The short answer: before booking a chalet with a hot tub in the Vosges, check that the tub is for your group only, that it runs in winter with shelter to get out into, that it is included in the price, and that nobody hands you a time slot. At Chalet de la Poirie, in Dommartin-lès-Remiremont, the answer to all four is yes: the outdoor spa, the sauna, the steam shower and the whirlpool bath all come with the rental, at no extra cost.
"Private" has become a search keyword, and very different places now use it. This article does not go over the benefits of a hot soak, which we covered in our article on a private spa in nature. It is a tool for comparing listings and asking an owner the right questions before you book. For each point, we say what the chalet offers, based on our spa and wellness page, and what you are better off asking us directly.
Private, bookable or shared: the first thing to check
Three different set-ups hide behind the same word. In the first, the hot tub sits on a property with several cottages or rooms, and each one takes its turn: it is "private" for the length of a slot. In the second, it can be "privatised": you book it for an hour or two, sometimes for a fee. Only in the third does it belong to the place you are renting, with nobody else using it during your stay.
Two questions are enough to tell them apart: how many units share the property, and do you need to book a time? A listing that shows the tub but never the rest of the grounds, or mentions a "schedule", deserves a question in writing.
At Chalet de la Poirie the question does not arise. The chalet's two apartments, on the ground floor and upstairs, are always let together and never separately: the group that books has the whole house, for up to 10 people, with the terrace and the entire wellness area. There are no other guests, no slots and no schedule. Both floors are described on the chalet page.
Usable in winter: warm water is not enough
In the Vosges, the season when you most want a hot tub is also the one when it is hardest to use. An outdoor tub can be well heated and still be miserable if you have to cross a snowy garden in your swimsuit, undress in the cold or stand in the wind when you get out. Before booking a winter stay, ask three things: is the tub running on your dates, is it sheltered, and what is around it to warm up?
Here, the hot tub stands on the 80 m² terrace that opens straight off the ground floor. It sits under a pergola, and patio heaters keep the terrace comfortable even in hard frost: you step out of the living room, take a few sheltered steps, and the sauna is on the same terrace. Our FAQ says it plainly: yes, the spa can be used in winter, including after a day's skiing.
One tip that applies anywhere: if you are arriving late on a winter evening, tell the host what time to expect you. At the chalet, check-in is from 5 pm and self-service, and we ask you to let us know if your travel times are unusual.
The hot tub and terrace
Steam shower and whirlpool bath
Included or extra: read the small print
Some listings show an attractive nightly rate, then charge for the hot tub separately, per day or per stay, or keep it for a pricier package. The only way to be sure is to ask for the full total, fees included, for your dates and your group size.
At Chalet de la Poirie, the spa, the sauna, the steam shower and the whirlpool bath are listed among the included facilities in our practical information. The only charges on top of the nightly rate are published: a 100 € cleaning fee per stay, tourist tax of 1.60 € per night per person, 30 € per night for each additional guest from the 5th to the 8th, 25 € per stay for a pet, and a 300 € deposit refunded after your stay. The nightly rate is the same for 2, 3 or 4 people.
A worked example: a two-night weekend (Friday and Saturday) in January, outside school holidays and the Venetian carnival, at 140 € a night. Deposit not included, no pet.
| Guests | Total | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| 4 people | 392.80 € | 98.20 € |
| 6 people | 519.20 € | 86.53 € |
| 8 people | 645.60 € | 80.70 € |
For 9 or 10 people, the published rates do not cover it: ask for a quote through the booking form and we will reply within 24 hours. Other periods work the same way with a different nightly rate; season-by-season examples are in our article on the price of a weekend at the chalet.
Hours and seats: the questions people forget
In a hotel or a holiday park, the spa has opening hours. In a rental, the rule is usually in the house rules rather than the listing: the tub switched off at a set time, adults only, no use after dinner. Ask before you book, not when you arrive.
At the chalet there are no set hours: the hot tub is yours for the whole stay. The only rule is the house rule: this is a family home, not a party venue, and the neighbours deserve respect, especially in the evening. A quiet soak after dark, yes; loud music in the water, no.
That leaves the number of seats. A hot tub rarely takes ten people at once, so if your group pictures one big communal soak, ask how many seats it has. That detail is not on our website; we will give it to you on request. In practice a group spreads out quickly: while some are in the hot tub, others use the sauna, and upstairs the steam shower and whirlpool bath give two more places to unwind. That is the point of having four facilities rather than one: nobody queues at the same door.
Hot tub, sauna, steam room, whirlpool bath: what the words mean
Listings use these terms almost interchangeably. Here is what each one means, what to ask about it, and what you will find at the chalet.
- Hot tub, spa or jacuzzi: a heated bubbling tub, usually outdoors. There are fixed hard-shell models and inflatable ones; all of them heat the water, but the seating, the number of places and the feel of the jets differ. Look at the photos and ask how many seats there are. At the chalet, the hot tub is on the terrace under the pergola, and the spa and wellness page shows it as it is.
- Sauna: a dry-heat cabin. A stove sauna heats the air strongly; an infrared cabin warms the body by radiation, in cooler air. They are two different experiences and both are relaxing: if one matters to you, ask which one you are getting. At the chalet, the sauna cabin stands on the same terrace as the hot tub, a few steps away.
- Steam room (hammam): moist heat. It can be a dedicated room or, more often in a rental, a steam shower, meaning a shower cabin that produces steam. At the chalet it is a steam shower, in the upstairs bathroom.
- Whirlpool bath: an indoor bathtub with massage jets. It is not a hot tub: you use it on your own, indoors. Sometimes a listing "with spa" only has a whirlpool bath. At the chalet, the upstairs whirlpool bath comes in addition to the outdoor hot tub, not instead of it.
"Gérardmer chalet with hot tub": check where the chalet really is
Many searches pair hot tubs with Gérardmer or La Bresse, and some listings use those names even when the property is in another village. Before booking, ask for the exact village and work out the drive to what you actually want to do: the slopes, the lake, the station.
We would rather be precise. Chalet de la Poirie is in Dommartin-lès-Remiremont, at 815 rue de la Poirie. The Gérardmer and La Bresse-Hohneck ski resorts are under 30 kilometres away, Lake Gérardmer about 25 kilometres, Remiremont station 3 kilometres and the voie verte cycle trail 30 metres. So you will not ski from the front door: it is a whole chalet with a hot tub, around half an hour's drive from the resorts, where you come back to soak in the evening. Distances and activities are on the area page.
The checklist to keep in front of you before booking
These questions work for any rental with a hot tub: paste them into your message to the owner. For Chalet de la Poirie, here are our answers.
| Question to ask | Answer at Chalet de la Poirie |
|---|---|
| Is the hot tub for our group only? | Yes. The whole chalet is let to one group, with no other guests. |
| Do we need to book a time slot? | No, no slots and no set hours. |
| Can we use it in winter? | Yes, all year round, under the pergola, on a terrace warmed by patio heaters. |
| Is it included in the price? | Yes, like the sauna, the steam shower and the whirlpool bath. |
| What fees come on top of the nightly rate? | Cleaning 100 € per stay, tourist tax 1.60 € per night per person, 30 € per night from the 5th to the 8th guest, pet 25 € per stay, 300 € deposit. |
| How many seats does the hot tub have? | Not stated on the website: ask in the booking form. |
| What kind of sauna and steam room? | A sauna cabin on the terrace and a steam shower upstairs. Photos on the spa and wellness page. |
| Is linen provided? | Yes, household linen for every bed. Bathrobes are not mentioned: ask, or bring your own. |
| Where exactly is the chalet? | In Dommartin-lès-Remiremont, under 30 km from the Gérardmer and La Bresse ski resorts. |
| What is the maximum number of guests? | 10, never more. |
Dates already taken are shown in the calendar on the booking page: check them, then send your request with your questions. It commits you to nothing and we reply within 24 hours. If you are a group of 10, also read our guide to renting a Vosges chalet for 10.
