Board 10
46°39'49.130"N 6°19'57.687"E - 1'045.5 m
The "Grand Hôtel" of the "Lac de Joux"
The emblem of the "Belle époque" tourism in the Valley of Joux
The Grand Hotel could be considered as the emblem of tourism in the Valley de Joux. Standing here by this amazing building, with the beautiful Valley below, one can just imagine the elegantly dressed gentlemen and charming ladies who stayed here. Between dining hours they’d take a stroll along one of the quiet paths or relax in the fresh air and read. There would be teatime and pastries and the children would play together on the grounds, something that we, even a century later, would most certainly enjoy.
This monumental hotel was built by De Morsier Brothers & Weibel of Geneva in collaboration with a local builder named Henri Rochat-Golay, who would later build the Chalet-Suisse. Work began in early 1900 and one year later the hotel was inaugurated. Samuel Robert wrote a detailed account of this festive event, animated brilliantly by the Jurassienne brass band, in the local newspaper on 18 July 1901.
In the article, we learn that the hotel had 120 rooms, spacious and comfortable dining halls, a magnificent, enclosed veranda on the south side, numerous balconies off the bedrooms, a music hall, therapeutic baths and a restaurant for visitors. The hotel had electric lighting as well as an elevator and was considered highly fire resistant.
However, as an essential rule, those with tuberculosis weren’t admitted!
In the beginning of the 20th century, the Pont village was instrumental in having running water installed in houses. But the Grand Hotel wasn’t just a normal “house” and its water consumption was high. It wasn’t always easy providing this large structure with the necessary quantity!
Business was excellent for the first six years of the hotel. Especially impressive was the year of 1905 when all the rooms were occupied, as well as all as those of all the other smaller hotels in the town. It was the golden age of tourism and Swiss hotel businesses were flourishing as never before!
However, the hotel was in bankruptcy already in 1908. Had the owners been too ambitious? An immense hotel, too difficult to maintain? An occupancy rate too low? And then the world was at war from 1914 to 1918, followed by the economic crisis of 1929 and the Second World War from 1939 to 1945. The Grand Hotel would never rise to the level of success it had in the beginning of the century. Business would be slow for the coming years.
Here's hoping the Grand Hotel will have an illustrious future with its new owners.
Coming back to the beginning of our story, we must say that Morsier Bros & Weibel from Geneva had great ambitions for the Grand Hotel. Besides the building itself, they had created a tennis court and skating rink. They built garages for their wealthy clients and beach huts on the lake, and had even planned a golf course on the summit of the Aouille. They also participated in the creation of ski slopes and sled runs. In short, they promoted all these new sports that were taking the Vallée de Joux by storm. Today one can still see the old garages, where the skating rink had been, and the walking trails on the Aouille.
Besides recreational sports, the Grand Hotel’s clients could enjoy numerous hikes in the area. For example, the Aouille trail leads you through some of the most romantic spots of the region, winding through the rocks and forests, offering breathtaking views of the village and valley and past cliffs where one can practice rock climbing today. Give the trail a try!
The presence of the Caprice, a boat from the Navigation Company of the Lake of Joux, is also often linked to that of the Grand Hotel. While the Caprice had already been sailing since 1889, from then on one would no longer go without the other, at least on the countless postcards we have of Le Pont and its major tourist attractions for this exceptional era.
Let us also mention that the Grand Hotel had secured the permanent services of Dr. Hippolyte Yersin. Dr. Yersin would go on to build a villa below the Hotel which still exists today. These buildings are all part of the fascinating hotel complex in the Aouille and Pont area that we hope you’ll enjoy discovering.
