Ten years ago, chalet company VIP SKI’s Managing Director Andy Sturt set a bold objective to ensure all properties the company offers were located above 1,800m.
It’s a target the company has now met, with the average chalet altitude currently at 1,967m. Now the company’s big news for the coming season should see that stat grow ever higher, located as it is at 2,003m. Returning to La Plagne this season, VIP Ski’s Graciosa is a striking new development of 16 fully catered luxury chalets, set directly on the piste.
Opening in December 2025, this collection of private suites marks a major milestone for the brand, fulfilling a long-held ambition to once again bring its signature style of service, design and location to one of France’s most popular ski resorts.
Graciosa’s design blends traditional Alpine materials with contemporary comfort. Each of the 16 chalets has been crafted to maximise light, space and mountain views, with a bubbling private hot tub on every balcony, ski in-ski out location and interiors tailored to the needs of today’s discerning skier.
Graciosa will offer chalet suites for groups ranging from four to 15 guests with two to seven bedrooms, as well as shared facilities including a bar and lounge, ski hire shop, massage room, and dedicated childcare services creating a full service, high-altitude base that redefines the catered chalet experience.
That 1800m+ VIP Ski altitude goal that’s now been passed by some distance is more than just a number. Higher altitude means greater snow reliability, longer seasons, and quicker access to the slopes. At a time when snow conditions across the Alps can vary, this elevation benchmark aims to ensure the company’s guests have the best chance to enjoy the very best of the mountains, from first lifts to spring skiing.
A story 20 years in the making
Graciosa is more than a new property; it’s the realisation of a two-decade journey. VIP SKI first operated in La Plagne over a decade ago with Summit View, a successful property they renovated in 2010 in the heart of the resort. Following its sale, the company was met with such disappointment from returning guests that Andy Sturt quietly resolved to return – one day, in the right place, at the right time.
Andy first tried unsuccessfully to buy the Graciosa in 2014 together with a personal friend of the brand, Bertrand de Montvallier, founder of Oxygene Ski school and since sadly deceased. Out of the blue and eight years later Charles de Monvallier, brother of Bertrand, called to say that the original Graciosa building, a once glamorous hotel and restaurant just up the piste from Summit View, had been sold to a client of his. Not only that, but the client had acquired adjoining plots of land as well and that an opportunity might align with the bold vision that VIP SKI still maintained for La Plagne.
What followed was a collaboration steeped in shared values, local knowledge, and a desire to create something exceptional in memory of Bertrand. With planning permission secured and a fabulous design team in place, VIP SKI began shaping Graciosa into what it is today: a destination property with heart, heritage, and real wow factor.
Why La Plagne, and why now?
With its snow-sure altitude, extensive ski area, and family friendly appeal, La Plagne has long been on VIP SKI’s wish list for a flagship development. But as Andy Sturt, MD of VIP SKI notes, “When you’re only looking to build above 2000m, by the piste, in a recognised ski area and within walking distance of the resort centre, you’re not making life easy for yourself.”
Graciosa meets all those criteria and more. Located directly on the Mont St. Sauveur piste, the property combines unbeatable access with dramatic mountain views and a genuine sense of arrival. “It’s a homecoming for us,” says Sturt, “but it’s also a bold step forward. Graciosa sets a new benchmark for what a catered chalet holiday can be.” What makes La Plagne so special is its position at the heart of the vast Paradiski area.
With 225km of pistes rising to a snow-sure 3,080m, there’s more than enough terrain to keep skiers of all levels challenged and entertained for a full week. And for those with a thirst for distance? La Plagne is seamlessly linked to Les Arcs, forming the Paradiski domain, a staggering 425km of piste that even the fastest, most seasoned skiers would struggle to conquer in a single trip.
