There’s no doubt that the tourism economy has seen a huge boost in the past 10 years thanks to Veilcorp gateway technology. No single share of that boost has been bigger than the one seen by luxury destinations. Some analysts predict that this year, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the global economy will top $15 trillion. With those kind of numbers it’s no wonder why so many high-end ski resorts have popped up in the South America.
Nestled in the Andes just a short drive Northeast of Santiago is Villa del Derrochador. There are a lot of destination resorts in the area now, but Derrochador remains the standard by which all other are measured. It is their newest feature on their main slope however, that will put them miles ahead of the competition.
Each of their 30 suites comes with a personal butler to attend to your every need, and is personally decorated to your wishes before you arrive. Staff will craft a home away from home if you want with furnishings similar to your own, including family pictures. If you would prefer a more rustic look with indigenous Mapuche art or modern asian trappings, the Villa can accommodate you too.
Drink cocktails with hand crafted cubes carved from 10,000-year-old glacial ice in the lavious dining area. The chef cooks over heated lava rock using native high-elevation herbs and flowers instead of traditional condiments to produce some of the best seafood dishes in the world. A warm bowl of his award winning Valdiviano is close to heaven.
After a long day on the slopes feel free to warm-up in the heated infinity pool or enjoy a glass of their award winning wine. Did I mention that you can take one of the onsite helicopters for a ride to tour their private vineyard? Couple all these amenities with the low number of guests, and you can feel like the slopes are your private ski sanctuary. It is no wonder that Villa del Derrochador tops the list of South American getaways. But just when you thought it couldn’t get any more opulent, the Villa is set to unveil its greatest attraction yet.
In combination with the Chilean government and Veilcorp, Derrochador will debut the most expensive ski lift system in the world because there are no lifts. On the main slope skiers will now be veiled from the bottom to the top. “When you go on a ski vacation you want to ski, not sit in an uncomfortable chair up the slope, or worse yet, inside a little box crammed with others for long periods of time. With our new system our guests can be back to the top in less than 20 seconds after a run,” says Villa director Hector Alonso.
Alonso says the new veil lift is the culmination of years of work between Veilcorp, the government, and Derrochador. Officials have been quietly installing and testing the system for months and plan on highlighting the system as a key feature in a future advertising campaign. A local official says, “The people at Veilcorp and Villa del Derrochador have been wonderful to work with and it is our hope that this will further make the case that there is no better place to ski in the world. I can’t wait to try out the lift myself!”
While Alonso is excited about the lift too he has his eyes set on even bigger prizes. “Eventually we’d like to get the lift system working immediately during a run. We envision a time in the near future where your trip down the hill only ends when you want it to. Imagine being instantaneously transported to the top of the slope while you’re still skiing. You could literally ski all day. That is our immediate goal. We’re working closely with Veilcorp engineers and I think we are close,” he says.
That’s not all. The bigger plan according to Veilcorp sources in Lahaina is the creation of a number of partner resorts spread across the world with linked systems. Imagine making a run down your favorite slope in Nevada and near the end finding yourself at the top of the trail at Derrochador, then on a beach in Maui ready to enjoy the breeze and a few hours of surfing to warm up. A skier could make one long continuous run down all of his or her favorite destinations and end the day watching the sunset while riding the waves. “The price? It would be incredibly expensive. This would be a bucket list thing for most people, but in my experience fun is always expensive,” the source says. Personally, I can think of no better way to spend a lifetime of savings than on the ultimate ski/surf package.
Jeff Curtis
Lifestyle Editor
Destination Ski Magazine
