A Swiss developer is planning to build the world’s biggest ski chalet in the Alps, and renting it out for £11 million to £13 million annually.
Property tycoon Byron Baciocchi is working on a 7,000 square-metre complex in Gstaad, Switzerland, expected to be completed in 2028.
Chalet Oberbort will feature a 1,500 square metre ‘wellness sanctuary’ with dual thermal pools, a Middle Eastern-style hammam steam room, an alpine sauna, snow showers and a cold plunge.
And guests won’t be short for things to do when they’re not on the slopes; an entertainment wing will feature a private cinema, Formula 1 simulator, dance floor, bowling alley, wine cellar, cigar lounge and ski room.
Built by Unica Capital, the tycoon’s property investment firm, it will have 11 en-suite bedrooms with walk-in wardrobes and eight staff bedrooms.
The chalet will be within easy reach of the Gstaad Mountain Rides ski area, as well as private airfields, Michelin-starred dining, luxury boutiques and international schools.
‘With Chalet Oberbort, we set out to create more than a residence – we wanted to evoke a sense of quiet majesty,’ said Mr Baciocchi
‘It’s a space where architectural form, emotional atmosphere and material integrity come together,’ said Byron Baciocchi, chairman and CEO at Unica Capital.
A Swiss developer is planning to build the world’s biggest ski chalet in the Alps, rented out for £11million to £13million annually
Chalet Oberbort will be a 7,000 square-metre complex in Gstaad, Switzerland
Byron Baciocchi, a Swiss entrepreneur and billionaire investor, is the founder and CEO of Unica Capital, a real estate investment firm
‘It reflects our belief that true luxury is how a space makes you feel – not just what it contains.’
Mr Baciocchi founded his first company, a construction and renovation firm, at the age of 21.
In 2012, he co-founded Ultima Capital with French billionaire Max-Hervé George, his childhood friend.
Unica, which Mr Baciocchi founded in 2021, has amassed a property portfolio worth £630m, including office buildings in Soho and Mayfair and a property let to the Cabinet Office in Victoria.
As well as Gstaad, the property tycoon is also developing luxury villas and chalets in locations such as Geneva and Crans-Montana, another region of the Swiss Alps.
Mr Baciocchi’s partner is Czech model Krystyna Pyszková, who won Miss World in 2023.
It comes as Val Thorens in France was recently crowned the World’s Best Ski Resort 2025 by the World Ski Awards.
The resort, at an altitude of 2,300 metres, is the highest ski resort in Europe and has been popular among skiers since the 1970s.
The chalet will feature a 1,500 square metre ‘wellness sanctuary’ with dual thermal pools, a Middle Eastern-style hammam steam room, an alpine sauna, snow showers and a cold plunge
The luxury ski chalet will have 11 ensuite bedrooms with walk-in wardrobes and eight staff bedrooms
An entertainment wing will feature a private cinema, Formula 1 simulator, dance floor, bowling alley, wine cellar, cigar lounge and ski room
It’s the third year running the resort has snapped up the award – and is just a two-hour flight from the UK.
The ski area in Val Thorens is open from November to May. You have access to the Three Valleys, the largest ski area in the world with 600 km of connected ski-to-ski slopes.
The resort also has an infamous nightlife, with clubs such as Bar Club Jackie and spots including La Folie Douce – which has undergone a makeover.
In recent months, the resort has undergone more key developments, too. For example, a panoramic restaurant, wine bar and rooftop terrace opened last winter, the Caron 3200 multi-service complex.
Plus, the Cime Caron cable car is set to return for the 2025/2026 winter season with new cabins, while a new 10-seater gondola lift will be introduced.
