A cosy, basic place — fine for what it is ★★
L’Arveyron Open House is a cosy, welcoming spot by the river, just outside central Chamonix. The train track runs close by — you’ll see and hear trains from the room — but the station is downtown, so you can’t rely on rail from here.
Our family room was dated and tired, with accessibility fixtures in the bathroom we hadn’t expected; I can’t say if other rooms are newer. The main thing to know is there’s no air conditioning. We came during a +35°C heatwave, so we had to open the windows — closed, you don’t hear the train; open, you do. Our room was also ground floor, making open windows awkward for privacy.
A couple of expectations to set: cleaning is on request only, not daily, and breakfast is a paid extra rather than included (and fairly basic).
The upside of the outskirts location is real: you’re on the edge of the forest with trailheads close by, so you can step out and start walking. For town, though, a car is essential. Parking at the hotel is easy — a dedicated lot at €5/day — but we drove in most days and then hunted for parking downtown, which in a Chamonix summer is a challenge.
The staff were genuinely nice and welcoming, which counts for a lot.
Overall a fair two-star: honest, friendly, no frills. Worth it for value and if your focus is hiking over town life — though with plenty of choice in Chamonix, it wouldn’t be our first pick to return to.