Even if you have not yet been, there is a good chance you have already heard about Rocks Resort. It is a large and well-known resort in Laax, a town that sits right next to its big brother Flims, in the eastern canton of Graubünden (Grisons in English). While Laax is a well-known ski destination, Rocks Resort is not just somewhere to consider as a base for a family ski holiday (although it is also that) – it is a brilliant destination for a family holiday at any time of the year, and this article will focus more on our experience there in Spring/Autumn.
The Accommodation
The resort is made up of a series of cool, modern buildings with stone and wood facades – and within these buildings are a large range of room options, from hotel room style to three-bedroom apartments. The design is the best we have seen in such a family-focused resort – and it is no surprise that Rocks Resort is a member of the Design Hotels group. The design is minimal – concrete, wood, white and black – it looks great, and is surprisingly robust against the onslaught of enthusiastic children it is constantly housing. We had a two-bedroom apartment and along with the lovely view, our favourite element was undoubtedly the very literal bathroom – a bath that is in its own room, made out of dark stone, making you feel a little like you’re bathing in a cave.
The Food
This is another strength of Rocks Resort. The apartments have fully functional kitchens and there is a small Volg on site – so it is very easy to cook for yourself. However, that would mean a) not being lazy, and b) resisting the temptation of the 12 restaurants and cafes found all around the resort.
The resort is made up of several buildings, and on the ground floor of each one is a range of shops and restaurants. This includes a burger bar, a cafe, a pizza restaurant, a fine dining restaurant, and our personal favourite, the pan-Asian restaurant, Nooba. (Amazing kid-friendly feature: kids are given a ‘Sirop Pass’ to wear around their neck and they can show it at any of these restaurants and cafes around the resort and receive a cup of sirop (Aussie translation: cordial)
The Activities
Our five-year-old is obsessed with his mountain bike (a trait he shares with his father and that is already proving to be very expensive), and Rocks Resort was pure heaven for him. There is a kids flow trail, where you take your bike (or scooter) up a small hill on a magic carpet and then cruise all the way down the winding trail (all resort guests are given a pass to access the magic carpet; outside guests to the resort need to pay CHF 10 for the day).
Once the kids have done this around 27 times they can then head over to the skatepark area set up between the resort buildings, which is again a complete haven for bike, scooter or skateboard lovers. It is admittedly less fun when you have a 1 year old you need to keep out of the path of the skatepark users – but luckily there is a small playground close by, where you can get at least a short reprieve from chasing them around.
Rocks Resort also happens to be the starting point for the brand new Senda dil Dragun – the longest treetop walkway in the world! It is a 1.56km path that sits high in the trees, with several viewing platforms along the way and a 70m spiral slide to enjoy on the way down (not mandatory, but recommended).
The resort is also the base station for the Laax gondola, which has obvious big advantages when you stay there for a ski holiday. But it can be equally valuable at other times of the year when it means you are only ever a few minutes away from the starting point of some incredible hikes or bike rides.
If you get unlucky with the weather and the kids don’t agree with your suggestion to just curl up in the apartment and read a book, then there are some great indoor activities around Flims Laax, including the nearby Freestyle Academy and the kids’ playroom and mini-golf at the Stenna complex in nearby Flims.
Conclusion
Switzerland is not short of brilliant places for family holidays, but very few make it as easy and hassle-free as Rocks Resort – providing everything you need to keep the kids happy (ie. skate park, a bath in a cave, sirop on tap) and to keep the parents happy (ie. beautiful design, good food & wine, and happy kids). Rock on!
