La Thuile (around a 5‑minute walk), in one of the most practical positions in the resort for skiing.

La Thuile itself is a small, relaxed village in the Aosta Valley, on the border with France. The ski area links to La Rosière, giving access to a wider ski area without needing to move accommodation.

If you want a feel for the village itself, see What La Thuile Village Is Really Like.

What Is Planibel?

Planibel is a large, functional ski complex split into two parts:

• the hotel (with catering options)

• the residence (self-catering apartments)

It’s not a traditional alpine chalet — more of a practical ski in / ski out base right next to the lifts and ski school — for families, this is what counts.

If you’re deciding between the two, we’ve covered that here: Planibel Hotel vs Apartments: Which Is Better with Kids?

This location is what makes the biggest difference — being this close to lifts and ski school removes a lot of stress from the day, especially with kids.

→ See what’s included in the trip we booked

Facilities at Planibel

What’s Available

• reception

• bar and lounge

• restaurant (La Raclette)

• spa and wellness centre, swimming pool (extra charge)

• WiFi (works, but can be variable)

Note: some listings still reference a gym, which is no longer there.

The Swimming Pool

The pool is free for hotel guests. If you stay in the apartments, you’ll need to pay. When we visited, it was around €40 for a family of three.

Other things to know:

• swim hats are required

• pool towels must be rented there

We treated it as a one-off rather than a regular activity.

For other options beyond skiing, see: Things to Do in La Thuile with Kids

Bar and Restaurant

The bar area is easy and relaxed, with:

• comfortable seating

• a pool table

• occasional entertainment

The on-site restaurant, La Raclette, is simple and family-friendly. It’s a convenient option rather than somewhere you’d go every night.

For more practical food options, see: Where to Eat in La Thuile with Kids

The Apartments 'Residence': What You Actually Get

Planibel apartments range from studios to two-bedroom options.

All include:

• kitchenette (hob, fridge, microwave)

• kettle

• basic cookware and utensils

• dining area

• towels

• TV and safe

• hairdryer

You’ll also have:

• ski stand on the balcony

• lift or stair access

Smaller apartments include limited in-room boot space, but larger ski lockers are available elsewhere in the complex.

What’s Not Included (Important)

This is where a lot of people get caught out.

You won’t get:

• toaster

• washing-up liquid or sponge

• tea or coffee

• more than one bin bag

We’d recommend bringing:

• a tea towel

• a small sponge

• extra bin bags

Our Apartment

We stayed in a “Superior 1 Bedroom Apartment”, which included:

• a separate bedroom

• living area

• bathroom plus separate shower

• space for up to 4 people

Some apartments have two toilets, others don’t — this seems to vary.

For us, this setup just worked — having space, flexibility and everything nearby made the whole week feel much easier to manage as a family.

Seeing the full package helps put that into context.

→ View the package we used

The Hotel Option

Friends we travelled with stayed in the hotel.

It worked well for them because:

• meals were included (breakfast and dinner only)

• everything was handled for them

But it does mean:

• less space

• no kitchen

• fixed meal times

For us, self-catering suited our routine better, especially with a child.

How Close Is It to the Slopes?

Planibel is effectively ski-in / ski-out.

In reality:

• 3–5 minute walk to lifts

• 3–5 minute walk to ski school

That’s about as convenient as you’ll get in La Thuile.

If you want to understand how that fits into a ski day, see: Our Family Ski Day in La Thuile

Check-In and Check-Out

Check-in can be slow:

• official time is 5pm

• rooms are rarely ready earlier

Our usual approach:

• leave bags

• collect ski equipment (usually open from 3pm)

• go for a lunch or a drink

Check-out is straightforward — just drop keys and go.

Staff Experience

In general, staff were fine, but experiences can vary.

We did have one issue with a noisy room, which required pushing to resolve. Once escalated, it was sorted and we were moved.

Since then, we always request rooms away from lifts in advance.

Are Planibel Apartments Good for Families?

Yes — and that’s why we keep coming back.

They work because they are:

• practical

• central

• easy to manage

• and set up for real family needs

They’re not luxury, but they make ski trips simpler.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• excellent location

• very practical for families

• good space compared to hotel rooms

• strong value

Cons

• not particularly characterful

• check-in can be slow

• pool access costs extra

• you need to bring a few essentials

• some rooms can be noisy

Final Verdict

We’ve stayed here multiple times and would absolutely stay again.

If you want:

• an easy, low-stress ski base

• everything within walking distance

• and accommodation that works with kids

Planibel Apartments aren’t about luxury — they’re about making a ski trip with kids simpler and more manageable.

For us, staying here as part of a package made everything feel straightforward from the start.

If your priority is making the trip as easy as possible with kids, this setup made a big difference for us.

ready to start planning?

If you're planning a La Thuile trip and want to see how everything fits together

About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.