Well, I'd have to comment that staying down at Brides les Bains at 600M, when Meribel itself is 1450M, was going for the "Bargain Basement!" Not so good, eh? May I ask what you paid for this, excluding lift pass, ski hire, lessons, etc?
One small consolation, you picked one of the better weeks for snow in what has been a pretty indifferent season in the Alps (Italy excepted.) Over the mountain at Courchevel this morning, everything below the Altiport at 2000M (6580ft.) is melting like mad. Everything above is getting skied out, because it's the French school holidays. This is as reported by my spy in Courchevel 1850.