TL;DR
Grandvalira is considering building its own residential complex to house seasonal workers, as soaring rents across Andorra make staff recruitment and retention increasingly difficult. The project would initially accommodate 200 to 300 employees in modular, sustainable apartments - and the resort says it may fund the whole thing itself. It's a significant move, and one that reflects a growing problem across the global ski industry.
Grandvalira is planning to build its own residential village for seasonal workers as Andorra's housing shortage bites harder each year.
The resort - Andorra's largest - currently spends around €3 million annually housing its staff. During a typical winter season, between 2,600 and 2,800 people work across Grandvalira's operations, with roughly 2,200 of those on seasonal contracts. Finding somewhere affordable for those workers to actually live is getting harder.
The Plan
The proposed solution takes inspiration from an unlikely source: the "Villa Olympica" concept used to house athletes at major games. Grandvalira is exploring a development of modular, sustainable apartments that would initially sleep 200 to 300 employees. Locations in Canillo and La Massana are reportedly under consideration, and the resort says it may finance the project entirely on its own. Apartments would range from two to four rooms.
Why Andorra Is Feeling the Squeeze
The broader context is familiar to anyone watching the European ski industry. Property prices in mountain regions have risen sharply, and rental availability has thinned out considerably. When housing disappears from ski villages, so do the workers - and when workers disappear, so do operating hours, open restaurants, and functioning lifts. Grandvalira is making the point directly: staff shortages don't just affect the resort's bottom line, they degrade the on-mountain experience for visitors.
Not an Isolated Problem
Grandvalira points to Aspen as a reference point. The Colorado resort has operated affordable housing schemes for employees for decades - a model that has become increasingly relevant as alpine property markets across Europe and North America have tightened. French mountain villages are also experimenting with temporary housing units for seasonal workers. The problem is broadly the same wherever tourism infrastructure has pushed local housing costs beyond the reach of the people running it.
Strong Season, Structural Problem
The timing is notable. Grandvalira Resorts closed the 2025/2026 season with over 2.38 million skier days - a strong result by any measure. Pal Arinsal in particular recorded solid growth despite poor weather and ongoing issues with access road conditions from France. A record winter, and still the housing problem hasn't gone away. That probably tells you something about how structural this issue has become.
For resorts dependent on large seasonal workforces, building your own accommodation is increasingly looking less like a generous perk and more like a basic operational necessity.
About Grandvalira Ski Resort
Grandvalira is Andorra's largest ski resort and one of the biggest in the Pyrenees by skiable terrain. Situated in the small landlocked principality of Andorra between Spain and France, the resort connects several sectors across the mountains above the Grandvalira valley. Its season typically runs from late November through April. The resort is a popular destination for skiers from Spain and France in particular, though it draws international visitors drawn by Andorra's duty-free status and relatively accessible location from Barcelona.
About the author
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
