Your first experience working in the ski industry was as a chalet girl in Val d’Isere. How do you feel that this experience has led you to where you are today?
‘Working for Scott Dunn in Val d’Isere in 2004 as a chalet girl is where my passion for luxury travel and hospitality started. At the time they were industry leaders and had cornered the top-end of the luxury chalet market. Their ‘nothing is too much trouble’ ethos was apparent in everything they did, and we were trained to an exceedingly high standard. This faultless attention to detail honed my love of luxury ski chalets and the industry as a whole. I certainly have Andrew Dunn and his team to thank. https://www.scottdunn.com/us
The Travel industry is highly competitive. How do you make sure that The Chalet Edit stands out from the crowd?
‘When I launched in 2018 I really felt the industry was outdated and that clients were looking for something more unique, modern and engaging. I aimed to create a site that championed my favourite operators and speaks for itself in terms of integrity without being salesy or overpowering.
Our social media certainly upholds our ethos and offers clients access to beautiful imagery, market trends and editorial content. As a small team, we try to keep ahead of the latest trends and are continually updating our blog and chalet portfolio to keep clients up to date and stand out from the crowd.
For me, what truly sets us apart is our pre-arrival concierge. Each client is hand-held from the moment they book to the moment they return home, with each group receiving a bespoke itinerary prior to departure. Essential in this hectic and time-poor modern-day life.’
How has The Chalet Edit grown over the years and what are your future plans?
‘Our site currently offers over 500 of the finest ski chalets across the Alps, this is a huge leap from the 50 chalets we launched with in 2018. Alongside this, we launched an incredible luxury villa site last year The Villa Edit to offer our clients year-round access to our services. Our future plans for The Chalet Edit are to extend our portfolio in Megeve, Gstaad and St Moritz.
One of our biggest achievements last year was winning the London Prestive awards ‘Luxury Travel Agency of the year 2021/2022’ and becoming a nominee in the British Travel Awards for both websites. It was so lovely to get the recognition I felt the team deserved.
Eventually, we’d love to have live availability on our site, so that clients can get everything they need in a few clicks.’
The best chalets cater for guests in all seasons – not just winter. In your opinion, what 3 things make a chalet attractive to guests all year round?
- An excellent range of facilities from swimming pools, hot tubs and cinema rooms to an indoor bar, gym and games room.
- Outstanding staff offering the highest level of food and service.
- A resort that remains vibrant and is sought after throught summer and winter.
As an expert in luxury chalet holidays, what advice would you give to chalet owners who are looking to tap in to the high-end rental market?
‘Think about the finer details before you launch. Clients are used to having every luxury imaginable at home and they will be looking for a chalet that matches their desires. USB charging stations next to the bed, the latest gym kit, surround sound in all rooms, black out blinds etc, you name it.
Think about what you can include that will set you apart from your neighbours, a hot tub large enough to seat 8 guests, a small indoor pool or perhaps a games room with pool table or a cinema room. In larger chalets, clients love to have plenty of differnt spaces/zones for the kids to gather in.’
Tell us about your favourite chalet that you have visited and why it was so memorable?
‘It’s not the most modern of chalets, but it has to be Chalet Grace, Zermatt. With year round views of the majestic matterhorn from nearly every room in the chalet, it can’t be beaten. You can bubble away in the hot tub under the stars and look out over the whole of Zermatt below.
The service there was six star, truly out of this world. The butler has been working in the chalet for over 8 years and knows what you would like before you’ve even thought of it yourself.
It has sumptuous old world glamour down to a T and is the perfect setting for a luxury family chalet holiday with a hot tub and games/cinema room.
The icing on the cake were the incredible Matterhorn views from my bathroom.
For more information about The Chalet Edit and the services we offer simply visit our website or give us a call.’
Call: +44 (0) 208 133 1130
E-mail: [email protected]