Catered Chalets in Verbier: What’s Included and How to Choose

A catered chalet is one of the most comfortable ways to spend a ski holiday in Verbier. Breakfast is ready before the lifts open, tea is waiting when you come back, and dinner is served without anyone having to book a table or walk home in the snow. The terms, however, vary a great deal. This guide explains the models and how to compare them. Catered chalets in Verbier come in a few distinct models.

Catered chalets in Verbier: the main models

• Fully catered (full board): a chef or chalet team provides breakfast, often an afternoon snack, and dinner on most days of the stay. Some operators schedule an evening off for the staff each week; ask.
• Chef on demand: the chalet has a kitchen and a chef can be booked for specific meals or days, usually at an extra charge.
• Breakfast included: a lighter service, with dinners taken in the village or arranged separately.
• Self-catered: no meals are provided; you cook or eat out.

Catered is not the same as staffed. A staffed chalet may also include a host, housekeeping, a driver, a spa therapist or a nanny, depending on the property. If the chalet does not supply a nanny, the Verbier tourism office keeps a directory of independent babysitters and childminders; see Verbier with kids for ski-school ages.

What is usually included

In a catered chalet, the rate often covers the chef’s service and the food for the included meals. Drinks are where terms differ most: some include house wine with dinner, others charge for all drinks, and premium wines and spirits are almost always extra. Ask for a written list of what is included and what is charged separately.

Questions to ask

• Which meals are included, and on how many days?
• Is there a staff night off, and what happens that evening?
• Are drinks included, and which ones?
• How are special requests and premium ingredients billed?
• Can the chef cater for allergies, dietary requirements and children?
• Who else is on staff, and what are their hours?
• Is a driver or ski shuttle included?
• How are staff gratuities usually handled?

Choosing the right model

Fully catered suits families and groups who want to ski hard and relax in the evening, and chalets far from the village center, where going out means a drive. Chef on demand suits groups who want flexibility, mixing meals at home with restaurant nights. Self-catered suits smaller groups staying centrally who plan to eat out most nights.

Planning menus

Share dietary needs and preferences before arrival. Many chalet chefs build menus around seasonal and regional produce and can include Valais specialities such as raclette. Children’s meals can often be served earlier. For restaurant ideas on nights out, read our guide to where to eat in Verbier. For a raclette night out, Le Caveau on the Place Centrale refines its own raclette cheeses and listed winter 2026 hours of 16.00–22.30 on weekdays.

Location still matters

Even with a chef, you will leave the chalet every day to ski. Check the route to the lifts and the ski school meeting point. Our guide to where to stay in Verbier explains how location affects daily logistics. Note that the main ski-school meeting point at stop 17 cannot be reached by private car; the tourism office states access is only by free shuttle line 1, which runs every day of the year.

Book early

The best catered chalets for Christmas, New Year and February are often booked many months ahead, along with ski instructors and guides. Read our guide to when to ski Verbier.

Catered chalets in Verbier suit groups who want meals and service built into the stay.