Saas Fee has always been one of our favourite resorts with exceptional investment opportunities and we first started selling property there over 20 years ago.  We have seen the resort develop over that time, but it still retains its traditional charm and beauty.

There has been a huge amount of investment in Saas Fee particularly in the last 5 years and we have also invested ourselves and opened a new office in Saas Fee this winter.

So why is there so much new development going on in Saas Fee? Here are three reasons:

Saas Fee is one of the best snow sure resorts in the Alps. The resort is set on a South facing plateau at 1800m and is surrounded by several peaks over 4,000m. The glacier is at 3600m and is open for 10 months of the year. All the international ski teams train in Saas Fee and it has one of the longest ski seasons in the Alps.

Saas Fee is a dual season resort and has a busy summer season. There are tennis courts, football pitches, leisure facilities (indoor and outdoor polls) and hiking, mountain biking and climbing and a via ferrata for the more adventurous. Lively in both summer and winter, the village truly earns its dual season title with countless events, festivals, and competitions throughout the year.

Saas Fee is a charming traditional style resort and is traffic free. Visitors and owners park in the multi-storey car park and either walk into the resort or call an electro taxi. It has a huge choice of restaurants and a lively après ski scene.

Very few resorts have this winning combination – high altitude, dual season, and charming.

Sas Fee has all three and this is driving the investment in the resort. Property investors seek to maximize their skiing and their rental income, so Saas Fee is a sure bet. Other investors such as developers, hoteliers, restaurateurs are investing in Saas Fee now for the same reasons.

Hotels

Saas Fee now has two 5* hotels, the Walliserhof and the Capra, and a new hotel is currently under construction by the Revier Group. Plans have been approved for the refurbishment and extension of the Dom hotel. The largest project is an investment of between CHF 150m and 200m for a major new development of a hotel, spa, shops and restaurants, on a plateau overlooking the centre of the resort. The developer is based in Valais, and he has also reopened discussions about linking Saas Fee by ski lift to Zermatt. It is currently possible to ski off piste with a guide but a direct link by lift would truly be a game changer.  

Ski lifts

Saastal Bergbahnen AG has started construction of the replacement Hannigbahn lift and are planning to invest around CHF 100 million over the next 10 years. The plans include the renewal of central facilities such as the Metro Alpin, the replacement of the Längfluh cable car, and the extension of the Spielbodenbahn lift to Längfluh. They will also increase the artificial snowmaking facility and the generation of renewable energy to cover around 80% of total power requirements.

Skiing

Saas Fee was one of the original founding members of the Magic Pass which now gives unlimited access to 80 ski resorts in winter and 37 destinations in summer at the bargain price of 399 sfrs. It doesn’t include Zermatt but one of the big selling points of Saas Fee is that it is in the next valley from Zermatt but as foreigners are not permitted to buy in Zermatt, Saas Fee is a good affordable alternative.

Green credentials

Saas Fee is also a prize-winning green energy resort. Saas Fee has been using clean electricity from Valais hydropower since 2012 and now it is the first ski resort in Switzerland to have a solar thermal local heating network. The Allalin Aqua centre and some hotels and some properties we are selling such as The Peak have been connected to this network. Saas-Fee was awarded the GOLD Energy City Label in 2021 and a Best Tourism Villages award by UNTWO in 2022. For details see below.

Transfer time

The extension of the motorway between Sierre and Visp is finally nearly completed and will reduce driving time from Saas to Geneva by 15 to 20 minutes.

The future

We published an article in 2018 tipping Saas Fee as a good investment and since then property prices have increased substantially. With all this new investment coming, we are convinced that Saas Fee will continue to develop as a resort and prices will continue to increase. It is still very reasonably priced compared to other high-altitude resorts in the Alps.

Properties:

Here are our recommendations:

From quaint re-sale chalets to striking new hotel serviced apartments, there is a type of property for everyone. For an explanation on the four types of property available click here.

Some of the old 2* and 3* hotels are being refurbished and sold as brand-new apartments. Examples are The Peak, Du Glacier and Alphubel. These properties are all well located, and traditional in style but with contemporary interiors.

Saas Fee is the gift that keeps on giving and with the demand for properties ever-increasing, we’ve got some remarkable developments available.

To see all our properties in Saas Fee, click here.

Watch this video of Simon Malster to get a clearer understanding of the resort and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like more information, a call/viewing or some general advice on property in the Alps.

16 April 2024