Back in 1770 the very first guest house opened in Chamonix Haute Savoie.

Before this date Chamonix Haute Savoie France constituted a wild and tough farming place where people hunted their animals and farmed their oats.

Barns then were used to breed herds over the summer.

The milk was preserved by transforming it into cheese and butter and kept in the valley for consumption during the long winters.

In the winter season the farmhouses were locked up, and valued possessions were put safely in a shack.

The person who came up with luxury chalet holidays is unknown, however it was in all probability a few keen folk who recognised a idea which was new and exciting.

For Erna Low it commenced when she was a homesick postgraduate who could not visit her siblings back home in Austrias often as she would like to.

And so in 1932 she took a gamble and took out a small advertisement in the Times to ask clients on a skiing break. The cost was £15 and they journeyed to and from the ski resort, were provided with dinner and lodging in the sole hotel, and paid for ski hire and tuition.

The holiday was difficult, there weren’t any skiing lifts, no quick release fixations, only leather boots, it was such a hit that Erna Low continued to take skiers on vacations, guaranteeing she utilized fantastic hotels and ski instructors.

Ski trips during the early years were a far cry to the luxury we can experience now.

Back then hot water was in short supply, bathrooms would be shared out with all of the customers, and there was no a cook; the clients were expected to help out with the chores.

It was a real gamble who might share the chalet for a vacation, one could be surprised to encounter fresh friends, or grimaced by the thought of spending another day with unpleasant guests.