Hi-End Swissworks Completed At Two Luxury Properties, And SWISS Partners With Grand Du Lac
by Maria Lisella /
The Hotel Valrose in Rougemont, which had been closed since 2007, reopened in mid-December after a 20-month renovation that cost more than 10 million Swiss Francs ($9.9 million). It’s a breathtaking modern interpretation of Alpine design, with wooden walls, leather chairs, and sensual fabrics. The property, which is a few minutes from the slopes, was built in 1904, when the Montreux-Oberland Bernois (MOB) railway arrived in the Pays-d’Enhaut. Jean-Jacques Gauer, a former director of the Lausanne Palace, and Edgar Bovier, executive chef at the Palace, are behind the project. This boutique property features just 12 guestrooms, a restaurant, coffee shop and a garden patio. The hotel is managed by Florian Carrard, a former chef at the Lausanne Palace, who offers local cuisine based on regional products.
Suites at the legendary Fairmont Le Montreux Palace have undergone a complete renovation, thanks to London-based Aedas, one of the world's leading global architecture and design practices. The suites have been carefully updated in a contemporary style that looks clean and modern yet respects the hotel’s Belle-Époque heritage.
The city of Montreux is the site of the international Montreux Jazz Festival that will be celebrating its 51st anniversary this year. From June 30-July 15, more than 250,000 visitors are expected to arrive at one of the best-known and respected Jazz festivals in Europe. Montreux has seen historic performances by artists including Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, and Stevie Wonder. The three ticketed venues (Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Club, Montreux Jazz Lab) showcase the Festival’s prestigious lineup of artists.