Club Med Charlevoix, Quebec: What's the draw
Sure, a trip to sunnier climes might be gnawing away at the old grey cells as you plan winter travel. However, if you're a ski bunny, Club Med Charlevoix in Quebec is a fantastic option for everyone on your tour bus.
Club Med's first North American mountain resort is located on Le Massif (about a 90-minute drive from Quebec City) and opened back in early December 2021. The hill is a short 10 minute walk from the ski shop, meaning that you can get in a morning or afternoon session, and still have plenty of time for chilling out and enjoying the many other great facilities on offer.
The accommodation at Club Med Charlevoix is cozy and inspired by Quebec winters — in the Superior Rooms you'll find midnight blue and white dreamcatcher decals offset with sunshine yellow pops of colour from pillows and throws. Plus, furnished balconies overlooking the St. Lawrence River or Le Massif mountains make those morning coffees and afternoon hot chocolates hit different.
Room rates include your food and drink, lift tickets and group ski lessons, making it a one-stop-shop that negates the need to do much thinking or planning ahead of your stay — and doesn't that sound kind of perfect right now?
Club Med Charlevoix, Quebec: What's on the menu
Forget recycled meats and veggies that look suspiciously similar to yesterday's buffet items. Le Marché, the central stop for food at the resort, offers a diverse array of fresh food options like wood-fired pizza, roast beef, lobster on the half shell, cheese for days, plus a dessert station we could have happily lived at for the duration of our stay. The buffet is elevated with French-Canadian touches like tourtière, and each dining space is themed to celebrate gastronomic endeavours like hunting, fishing, agriculture and foraging.
Le Chalet is a reservations-required dining spot you might want to lose the snowsuit for. Throw on some accessories and lippie, and enjoy locally curated cheese boards, yummy cocktails and a grown-up dinner amongst the plaid and Quebecois design vibes.
In addition to premium alcohol like Carlsberg on tap and Crown Royal in cocktails, the resort also offers some tasty local libations. Courreur des Bois is a unique blend of aged Canadian rye whisky and pure premium maple syrup that makes for a great post-slopes sipper, while L’Amermelade, a Québec-made aperitivo, is perfect in a lounge-side Aperol spritz. Still thirsty? Head to La Cave for a la carte options, like Le Charlevoyou gin.
If a midday sugar high sounds like the perfect way to stave off ski boot-induced weariness (it's a real thing, okay?), stop by the Gourmet Forest on your way back from the slopes for that most Canadian of snacks, maple syrup taffy.
Club Med Charlevoix, Quebec: What else
Perhaps you need a little après-ski me time, or maybe you never made it to the ski lift in the first place. Either way, you'll find plenty of ways to unwind at Club Med Spa by Sothys (a fancy French skincare range). Book a full-body massage (ahead of time is recommended) or slip out of your robe and into an outdoor hot tub overlooking the St Lawrence River. There's also a sauna and hammam, a steam room and an indoor swimming pool where you can let your troubles float away — or get your blood pumping with a plunge in the cold water bath.
If skiing or snowboarding isn't your jam, you can gently hike up the Le Massif mountain or grab some poles and go for a Nordic ramble. If your urge is more pirouette than perambulate, lace up your skates (rental included) and glide onto the ice — Club Med Charlevoix is the only resort in the family that includes an ice rink amongst its attractions. If you yearn to explore beyond the resort for the day, dogsledding, whale watching and city jaunts can be arranged for an additional fee.
Those with any energy left in the tank — and feeling left in their legs — come happy hour can partake in some live entertainment. From acoustic sets to full-band singalongs that'll have everyone on their feet, Bar Le Météore is the place to start and end your evening.
Rooms start at $210 per adult/per night (including taxes).
Club Med Charlevoix, 1, rue de la Montagne-Secrète, Petite-Rivière-Saint-François; clubmed.ca
