For tourists on holiday in the French ski resort of Les Orres, mandarins are not simply a delicious winter fruit they can eat on the chairlift to recharge batteries with a vitamin C boost between two descents on their skis or snowboard... For 6 years now, it is the welcome hostesses of this ski resort in the Hautes-Alpes who bear this unusual name which comes from the color of their eye-catching uniform. There are twenty mandarins in Les Orres and their role is, quite simply, to ensure that your ski holiday goes as smoothly as possible.
The mandarins in Les Orres stand out from the crowd, not only because of their bright orange outfits and their welcoming smiles, but also because they have received special training to enable them to carry out a very large number of roles, all different, but all essential for a successful holiday. They are present on the toboggan runs and the ice rink, to ensure that everyone is having fun in a good mood and they may also man (woman!) a ski lift or a first aid post up on the slopes, if needed. Knowing Les Orres like the back of their hands, the mandarins can guide you all through your ski holiday, giving information about shuttle bus schedules, the best ski hire deals in town, but also showing you the most secret corners of the Les Orres ski area. Finally, even if the ego of some men might suffer, they will even help you put your snow chains on your car if weather conditions are bad! The mandarins are everywhere – just when you need them!
This brigade of young women, known as the mandarins in their orange parkas, is actually one of many aspects of the personalized welcome offered by the ski resort of Les Orres. The motto of this resort is, in effect, "Be happy, we take care of everything". It is clear that this is not just an empty promise, or a clever advertising argument, it is a reality which can be proved. Beyond the smiling and loving presence of the twenty mandarins, which are the most visible element of the five star service in Les Orres, other exceptional services are on offer in this popular French ski resort. For example, the introduction of electronic panels and a smartphone application indicating where the shorter lift queues are allowing skiers and snowboarders to get the most out of their day on the slopes! The resort of Les Orres has also obtained the Famille Plus label, which is only awarded to ski resorts where everything is designed so that children AND their parents have a wonderful ski holiday.
Finally, in a more general theme, we can say that the French ski resort of Les Orres is extremely keen to let women take the upper hand, even in areas where we do not usually see women working. Thus the head of the ski area is a woman called Marie-Aimée Buffet. For several seasons now, dozens of mountain technicians have been working under her orders. Similarly, Les Orres can boast to having a woman pisten bully driver in their team - and that is rare! Every night Marina takes her 400 horse-power snowcat up to prepare the slopes while tourists sleep peacefully. There is also a high female presence at the head of the tourist office, with former tennis player, Emilie Scribot, running the ski resort’s communication along with Pamela Lemonnier. So whether they wear an orange parka and bear the name “mandarin” or not, women are at the heart of the resort of Les Orres and it is partly thanks to them that you will no doubt spend an unforgettable ski holiday in this great ski resort!
Photos : lesorres.com
For tourists on holiday in the French ski resort of Les Orres, mandarins are not simply a delicious winter fruit they can eat on the chairlift to recharge batteries with a vitamin C boost between two descents on their skis or snowboard... For 6 years now, it is the welcome hostesses of this ski resort in the Hautes-Alpes who bear this unusual name which comes from the color of their eye-catching uniform. There are twenty mandarins in Les Orres and their role is, quite simply, to ensure that your ski holiday goes as smoothly as possible.
The mandarins in Les Orres stand out from the crowd, not only because of their bright orange outfits and their welcoming smiles, but also because they have received special training to enable them to carry out a very large number of roles, all different, but all essential for a successful holiday. They are present on the toboggan runs and the ice rink, to ensure that everyone is having fun in a good mood and they may also man (woman!) a ski lift or a first aid post up on the slopes, if needed. Knowing Les Orres like the back of their hands, the mandarins can guide you all through your ski holiday, giving information about shuttle bus schedules, the best ski hire deals in town, but also showing you the most secret corners of the Les Orres ski area. Finally, even if the ego of some men might suffer, they will even help you put your snow chains on your car if weather conditions are bad! The mandarins are everywhere – just when you need them!
This brigade of young women, known as the mandarins in their orange parkas, is actually one of many aspects of the personalized welcome offered by the ski resort of Les Orres. The motto of this resort is, in effect, "Be happy, we take care of everything". It is clear that this is not just an empty promise, or a clever advertising argument, it is a reality which can be proved. Beyond the smiling and loving presence of the twenty mandarins, which are the most visible element of the five star service in Les Orres, other exceptional services are on offer in this popular French ski resort. For example, the introduction of electronic panels and a smartphone application indicating where the shorter lift queues are allowing skiers and snowboarders to get the most out of their day on the slopes! The resort of Les Orres has also obtained the Famille Plus label, which is only awarded to ski resorts where everything is designed so that children AND their parents have a wonderful ski holiday.
Finally, in a more general theme, we can say that the French ski resort of Les Orres is extremely keen to let women take the upper hand, even in areas where we do not usually see women working. Thus the head of the ski area is a woman called Marie-Aimée Buffet. For several seasons now, dozens of mountain technicians have been working under her orders. Similarly, Les Orres can boast to having a woman pisten bully driver in their team - and that is rare! Every night Marina takes her 400 horse-power snowcat up to prepare the slopes while tourists sleep peacefully. There is also a high female presence at the head of the tourist office, with former tennis player, Emilie Scribot, running the ski resort’s communication along with Pamela Lemonnier. So whether they wear an orange parka and bear the name “mandarin” or not, women are at the heart of the resort of Les Orres and it is partly thanks to them that you will no doubt spend an unforgettable ski holiday in this great ski resort!
Photos : lesorres.com
Being lucky enough to have parents who were crazy about skiing, my love for the mountains started when I was 4 years old on our first family ski holiday to Austrian ski resort of Obergurl. One ski holiday a year was never enough and tears rolled down my face as I looked out the back window of the car on the drive down the valley on the way home!
