Experimental Chalet Verbier | Switzerland
Paris cocktail culture meets post-war ski glamour in a 1950s chalet with one of Verbier’s most legendary nightclubs downstairs.
Why DNA Hotels Loves It
● Fabrizio Casiraghi transformed a 1950s building into a wonderfully unconventional Alpine hotel, mixing mid-century resort glamour with colour, velvet, lacquered wood and just enough chalet nostalgia.
● The 39 rooms and suites feel more like a stylish private members’ club than a conventional ski hotel, with mountain views, retro detailing and some private terraces and Jacuzzis.
● Experimental Group didn’t just bring its famous cocktails to Verbier — it also took over the Farm Club, the resort’s legendary nightclub that has been keeping the party going since 1971.
What Happens When Paris Goes Skiing?
Experimental Group made its name changing the way Paris drank. Its original Experimental Cocktail Club helped kick-start the city’s craft-cocktail revolution before the group expanded into restaurants, wine bars and hotels in some of Europe’s most fashionable destinations. Eventually, all that urban sophistication needed a holiday. So they went to Verbier. Experimental Chalet occupies a 1950s building in the centre of one of Switzerland’s most glamorous mountain resorts. But rather than filling it with the predictable Alpine vocabulary of chunky timber, tartan and fur, the group asked Fabrizio Casiraghi to imagine what a chalet might look like through the lens of Europe’s post-war ski boom. The answer is considerably more fun.
Mid-Century Mountains
Casiraghi mixes the glamour of 1950s, 60s and 70s mountain resorts with the relaxed sophistication associated with Experimental Group. Deep greens meet dusty pinks, orange velvet and pistachio. Natural timber sits alongside lacquered surfaces, brass and chrome. Portuguese tiles, plush carpets, vintage paintings and rounded furniture add layers of character. There are still reminders that you’re in Switzerland. Pressed Alpine flowers appear on the walls. An antler chandelier hangs above a roaring fireplace. Mountains fill the windows. But nothing slips into chalet cliché. It feels nostalgic without becoming themed — as though a particularly stylish 1970s ski club had survived intact and somebody quietly upgraded the bathrooms.
39 Rooms, No Alpine Beige
The hotel’s 39 rooms and suites continue the story. White walls and timber are punctuated by dark-green panelling, dusty-rose carpets, thick velvet curtains and vintage artwork. Curved furniture and retro-tiled bathrooms reinforce the mid-century mood without sacrificing contemporary comfort. Some rooms open onto private terraces overlooking the mountains, while selected suites add Jacuzzis. The result is warm and cocooning when Verbier is buried beneath snow, but importantly it doesn’t depend upon winter for its atmosphere. Come summer, balconies and terraces open towards the mountains and the chalet becomes a base for hiking, paragliding and long Alpine afternoons in the sun.
Cocktails Are Not an Afterthought
Calling the bar important to an Experimental Group hotel would be something of an understatement. This is part of the brand’s DNA. After skiing, the first-floor cocktail bar becomes the hotel’s social centre: fireplaces burning, velvet chairs occupied and Experimental’s bartenders doing what originally made the group famous. The atmosphere is closer to a sophisticated city cocktail bar transplanted to 1,500 metres than conventional après-ski. And when everyone else starts thinking about bed, there is another staircase to descend.
The Farm Club Is Downstairs
Verbier’s Farm Club has been part of the resort’s nightlife since 1971. Experimental Group acquired the institution and incorporated it into the hotel, giving guests something few Alpine properties can offer: one of the resort’s most famous nightclubs effectively beneath their bedrooms. For decades, the Farm Club has been where Verbier’s international crowd ends its evenings. Now you don’t even need a taxi home. Whether that’s a design feature or a dangerous convenience probably depends on what time you finally leave.
Rösti Before the Dance Floor
The food follows the same philosophy as the interiors: take something recognisably Alpine and loosen it up. Traditional mountain staples such as rösti, spaetzle and tartiflette sit alongside fish, vegetables, salads and lighter dishes built around sustainably sourced ingredients. The original restaurant concept was developed with chef Gregory Marchand, best known for Frenchie in Paris, bringing some of Experimental Group’s French culinary sensibility to the mountains. It’s hearty enough for a day on the slopes without requiring every meal to end in a cheese-induced coma.
Ski. Spa. Cocktail. Repeat.
There is, of course, a spa. Experimental Chalet’s wellness space offers a calmer counterpoint to the social life upstairs and downstairs, with treatments including Biologique Recherche skincare. And beyond the hotel lies the real playground. Verbier provides access to the enormous 4 Vallées ski area, making this a serious destination for people who actually came to Switzerland to ski — even if the hotel’s cocktail bar and Farm Club occasionally interfere with an early first lift. Experimental Chalet understands something many ski hotels forget: the hours after you leave the mountain matter too. Fabrizio Casiraghi’s deliciously retro interiors, Experimental’s cocktail pedigree and the legendary Farm Club turn a 1950s chalet into a hotel with genuine personality. Ski hard, order a cocktail, eat the rösti, disappear downstairs and reconsider that first lift tomorrow. This is Verbier with its tie loosened.
