I have just received an update from the guys at ‘The Loft’. Their grand opening for the season will now be held on Tuesday 6th December.
The Loft is a new bar opening in Verbier, which can be found opposite the Post Office.
A new bar is set to open this winter in Verbier, in what used to be ‘Le Voilier’, which has now been empty since December 2010.
The bar, which is to be re-named ‘The Loft’, is close to Place Central on Rue de la Post and will open on December 1st 2011, after being closed for almost 12 months.
It will be run by Johan Strand and Kevin Grabowski who have both lived in the resort for more than 12 years and worked within the bar and hospitality sector.
Johan said of the new venture “We want to create a bar that locals and tourists can enjoy, which has a good atmosphere and most importantly, good prices.”
They hope to host a variety of evenings with special theme nights as well as live music with one-or two-man bands and acoustic guitar. Popular sport fixtures will also be televised.
The Loft will not serve any food, however it is opposite to the ‘Haut Sandwich’ take-away food kiosk. Johan said: “We’re happy for people to bring in take-away food to the bar while enjoying a drink.”
The bar will also host a Christmas market on December 10th, which will include stands with arts and crafts and local produce from the Val de Bagnes region.
The Loft will be open seven days a week from 4pm until 1.30am.
See you there!
When Coco nightclub was launched in December 2007, it was set to be the new flashy party venue and place to be seen in Verbier. It had a £1 million refurbishment and was transformed into a luxury club for the high rollers.
The walls were painted with gold leaf and it was given an extravagant interior in every way, and boasted a menu with extremely over priced drinks. The management were very selective with the clientele, and perhaps did not do all they could to welcome the locals and regulars of the resort.
Four years on, after what many would describe as a less than successful project, the club is receiving another revamp and has a new investor, Guy Pelly a nightclub entrepreneur from London. He is the owner of Public, a successful nightclub on the Kings Road, which attracts the social elite straight from Eton, Harrow and also Royals such as Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie. Coco is being given a Chelsea make over and becoming, Public Verbier.
Public claims it will provide all the thrills and spills of the London club, with a copper bar being brought over from London to help create a New York style industrial space. The dance floor is being opened up to create a larger dance area and the VIP section will be enlarged.
But ultimately will this be enough to change the reputation of this club, as it seems the clientele they are aiming for are similar to the aspirations of Coco’s four years ago. It certainly has all the right elements to attract the elite and jet set that inevitably visit Verbier throughout the ski season, but is this enough to make it a success?
On the surface it seems they to want to make changes, according to the club’s press release, Guy Pelly says: “We realise that it is a ski resort so the dress code will not be as strict as it would be in London and we very much want to embrace the people that live and work in Verbier.” This is perhaps a positive sign for the club as that’s exactly what Coco did not do.
Public Verbier promises to have the infamous photo booth, sweet jars and dressing up box, which are a huge success in London. Verbier is well known for its fancy dress nights and crazy antics, but it might be worth remembering that all these fun delights will be in the Public VIP room.
There is certainly room for something new and fresh in Verbier’s club scene and most people would agree that the late night spots could do with a shake- up. But whether Public will succeed to create something new, which will work in Verbier remains to be seen.
Photo from Bacchus PR.
