French Alpine homes offer ‘awesome’ skiing
“Awesome skiing” is the way Richard Deans – an enthusiast for the Alpine piste for 17 years who raced with the DHO (Downhill Only Club) at the age of 13 – describes the 249 km of slopes on the doorstep of the latest French Alpine development planned by MGM.
Richard, a sales consultant in the firm’s London office, this month unveils plans for Le Cristal de l’Alpe, a new four-star residence de tourisme to be built by MGM at Alpe d’Huez in the Central Alps region of France.
Occupying the former site of an English-owned hotel – now demolished – in the centre of the resort, close to shops and restaurants, the residence will comprise 68 properties ranging from studio apartments with floor areas of 15 sq m to four-bedroom homes of 82 sq m.
When it opens at the end of 2011, the residence will incorporate an indoor swimming pool as well as a sauna, jacuzzi, steam and fitness rooms. A spa and beauty centre will provide a variety of massages and body treatments.
Boasting the world’s longest black run – the 16 km Sarenne – Alpe d’Huez also has easy slopes which attract beginners.
But the resort, which hosted the bobsleigh events of the 1968 Winter Olympics, has much more than skiing on offer.
“This is a destination for sports lovers,” says Richard who points to the popularity of its public sports halls and open-air heated pool as well as facilities for a host of activities ranging from tennis and climbing to hiking and biking.
Professional cyclists helped the village make its mark in the sporting world in 1952 when the Tour de France stopped there for the first time. Alpe d’Huez has been a stage finish for the race almost every year since 1976.
Grenoble Airport is 90 minutes from Alpe d’Huez by car. Chambery Airport is a two-hour drive and Geneva Airport is three hours by road.
Prices of the properties at Le Cristal de l’Alpe depend on size and leaseback option (see below). Typically the price of a two-bedroom apartment with a floor area of 44 sq m is €242,000, excluding VAT which is waived under the leaseback scheme.
For full details of the properties available, visit mgm-constructeur.com.
