The inside-out story of Bear Resort

Luigi, who developed Bellevarde Lodge chalets in Val d’Isère for us, mentioned to Andy over an espresso that having since built the village of Arc 1950 for Intrawest, there was probably a little bit of land left over, could VIP SKI do anything with it ? The rest, as they say, is history.

Andy consolidated everything that VIP SKI had learnt over a couple of decades into paper scale cut-outs (all very Blue Peter) with a sofa size and shape that was comfortable, (never less than 100cm under the knee), a coffee table big enough for both a clutter of G&T glasses and a piste map, a dining space big enough for the cornflakes but not so wide you can’t pass the wine, bedrooms for tall people and little people and plentiful storage for both.

He also wanted to build something for everyone; rooms for couples, rooms with bunks for families or interconnecting rooms for mum, dad and kids, plus private suites for groups of every shape and size.

For Andy it was a unique experience, “I’ve never had the freedom to design something inside-out before, getting the tiny spatial details just right and not caring too much about where the walls ended up, planning regulations normally cramp you at every turn, a new wing of Arcs 1950 was a completely unique opportunity to build the perfect ski homes for every type of guest.”

He then added a 30-bedroom hotel with bar, lounge and restaurant to the 12 chalets and happily didn’t forget the toys; including a proper sized pool you can swim in, a spa with plenty of steam, piste-side kids playroom, gym, cinema and small conference room (for those tax efficient après-ski Company meetings!)

Researched and refined by our guests over thirty years, designed and built by Andy and Luigi over the last seven, VIP SKI’s brand-new signature complex is located at 1950 altitude, on the piste, next to the ski lifts and a short walk across the slope to the centre of the village. Doesn’t get better than that.

Call the team today for a quote, we're really excited to welcome you to Bear Resort this winter. See you there.