Les Ecureuils is a unique place for retreats due to its architecture, atmosphere, and environment. A key asset is the interlinking of the retreat’s primary goal with group building and forming, which proved to have a long lasting positive effect in several instances. It is optimal for retreats of groups with 10 to 20 members.
For a retreat to work at Les Ecureuils, the group has to cooperate. This is one of the reasons to come here.
Cooperation is encouraged and demanded by joint efforts for cooking and eating, for calm sleeping, for using the common washroom and showers, and for cleaning. If so desired, the load on the group can be reduced by booking additional services like cooking, serving meals, and final cleaning.
Group retreats invariably also lead to difficult situations where subgroups or individuals have to separate for some time. With its 3 separate dormitories, one with a large study corner, the balcony, the lawn in front of the house, and diverse possibilities for shorter and longer walks directly starting from the house, there is ample free room to satisfy diverse needs.
infrastructure
in the house
Les Ecureuils has a large, industry-quality kitchen with everything needed also for large groups. For groups of 20 or less, it is very comfortable as is the adjacent dining room. On warm days, you may choose to dine outside. The corridor from the kitchen opens directly to the lawn.
Outside of the meals, the dining room transforms into a meeting room. Coffee, tea, fruits,… remain all easily available from the kitchen.
For presentations and interactions, there is a large monitor available together with a magnetic white board, and there is a sufficient number of power outlets if you need to set up computers or other devices. Throughout the house free WiFi is available.
In the roof truss, there is a quiet room that is regularly used for meditations. It is equally fit for praying, for yoga practices, and for calm exercises, explorations, even for small exhibits. The room is accessible through narrow and steep stairs, has a sloping ceiling, and can host some 12 persons.
accessibility
Les Ecureuils is accessible by a short but moderately steep dirt road. Conditions permitting, you may drive with your 4×4 car directly to the house for unloading and loading. Oftentimes, however, you will have to carry your material.
The house is a traditional chalet with narrow and in part steep stairs. There are no elevators or ramps. Unfortunately, it is thus not equipped for the disabled.
in the village
A grocery store is within sight from Les Ecureuils, some 100 m away. Open 7 days a week, 8:30–12:00 and 14:00–18:00, it offers daily fresh bread, a wide range of food items, and you can order, or even better preorder, anything that may not be immediately available.
A sports store is located some 150 m from Les Ecureuils. Here, you can find everything from sunscreen and band-aid to rental crampons and skies.
The post office, which doubles as a tourist’s office, is also some 150 m from Les Ecureuils.
availability and cost
Les Ecureuils is preferably rented on a weekly basis, from Sat to Sat. The cost depends on group size and required supplementary services. The basic package includes the 3 dormitories with the related restrooms and showers, the kitchen, and the dining/meeting room rented for 1 week. Electricity, warm water, and heating is included. Also included is the first waste bag. Further bags, which include the tax, can be purchased at the grocery store.
The following list shows the cost for a one week stay, Saturday to Saturday.
| basic package for 10…20 persons for 7 days | 1’890…2’940 sFr |
| additional 2-bed room (2 rooms available) | 140 sFr |
| room for meditation (incl mats and cushions) | 280 sFr |
| full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee/tea) alternative: restaurants of nearby hotels | 490 sFr/person |
| cleaning | 250 sFr |
| tax | 14 sFr/person |
Mandatory items are in bold. Optional items are in italic and can be booked when available. For intermediate group sizes, the cost of the basic package changes proportionally.
Upon reservation, 20% of the total is due and non-refundable.
For availability and other inquiries, please contact Marie Madeleine Roth-Fauchère.
other places at Arolla
If coupling your retreat’s primary goal with group building and forming is not a necessity, if your group demands more luxury, or if it has more than 20 members, then Les Ecureuils is not the optimal place. You may want to explore other possibilities at Arolla, specifically Grand Hôtel Kurhaus, Hôtel du Glacier, and Hôtel Aiguille de la Tza.