_Spotlight on Villars: the year-round Swiss resort where there is opportunity to own a second home

With a stable currency, excellent transport links and chocolate box picturesque villages, Switzerland is a popular destination enjoyed by visitors from around the world.

But buying a second home here can be tricky. The country’s Lex Weber laws mean that a second home can be purchased only in areas where less than 25% of properties are secondary residences. These opportunities still exist, but they’re few and far between – making Hedonia all the more special. 

Above: Hedonia Alpine apartments

A cultural oasis combining life in the great outdoors with the convenience of nearby towns and cities, Villars isn’t just the place to be now – it’s the place your children and grandchildren will want to be in the future.

Following significant investment into infrastructure, Villars topped the recent Knight Frank Ski Index, beating 15 other resorts in the Alps with a prime price change of 6% in the year to June 2018. New ski lifts, hotels and sport centres are among the many newly improved features of this popular resort.

There’s plenty of other reasons to invest in Hedonia, too. Comprising two chalet-style buildings complete with small retail units on its ground floor, the development blends contemporary design with traditional heritage, counting stone, wood and slate among the natural materials used to create it. 

Hedonia’s 20 apartments range in price from 1.3m to 2.85m, with each home featuring open and stylish spaces brought to life by natural light flooding in through expansive windows.

Whether you opt for a one-storey 3.5-room apartment, a 6.5-room duplex, or something in between, you’ll have the opportunity to handpick the fixtures, fittings and finishing to create a sanctuary that feels truly personalised to you. An underground garage provides ample space for parking and includes charge points for those driving electric cars.

Set on a natural south-facing plateau 1,300m above the Rhone Valley, all homes above floor one feature balconies. Here, residents and visitors alike can enjoy panoramic views of Mont Blanc, Les Dents du Midi and the Diablerets Glacier – made all the more enjoyable by the guarantee that these breath-taking views will remain unobstructed forever.

It’d be easy to spend an entire week unwinding in the comfort of Hedonia’s residences, but for those looking to make the most of Villars, there’s plenty to do throughout the year. The village features shops, leisure centres and public transport, all in close proximity to Hedonia.

There’s an 18-hole golf course, tennis centre, indoor skating rink and the Bains de Villars spa, complete with semi-Olympic pool, wellness zone and children’s recreation area.

For those looking to hit the slopes, the ski area rises from 1,200 m to 3,000 m and offers 125 km of slopes to suit all levels. Villars is also home to two wine-making regions, Bex and Ollon, both offering award-winning wines and unforgettable experiences.

Situated within two hours of Geneva airport, Hedonia enjoys easy accessibility via a short train, bus or taxi ride from Aigle or Bex stations.

Its connectivity is emphasised by the 800 international students attending the four private schools in Villars, contributing to the area’s distinctive vibrant atmosphere. And, of course, this further heightens the rental potential of homes here, where students’ parents, staff and general tourists frequently ascend. 

Hedonia ticks all the boxes: location, style, amenities. It’s a worthy investment and a calming escape from everyday pressures. In fact, the only downside of this beautiful new development may be the speed at which you’ll have to act if you wish to secure a home for yourself.

As the last new development in Villars and a completion date of December 2019, these properties are unlikely to remain on the market for long.

Villars by season: 

Spring – Autumn: watch Lake Geneva sparkle with an impressive backdrop of the slopes as the clouds lift. At these latitudes, summer daylight stretches all the way until 9pm.

Summer: July signals the start of the jazz festival in Montreux with the concert and dance season in Lausanne in full swing from May to September.

Winter: Despite the grey and drizzle of November, winter’s snowfall brings out the best in the areas surrounding the lake. Keep cosy with underfloor heating and solar heating for hot water powered by solar heating in the Hedonia development.