Originally built in the 1980s and then fully renovated in 2012, Chalet Gabro sits pretty on the Hohnegg Plateau. With its elevated position, looking over Saas-Fee, it is the perfect location when it comes to providing uninterrupted exquisite views of the Saas Valley’s rocky peaks.
This is an exclusive mountain bolthole; ideal for stargazing, watching the world go by – especially from the terrace breakfast spot – relaxing and even working, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Upon walking into this modern five bedroom chalet, you are instantly greeted by a familiar alpine charm, even in the entrance hallway. To your left is the coat room that hosts a boot warmer, which is handy, as it is possible to ski out from this chalet and ski most of the way back in – a rarity for most chalets in Saas-Fee. At the end of the corridor you will find two large double bedrooms, both with ensuite bathrooms, a small WC and the repurposed nuclear bunker that is currently being used as a wine cellar and utility room. This is another interesting property feature and a piece of Swiss history.
Once you have explored the ground level, you can make your way up the stairs which opens up into the expansive open living and dining room. There are four zones in this area.
This entire first floor, and the second floor of Chalet Gabro are framed by exposed wooden beams. This helps the building retain it’s old-school cool allure, whilst symbiotically blending with modern features and amenities.
1. The main living area revolves around the spectacular wood burning fireplace. This is the perfect place to warm up after a day on the slopes.
2. The TV snug is just around the corner and is enclosed by three walls. This is an ideal spot to snuggle up, read a book or enjoy your favourite movies.
3. The kitchen is a generous size, luxurious and well equipped, with the main feature being the breakfast bar. This is a great place to eat, read and work.
4. Lastly, the dining area. During the renovation the owner requested that the main dining area window be extended upwards, to double the height.
Taking the final part of the half spiral staircase brings the owner of Chalet Gabro upto three well sized bedrooms. Two of these bedrooms are near identical; bright, roomy with high exposed ceilings, opening up onto a large balcony that easily fits additional seating where you could take your morning coffee.
One of these rooms could be classed as the master because it boasts an ensuite bathroom with shower, although both bedrooms on the ground floor could also satisfy the ‘master’ criteria. The final bedroom on this floor has been used as ‘the kids room’. It’s still a good size, but the lower ceilings make it feel a little cosier and it doubles up perfectly as a TV or gaming room.
All of these rooms are serviced by what could be classed as the crown jewels of Chalet Gabro, which is the family bathroom! With it’s his-and-hers sink, powerful shower and huge bathtub that allows you to view out of the Velux windows up at the stars. It’s just perfect.
In total, the property has five bedrooms, sleeping 10 people with three of the bedrooms having en-suite bathrooms and the other two sharing a spacious family shower room.
We did the rounds whilst looking for this property. We initially looked in the likes of Verbier, Zermatt, and Villars, but after hearing good things about Saas-Fee we decided to take a look.
After we viewed the property in its shell like state, we knew we had to have it. The location is just sublime. Although it is a little further out of the village, the views more than make up for it. And with our kids being a young age at the time, we found the car free nature of Saas-Fee, and especially this area of Saas-Fee to be incredibly safe which was a major bonus for us.
Being able to buy a property of this size and standard in a safe snow sure resort, instead of a dated apartment in the likes of Verbier, was a no-brainer for us.
