Villars

Villars

Location: Switzerland, Canton of Vaud
Type of establishment: Hotel
Year opened: December 1968
Year closed: 2018

For the record: the rise of Villars sur Ollon began during the second half of the 19th century with the completion of the road linking it to Ollon, a town located a little further down towards the valley.

In 1865, a certain Auguste Petter-Genillard, a merchant from Aigle, acquired a large plot of land in Villars. The land, purchased in the locality of Le Muveran, was situated at the crossroads of several paths and roads: the Col de la Croix road and the Villars/Bex road. In short, an ideal location for investment.

He had a first hotel built there, the Grand Hôtel Muveran, which I will come back to a little later, as it is important.
In 1870, while France was fighting against the Kingdom of Prussia, Auguste's brother-in-law had a second hotel built at the rear of the plot: the Hôtel Bellevue.

In 1895, as promised, I returned to the Grand Hôtel Muveran. That year, our Auguste added a theater to his hotel, calling it the "ballroom." This ballroom then became the first theater in the Vaud Alps. Also that year, to keep the property in the family, Auguste sold the estate to his nephew, Charles Genillard.

A few years pass and Villars-Chessières develops. In 1901, the rack railway is opened allowing travelers and hikers to take the train from Bex, a town also served by the classic railway line from Lausanne.

In 1912, Charles Genillard commissioned two architects from Bex to design a new hotel on the southern part of the plot. This location offered several advantages for a high-end hotel. It boasted a completely unobstructed view of the surrounding mountains and valley, faced due south, and was situated right next to the station of the little red train that ran up from Bex, thus allowing guests to reach the hotel with minimal effort.
He envisioned the new establishment as resembling an ocean liner. It would be the Ocean Liner of the Alps! The first sod was turned at the end of winter 1911/12, and construction was completed just 18 months later. A remarkable feat for an establishment of this scale!

The establishment was inaugurated under the name Villars Palace on Christmas Eve 1913. 

With a capacity of 250 beds, the Villars Palace offered all the comforts of modern life at the time: central heating, hot and cold running water, a telephone in every room, electricity, elevators, and even room service.
Guests were also offered a wide variety of activities: bowling, billiards, ice skating on the huge rink located at the foot of the hotel, tobogganing, skiing, as well as a theater, a bar, and an orchestra for entertainment.

At the time, the Villars Palace was the fifth largest palace in the Vaud Alps.

The sports building and swimming pool were built in 1928. The latter boasted one of the largest pools, with a slide and diving board, in Switzerland at the time.

In the aftermath of World War II, major renovations took place at the Palace, the Bellevue Hotel, and the Grand Hotel Muveran to modernize them. During these works, the Grand Muveran caught fire. Only its theater escaped the blaze.

Throughout history, the Villars Palace and its facilities have been the venue for grand celebrations and competitions. People practically jostled to skate or watch skating events on the immense ice rink.
After the Second World War and until 1965, the Villars Palace made its salons available and organized tea dances for children on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons; parents were, of course, asked to remain outside.

1968 arrives! The beginning of a new era and a secure future for the Villars Palace! The hotel's occupancy rate is declining. Club Med buys it, along with the Bellevue Hotel where they house their GOs (Gentils Organisateurs - Club Med staff). The Chalet des Bouquetins, located at the Halt des Bouquetins (Bouquetins rest stop), is also acquired. Club Med transforms it into a mountain restaurant, thus saving its skiers the trip back down to the village for lunch.

After some renovations, notably to increase the number of rooms, the Club Med version of Villars Palace opened for the winter season in December 1968. The opening was somewhat disrupted by the collapse of the dance floor installed in the theater. More of a scare than anything else, but the village's opening had to be postponed for a few days.
Jean Belin, as village chief, managed this first season. He was succeeded by other illustrious chiefs such as Héron, Gilles, Pollak, Fayt (known as "La Duchesse"), Morre, Batard, and others. Marco Sciara closed the village at the end of the 2017/18 winter season, bringing to a close 50 years of history.

During its existence, the hotel underwent several renovations. In 1999/2000, the rooms and common areas were renovated, and in 2007, it underwent a complete refurbishment and was upgraded to a 4-Trident rating.
Ten years later, in 2018, Club Med determined that the Villars Palace no longer met its standards or customer expectations.

What I'll remember most about the Villars Palace is its sublime and majestic architecture, its wooden balconies offering breathtaking views of the Dents du Midi, the Portes du Soleil ski area on the French side, and the Aigle valley. The interior is equally impressive. The lobby, the restaurant with its magnificent ceiling, chandeliers, and the intriguing little balcony, not to mention the famous Muveran Theatre.
The restaurant, the entrance hall, and the theatre are all listed as historical monuments.

Today

In 2018, Jérôme de Meyer and Marco Dunand acquired the property which at that time included the Palace, the Bellevue hotel, the Buvette, the ski slope, 85,000m2 of land, as well as the Bouquetins mountain restaurant

The inauguration of the Villars Palace under its new colors takes place on June 24, 2022.