Conference: Investing in the mountains: the Swiss and French Alps

On Friday 26 April 2019, a unique conference was held at the B19 Business Club in Brussels to best advise clients looking to invest in the Swiss and French Alps.

INVESTING IN THE MOUNTAINS
The Swiss and French Alps

The conference began with an initial presentation of the luxury real estate sphere and the changes in its client population, as outlined in the BARNES GLOBAL PROPERTY HANDBOOK:

• Luxury real estate: an extension of the entrepreneurial spirit
• UHNWI: steady growth in the number of high-wealth individuals
• An index of the top cities among wealthy clients
• The BARNES Group worldwide

Read our 2019 BARNES GLOBAL PROPERTY HANDBOOK

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All of the most popular mountain destinations were featured at this conference: Verbier, Crans-Montana, Gstaad Valley for Switzerland, and Megève, Chamonix, and Les Aravis for France

BARNES MONT BLANC

BARNES Mont Blanc has a selection of luxury properties at the top destinations and resorts in the French Alps:

MEGEVE, CHAMONIX, COMBLOUX, ANNECY, GENEVOIS, PAYS DE GEX

During the conference, the Group presented its three main real estate agencies, the cultural life and sports at the Savoyard village, and its development projects.

CHAMONIX - WORLD CAPITAL OF MOUNTAINEERING

• • A cosmopolitan sports resort: a new project —> replacement of the La Flégère cable car with a gondola lift
• Year-round activity —> project : : opening of a new MontBlanc Collection boutique-hotel in spring 2020, in place of the current Chamonix bowling alley
  -> opening of the hotel ‘La Folie Douce’
• Lively cultural scene —> development of the ‘Magic’ and ‘Musilac’ festivals
• Stable and highly competitive market: strong growth in demand
• French and international clientèle
• Prices that vary by sector: (Les Praz - Les Bois; Les Nants; Les Houches)

MEGÈVE - ELEGANCE AND DISCREET LUXURY

• Construction of 4 and 5 star hotels —> Four Seasons, Millésime, Hilton
• New high-end developments —> Les Parcs du Mont d’Arbois, Les Lodges du Mont d’Arbois, La Tourmaline, Eskape, Gypaète, Mageva, Stallion
• Evasion Mont-Blanc ski area —> 450km of slopes
• Year-round events —> Winter Golf Cup, Jumping, Toquissimes, Jazz Festival
• French and international clientèle
• Prices vary by sector

LES ARAVIS - SPORTY YET FAMILY-FRIENDLY

• Technical skiing and freeride/freestyle —> 400km of downhill ski slopes, 220km of cross-country ski slopes
• Year-round activities —> mountain biking, golf, hiking, horse riding
• Lively cultural scene —> digital summit, LCZ freestyle show, Radio Meuh Circus Festival, Alps Bike Festival, Au Bonheur des Mômes
• French and international clientèle —> Northern Europe, Lyon, Paris
• Prices vary by sector

BARNES SWITZERLAND

Following the French Alps presentation, BARNES Switzerland shared its expertise in the luxury real estate sector at Switzerland’s top destinations:

GENÈVA - MIES COPPET - NYON - ROLLE - MORGES - YVERDON - BUSSIGNY-LAUSANNE - LUTRY - VEVEY - MONTREUX - FRIBOURG - SION - CRANS-MONTANA - VERBIER - CHÂTEAU-D’OEX - GSTAAD - ROUGEMONT - LUGANO - ZURICH - BERN - BASEL - LUZERN

BARNES Switzerland gave us an overview of the specific characteristics that make Switzerland so attractive: Economic and political stability, geographic location at the centre of Europe, unrivalled quality of life and security, cities with an international outlook, quality of education and training, and magnificent ski areas.

The three BARNES Switzerland estate agencies each presented their sectors, their cultural life and sports, the specific features of their resorts, and their international clientèle.

VERBIER - THE ONLY WAY IS UP

• The resort of the royal families, popular among celebrities and sports enthusiasts —> discreet and authentic luxury, wide range of bespoke services
• Construction of hotels, clubs and restaurants
  —> Hotel W, Mandarin Oriental
  —> lively nightlife/gastronomic experiences
• Regulated urban planning
• Cultural life and sports
  —> ski area connected to the 4 Valleys
  —> new sports centre and ice rink, Jumping
  —> music festival
  —> Lémania international school
• International clientèle: British (majority), Scandinavian, French and Belgian
• Prices that vary by sector:
  —> most popular neighbourhoods: SONALON, for its commanding view and its luxury chalets LE HAMEAU, for its cosy atmosphere and direct access to the slopes

GSTAAD VALLEY - CHIC CHARM AND DISCREET LUXURY

• Refuge and haven of peace for celebrities
  —> sound investment
• Hotel development
  —> Alpina and Ultima in Gstaad
  —> renovation of the Hotel Valrose in Rougemont
• Very active social life
  —> pedestrian promenade (where a BARNES agency has recently opened)
  —> Le Rosey international school
  —> music festival
• Very wealthy international clientèle (especially European) looking for alpine authenticity
• Pays-d’Enhaut (Gstaad, Rougemont and Château d’Oex)
  —> authenticity and landscapes of the Alpine foothills
  —> close to Gstaad (Canton of Vaud)
  —> lower prices

CRANS-MONTANA - URBAN LIFESTYLE

• Urban lifestyle in the mountains
  —> dance floor at the top of the slopes
  —> the resort is modernising in order to retain the business of wealthy international clients
• Hotel developments
  —> Ambassador
  —> Six Senses hotel-residence: 17 luxury apartments between 220 and 340 sq.m., ski in/ski out, with 5* hotel services and a world renowned Six Senses Hotels Resort spa (delivery summer 2021)
• International school —> Régent
• International clientèle: Swiss, French, Italian and Belgian

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