GRACIOSA: The backstory

Nici Hardy talks to Andy Sturt, MD VIP SKI.
Our expansion into La Plagne next season is a milestone that many loyal guests and industry insiders have been eager to learn more about. Next season, we’ll unveil Graciosa, a stunning collection of 16 brand-new, fully catered luxury chalets, perfectly positioned next to the slopes with panoramic mountain views. Designed, renovated, and styled with VIP SKI’s signature touch, these chalets promise an unforgettable Alpine experience for years to come.

But how did this project come to life? Why La Plagne? And what makes The Graciosa so special? To uncover the full story, I sat down with the man behind the vision, Andy Sturt, to get the backstory on this exciting new chapter for VIP SKI.

When you are only looking to build above 2000m and by the side of the piste and in a recognised ski area and quick walking distance from the resort centre, breathe …, then you are certainly not making life easy for yourself. We bought, renovated, operated for 10 years and then sold a building in the centre of Plagne Centre last decade, Summit View. To be honest we were a little taken aback with the disappointment when we left and have been working hard since to rectify our mistake.

Together with the late and esteemed founder of Oxygene Ski School, Bertrand de Monvallier, we first tried to buy the Graciosa in 2005. Just up the piste from Summit View, it was a small, tired hotel and piste-side restaurant with a glamorous history but had been void of investment or care for some time and was looking pretty down on its luck.

Despite our best efforts, and much discussion over coffee, pastis and red wine on the mountain and in the bar at either end of the day, we were never able to convince the owner to sell at a price that worked for us.

Imagine my delight some 17 years later when Bertrand’s brother, Charles, calls me to say that a client of his (Charles runs Oxygene Immobilier with his sister Sybille) had recently bought the building … and a plot of land next door … and another plot next to that, and that he had a proper grand plan in which he thought we might be interested.

I guess so, Charles was right, I was back in resort before he’d put the phone down. The new investor Philippe, much much cleverer than me, had an ostentatious plan to knock it all down and build a six floor apartment block along the side of the Mont St. Saveur piste running into town. Philippe had outline planning permission, but the shape and use of the building were all wrong for us … introducing stage left Richard Crow … interior designer extraordinaire … he picked up the building, looked at what we had done elsewhere, listened to us patiently for hours and moulded and fashioned the space into the perfect home for our guests.

Leaving aside the altitude (2003m now you ask), location, piste access and views, private bubbling jacuzzi on every balcony and the ultimate modern indulgence … space, Richard has crafted a really cool blend of old and new, traditional old timber, lots of modern stuff to make life easier and spaces that just work for a skier on holiday.

Not only does Graciosa offer 16 private suites, designed for groups ranging from 4 to 15 guests. It also boasts top-tier facilities, including a lounge, bar, ski hire shop, massage room, and dedicated childcare services. Paired with our signature service and expert concierge team, we’ll ensure a seamless and stress-free ski experience.

This is for Bertrand de Monvallier, we never got round to doing it together, but thanks to his brother’s help, I hope he can look down on the Graciosa now and be proud of what we have all achieved. I look forward to enjoying a drink in the new Graciosa bar in December with his brothers and in his memory. Cheers Bertrand.