There are a significant number of hot spots around the world where Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (UHNWIs) will invest. Their residential properties in world cities go hand in hand with one or more leisure properties.

Leisure destinations have evolved to reflect pursuits that the wealthy enjoy. Among the most important of these is skiing. A dozen or more Alpine resorts are well established on the UHNWI circuit, and attract wealthy buyers from around the world. We have listed the top ten, ranked by ultra-prime residential prices per square metre in Table 1.

These include the ultra exclusive, such as Courchevel, Megève and St Moritz, and offer much more than just skiing. Shopping, nightlife and restaurants are well catered for. Courchevel boasts six Michelin starred restaurants – four for every 100km of piste.

Click on Table 1 to enlarge

Others, such as Val d’Isère are long established resorts with a loyal following, attracting plenty of ‘old world’ money. Verbier is a resort for cool, with bars and clubs comparable to those in cities like London.

These ultra-prime resorts proved relatively resilient during the global economic crisis. Transaction levels slowed somewhat as finance-reliant purchases fled, but prices held firm. Values were supported by restricted supply and the absence of forced sales.

Taken from
Spotlight: Alpine Property Market 2014-15