Bal Harbour

P H OTO BY Y V E S G A R N E AU (C H O U Q U I ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F B O H O U S E ( V I L L A V E R R I E R E ) constantly leaving for restaurants, boats, and beach clubs; in Verbier, after a day on the mountain, they often want to retreat into the chalet beside the fire. Consequently, the desire for a full complement of staff is considerably greater in the mountains. Chouqui makes staying in rather tempting. The approximately 1,000-square-meter chalet sleeps 20 across nine bedrooms and has the largest private indoor swimming pool in Verbier, along with a hot tub, steam room, gym, cinema, and wine cellar. Six original Matisses hang on the walls. The primary suite has its own steam shower and soaking tub, while the children's bunk room is filled with clever hidden shelves and charging points. There's even an elevator. It is a house designed around what happens after everyone takes off their boots in the ski room: Champagne and scones in the lounge, a swim, cocktails, dinner prepared by the chalet's chef, perhaps a movie downstairs. Recovery has become its own luxury amenity, too, with decompression boots and red-light therapy joining the more traditional pool and steam room. The contrast between Chouqui and Verrière reveals something interesting about the future of the villa itself: We don't necessarily want the same house everywhere anymore. We want a home that understands why we came. That philosophy extends to matching guests with properties according to how they really live, whether they are art collectors, serious tennis players, multigenerational families, or a group arriving with partying rather higher on the agenda. It also explains why Eterniti has invested so heavily in having people on the ground. The company employs 120 hospitality professionals year-round, growing to as many as 200 during peak seasons, with teams responsible for the properties as well as the people occupying them. It's a distinction that may become more important, not less, as luxury travel becomes increasingly digitized. As Friess explains it, "The more we have AI in our daily life, the more we will want humans to take care of our travel." His vision extends to what isn't placed inside Eterniti's homes. Rather than automatically filling children's rooms with PlayStations, he prefers to see Monopoly and board games. Small nudges toward spending time together. The idea sounds almost quaint until you realize that, in 2026, undistracted human connection may be one of the best amenities a house can offer. Eterniti recently raised another €30 million, bringing its total capital raised to €50 million, to expand into new destinations and invest further in its operations, technology, and guest experience. Its revenues have doubled year over year for the past four years while the company has remained profitable. Yet for a company in expansion mode, its most compelling proposition may be decidedly intimate. A chalet in Verbier. A villa in Saint-Tropez. Someone who knows where to find a table when there isn't one, who understands whether you want to disappear for a week or be everywhere that matters, and who knows that after a long day on the mountain, you might prefer to stay home. CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE LEFT The six-bedroom Villa Verrière, in Saint-Tropez, managed by Bo House; Chalet Chouqui, in Verbier, whose primary suite (top) looks out towards the Mont Blanc massif; the tennis court at Villa La Faune, another Bo House property in Saint-Tropez. 219 219

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