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Dominated by privately-owned chalets, a large proportion of them rarely available and/or prohibitively expensive, Verbier is a difficult place in which to find smart accommodation. Since most of the hotels are poor (the Hôtel Rosalp is past its 1970s prime) the newly-opened Le Chalet d'Adrien could become the hotel of choice; and Verbier Lodge is set to dominate the apartment market. Opened in December 2002, Verbier Lodge offers, in addition to its nine double rooms, a duplex with five beds and three apartments with kitchens, two of them for six people and one for four.
The lodge's owners are Eric Aeberhard and Alain Ponti, founders of Verbier's Adrenaline Ski School, and Alain's brother, Christian. 'We had come across places like this in the USA and Canada, built in log-cabin style' says Aeberhard. 'But Verbier had nothing like it. It's for skiers who care about the sport. Médran lift is a two-minute walk away, and we've got a state-of-the-art gym with a sauna and hammam. The accommodation, which falls somewhere between a guesthouse and apartments, allows you to have a quick breakfast before you hit the slopes; or, if you take an apartment, you can cook for yourself. The bar is really a lounge where like-minded people get together and talk about skiing.'
Verbier Lodge has an insider buzz, created by its charming, ski-crazy owners, who are usually around; and many guests gravitate to it - thanks to good word of mouth - from the competition circuit. Its style is youthful and if the interiors are not cutting-edge they are at least refreshingly free of Verbier's ubiquitous chintz and gingham. Kitchens are stainless steel, the bathrooms decorated in funky scarlet, yellow or electric blue; the sofas are black leather, the floors a natural slate grey; and one apartment has a modern wood-burning fire. On the wooden-decked front of the hotel, there is a Jacuzzi to which the south-facing ground-floor apartment has direct access.
CONTACT
Verbier Lodge (00 41 27 771 6666; fax: 771 6656; www.verbierlodge.ch). Apartments from €4,170 per week, including breakfast
THE SKIING
Verbier best suits intermediate to advanced skiers. Kind, wide slopes for beginners are thin on the ground; but for off-piste skiers, Verbier is up there with Zermatt (although its mountain restaurants are not to the same standard), thanks to high-altitude runs such as Stairway to Heaven and Hidden Valley. Verbier Lodge offers heli-skiing, too, and organises extreme skiing packages for skiers who want to explore the whole 'Four Valleys' area, of which Verbier forms a part.
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