Verbier in winter has glamour, excitement and a starry cast list of the young, gorgeous, rich and famous. Coco Club is just made for it.
On 14 December, a brand new luxury VIP club opens in Verbier in the Swiss Alps. Coco Club has been set up by London entrepreneur Harvey Sinclair (who sold his on-line recruitment business to Trinity Mirror in 2005 for £55million), and his business partner Patrick Polli, one of Switzerland's best-known alpine architects. With backing from three Geneva-based oil traders, they spent a million pounds transforming the rundown club (formerly the Tara) beneath the Bristol hotel to make Coco Club the destination for the partying classes. It can hold 400 people in three distinct sections and can seat 230 at 30 tables and three private rooms. The no-expense spared design features luxurious leather booths, white fur curtains, crushed velvet stools, hand-painted wallpaper and gold leaf plaster walls inspired by the mountains. There is also a handsome long bar made from Alpine granite, just the place to hang out and eyeball the talent. Spectacular sharing drinks have been created by London's top mixologists including the Chalet Coco Champagne Cocktail which at 1,250CHF (£500) is the most expensive sharing cocktail in the Alps. It is presented in a knockout hand-carved ice chalet (opposite) and serves six though it has to be ordered a week in advance so no impromptu grand gestures here. Other drinks are inspired by Verbier's legendary off-piste runs like La Marlène Martini and The Stairway to Heaven and classic cocktails come with ice shard stirrers and are served by cute Coco Snow Birds (opposite). Naturally there's a full range of premium Champagnes, wins and spirits. Coco Club has a state-of-the-art sound system and features the best musical talent (think Ibiza in the snow). For launch events this month, one of the UK's funkiest DJ, vocal and percussion groups, Crazy P, is flying in to kick start the season. Throughout the winter top international names will be in town to host decadent parties while DJ, music producer and Radio 1 presenter Chris Coco will take monthly residence. Founder VIP membership and Coco Club's concierge service is by invitation only, costs 2,500CHF for the winter season and is restricted to 100 people. There's already a waiting list. Benefits include a private reservation hotline from London, VIP access via a secret lift, use of the Belvedere private room, chauffeured transfers from Coco Club to chalets between 2am - 4am, and private hire of the Coco Snow Birds and the club's mixologists for drinks in your own chalet between 5pm-9pm. For non-members, entry to Coco Club is by reservation only and costs 50CHF (£20). Coco Club launch weekend parties 14&15 December 2007. The club is open seven nights a week (10.30pm - 4am). For membership enquiries, reservations and further details, call +41 0277716666 or visit www.cococlub.ch
