Four Season Chalets: Our Pick Of Property Investments in the French Alps

From ski-in ski-out mountain chalets to purpose-built eco-resorts, the French Alps are brimming with investment opportunities. It’s not just the idyllic mountain views and access to some of Europe’s best ski runs that make an alpine retreat so tempting – the Alps are a year-round destination with four distinct seasons attracting outdoor adventurers, families, and nature lovers.

Post-pandemic, many resorts have increased their range of off-piste activities resulting in a summer season that is often just as busy as the snow season, and it’s not just hiking and mountaineering on offer. There are Via Ferrata climbing routes, world-class mountain biking trails, kayaking, rafting, and paragliding excursions, family-friendly horseback rides, and summer sledging, to name just a few seasonal activities. Add to that the nationwide push for sustainable and green skiing initiatives, new train links allowing for greater accessibility, and a surge in remote working stations, and it’s easy to imagine spending all four seasons in the Alps.

Of course, we haven’t even mentioned the properties themselves. The Alps are home to some of France’s most exciting property developments, often featuring innovative alpine-inspired architecture, pioneering energy-efficient designs, and access to a luxurious portfolio of services and facilities from spa and wellness centres to a 24-hour concierge.

With more than a hundred ski resorts, among them some of the world’s most iconic destinations, the French Alps has everything from cozy mountain villages to ultra-modern mega-resorts. Chamonix, Val d’Isère, Courchevel, and Megève are all household names, but here are our favourite three destinations and top picks for property purchases in 2023.

Morzine-Avoriaz

A village-like resort at the heart of the world’s largest ski area, Les 3 Vallées, Meribel affords access to more than 370 miles of linked ski runs and 25 summits, including 10 above 2,500 metres. Not only can you reach all of the 3 Vallées resorts – Courchevel, Val Thorens, Les Menuires, La Tania, Saint Martin de Belleville, Brides les Bains and Orelle – directly from Meribel but summer visitors can explore the Tuéda Nature Reserve and lake, and hike around the Dent de Burgin and Mont-Vallon peaks.

Alpine Lodges

This is the last opportunity to invest in Alpine Lodge‘s exclusive Falcon Lodge development. This stylish mountain hamlet blends seamlessly into its natural setting, with a balance of traditional and contemporary architecture, and authentic wood and stone features. There are 32 apartments and penthouses and 3 luxury chalets, a reception with concierge and private shuttles to the ski lifts and resort, and a swimming pool and wellness area, a ski room, and underground parking.

Last opportunities for sale, delivery December 2023.

As one of France’s most famous ski resorts and the gateway to Mont Blanc, Chamonix needs little introduction. The mountain village of Argentiere-Chamonix is one of the region’s longest-established resorts, situated at the foot of the Argentière glacier and the Aiguille Verte. As well as affording access to the Grand Montets ski area, it’s also a renowned spot for hikers, mountaineers, and mountain bikers through summer – a popular route heads up to up to Lac Blanc with views of Mont Blanc and you can also hike over to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.

L&L Promotion

L&L Promotion’s Le Royal Straton development affords one of the most beautiful panoramic views in Europe. Tucked away in a quiet street in the centre of Argentière, Chamonix, there are 8 luxury 2- or 3-bed apartments available, just a 5-minute walk from the legendary Grands Montets cable car.

As property prices climb around France, the rentable appeal of mountain real estate is a reassuring prospect for investors. Not only can you benefit from year-round rental possibilities, but many new-build properties qualify for VAT-favourable leaseback schemes and other tax advantages.

When it comes to renting out your alpine property, you can be as hands-on or hands-off as you please. OVO Network, the leading chalet rental specialist in the French Alps, offers a complete marketing, booking and property management solution that allows you to run a chalet rental business from anywhere in the world. Covering all of the major ski areas such as the Portes du Soleil, Evasion Mont Blanc, and the Three Valleys, they take care of everything from marketing and managing bookings and end-of-year accounting to ensure you maximize your rental yield.

Along with managing and maintaining your ski property and rental business, another key factor to consider is insuring and protecting your assets. Choosing an insurance company with international expertise but local knowledge is a smart choice. Nicolas Laurent from AXA Morzine tells us: “Whether it is a primary residence or second home, I take pride in visiting the property before the contract completion. This ensures that both the customer and I are confident that if anything unexpected happened they are covered for the predicable and the unanticipated. I also help many small businesses in the valley behind the scenes making sure they are insured for their activities to best provide services for their clients. We are flexible and can help people with changes to their business activity. It’s important to us that everybody is comfortable and feels secure with the protection they have with AXA.”

AXA Morzine not only provides traditional insurance solutions for property, cars, houses, boats, etc, but they also offer wealth management and financial protection solutions. Marc Invernizzi tells us: “This starts from financial protection against immediate risks such as critical illness, disability, and death to top-up health cover, international travel insurance as well as multisport insurance. We also offer provide mortgage insurances for both local and foreign investors, as well as first time buyers.