Lake Geneva Mountain Hotels - $62 day BnB and Kids under 12 Free

This winter, the ski resorts of the Alps of the Lake Geneva region are giving children an extra special welcome. If you take advantage of the various "Free For Kids" offers at participating hotels and pensions, children 9 and under or children 11 and under can stay and ski for free depending on accommodation.  

We like Château-d'Oex and Rougemont, two small, pretty villages stradding the French / German border in the Swiss Alps. The region -- Pays d'Enhaut -- is best known for the fabulous skiing at Gstaad. But there are several other mountain villages where life is real and kids can appreciate the Alps' unique beauty, the golden eagles soaring overhead, and the pristine environment. Best yet, the average altitude of 1,000 meters (about 3,300 feet) means that most of the altitude sickness issues that plague some kids in America's tall western Rockies won't be a problem here.

Château-d'Oex Tourism (41 (0)26 924 25) provides information on several small Swiss pensions that offer this Kids Stay and Ski Free package to snowsports-loving families, and they also produced this adorable video, that we could not resist sharing with you.

If your kids prefer a more substantial boost of adrenaline than the bunny slopes depicted above, Château-d'Oex Highland Park is a new snowboarding park set up with jumps and ramps of various levels. In the village of d'Oex, the Hotel de la Poste (+41 (0)26 924 62 84) is one place making this Kids Under 10 Stay and Ski Free offer to families. Very simple chalet style rooms with wood panelling, a washbasin, and a small balcony overlooking the mountain begin at 65CHF-105CHF (about US$62-US$101) per adult, including breakfast. Most of the small rooms sleep two, and shared showers are down the hall of this pension. To add a hearty Swiss meal at suppertime to your stay, add 29F (US$28) per person.

Hôtel Bon Accueil (+41 (0)26 924 63 20) is a 3-star choice in Château?d’Oex that has extended its offer to kids up to age 12. This very pretty historic hotel is a typical Swiss farmhouse nestled in a high valley with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. The Hostellerie Bon Accueil's rooms are 165CHF-205CHF (US$159-US$197) per night for two adults, including breakfast. Kids under 12 stay and ski free and family members can pay 49CHF for half-pension, or an additional meal each day. Dogs are welcome too, for a fee of only 5CHF per day.

From a winter sports fan's perspective the great thing about Château d'Oex and Rougemont is that the lift ticket to these ski areas includes trasportation via mountain train or bus, enabling families to drive between different ski areas. Take the lift up in one, ski down and end up in another, and grab your gear, board the tram, and you're soon back in the starting village.

For an ideal day for fit skiers, the Hotel de la Poste suggests, "After Château-d'Oex's own slopes there are those of Rougemont -- where you can leave the train and walk over to the gondola which takes you up to the mountain tops; then it's a similar story at Saanen (after you've crossed the language border to German-speaking Switzerland!), and beyond Gstaad at Saanenmoser and Zweisimmen. Gstaad is the point where you can hop off the train and onto the bus over towards les Diablerets and Villars, with the famous Diablerets glacier the first stop. The transport system continues right through the day and the evening so there's no mad rush to catch the last ski bus home at the end of your day on the slopes."

If the ultimate in health and wellness appeals, you may want to experience the Hotel Villa Vermont in nearby Leysin. For skiing and riding teens and parents who want to pamper them, this is your home in the Alps. The Hotel Villa is open to everyone who wants to indulge in a peaceful haven of comfort; rooms are 160CHF (US$158) per night for two adults, including breakfast, and kids under 10 are free of charge. This new establishment specializes in a plethora of unique services such as Ayurvedic massages (Indian massage technique that removes toxins from the body and increases circulation), sandalwood paste and rosewater baths, and plantar reflexology, which eliminates common foot problems. Then of course, there's easy access to the slopes.

After you’ve tired out from your winter sports and are ready for an excursion, explore Lake Geneva's major culinary achievements.  The Hôtel de la gare, in Lucens, is home of the renowned chef Pierrick Suter who was even given the coveted title of “Western’s Switzerland’s Chef of the Year" award.  

The Free for Kids under 12 or 10 promotions are in effect from December 2009 to March 2010, or until the resorts close.  For a complete list of hotel providers offering this package, please visit the Lake Geneva Alps website where you can find information for online booking. For more ideas on value skiing in Europe, check out FTF's roundup of the top packagers selling Europe ski tours.