If you are a keen skier, the chances are you’ve occasionally wondered what it might be like to own your own chalet and how you might go about turning this daydream into a reality. We sat down with chalet company owners Chris & Susan Beesley to find out more about the trials and buying, running and letting a chalet…  

Chris & Susan Beesley, Chalet Le Passeu & Apartment Le Passeu 

We have an absolute passion for skiing and it was always a dream one day to own and run a ski chalet and to be able to spend a season in the mountains and eventually to live there full time once we had “retired”.  

In 2005 after viewing a lot of properties (some from bizarre photographs as estate agents in France are very secretive about the property they are selling) we finally found “Le Passeu” an 18^th Century farmhouse and barn in the village of Moulin in the heart of Paradiski.  It was in much need of some tender loving care, but we fell in love with it.  The location was perfect just under the newly built Vanoise Express linking La Plagne and Les Arcs. 

Our dream was to renovate and turn it into a luxurious ski chalet and private living accommodation for ourselves. 

Having spent many wonderful ski vacations in chalets across France we knew what features were important and did our best within planning regulations and the structure of the building to achieve modern living whilst maintaining the traditional features. 

Hot water that didn’t run out for guests, private ensuite bathrooms with good lighting and mirrors.  How to incorporate the quirky features of the property such as the lovely old caves – one turned into a large bedroom and the other a bathroom. 

The lounge, dining room and American style kitchen needed to take advantage of the panoramic views of our mountains and provide a big open space centred around a wood burning stove.

Looking back we had some crazy moments including the time our project manager disappeared and a visit to site to break up an argument between the plumber and the electrician, painting bathrooms Christmas 2007 before first guests arrived and the scariest moment when they took the roof off… 

We definitely could write a book on it… maybe we will one day 

Meanwhile it’s for our guests to enjoy…  

Apartment Le Passeu – Les Arcs, Paradiski, France  

Chalet Le Passeu – Les Arcs, Paradiski, France