Villars

Villars

Location: Switzerland, canton of Vaud
Type of village: Hotel
Year of opening: December 1968
Year of closing: 2018

A little history: the development of Villars sur Ollon began during the second half of the 19th century when the road connecting it to Ollon, a town located a little further down the valley, was completed.

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

He had a first hotel built there, the Grand Hôtel Muveran, which I will return 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.

1895, as promised, I return to the Grand Hôtel Muveran. That year, our Auguste adds a theater to his hotel under the name of "salle des fêtes." This village hall then becomes the first theater in the Vaudois Alps. That same year, to keep the plot in the family, Auguste sells the estate to his nephew Charles Genillard.

A few years passed and Villars-Chessières grew. In 1901, the rack railway opened, allowing travelers and hikers to travel by train from Bex, a town also served by the conventional railway line from Lausanne.

In 1912, Charles Genillard commissioned two architects from Bex to build a new hotel on the southern part of the plot. This part offered several advantages for a luxury hotel construction. It offered a completely unobstructed view of the surrounding mountains and the valley, it was south-facing, and finally it was located in the immediate vicinity of the station of the little red train that came up from Bex and which would therefore allow customers to reach the hotel without too much effort.
He wanted to give this new establishment the image of an ocean liner. It would become the Paquebot des Alpes! The first spades were taken at the end of the winter of 1911/12 and the work was completed only 18 months later. A feat for an establishment of this size!

The inauguration of the establishment under the name Villars Palace took place on Christmas Eve 1913. 

With a capacity of 250 beds, the Villars Palace offered all the modern comforts of the time: central heating, hot and cold running water, telephone in each room, electricity, elevators, and even room service.
Guests were also offered a wide variety of activities: bowling, billiards, ice skating on the huge ice 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. It had one of the largest pools, with a slide and diving board, in Switzerland at the time.

At the end of World War II, major renovations took place at the Palace, the Bellevue Hotel, and the Grand Hotel Muveran to modernize them. During these renovations, the Grand Hotel Muveran went up in flames. Only its theater escaped the fire.

Throughout history, the Villars Palace and its facilities have been the site of major celebrations and competitions. People were almost jostling to come and skate, or watch skating events, on the immense ice rink.
After the Second World War and until 1965, the Villars Palace made its lounges available and organized tea dances reserved for children on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, with parents being asked to stay at the door, of course.

1968 arrives!! The beginning of a new era and a secure future for the Villars Palace!! The hotel is on a downward slope in terms of attendance. The Club Méditerranée buys it as well as the Bellevue hotel where it accommodates the GOs. The Bouquetins chalet located at the Bouquetins stop is also taken over. The Club turns it into a mountain restaurant, thus avoiding its skiers having to go back down to the village for lunch.

After some work, notably to increase the number of rooms, the Villars Palace Club Méditerranée version opened for the winter in December 1968. The opening was somewhat disrupted by the collapse of the dance floor installed in the theater. More of a scare than harm, but the village opening had to be postponed for a few days.
Jean Belin, as village chef, served in this first season. He was succeeded by other illustrious chefs such as Héron, Gilles, Pollak, Fayt known as the Duchess, Morre, Batard… Marco Sciara closed the village at the end of winter 2017/18, bringing to an end 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 rejuvenation and a move to 4 Tridents.
Ten years later, in 2018, Club Med decided that the Villars Palace no longer met its standards and customer expectations. (sic).

From the Villars Palace, I will remember a building with a sublime and majestic appearance with its architecture, its wooden balconies, offering a 4-star view of the Dents du Midi, the Portes du Soleil area on the French side, the Aigle valley. The interior does not leave you indifferent either. The lobby, the restaurant with its superb ceiling, its chandeliers and its curiosity the small balcony, without forgetting the famous Muveran theater.
The restaurant, the entrance hall and the theater are classified as "historical monuments."

Today

In 2018, Jérôme de Meyer and Marco Dunand acquired the property, which then 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 in its new colors will take place on June 24, 2022.