A Capell'Art Hotel

By Stacy Lytwyn Maxwell

Switzerland, VD, Caux-Sur-Montreux

Web: www.montreux-hotel.ch/e/index.php

What do you get when a musician and painter fuse their talents and enter the hospitality business?  Voila!  Switzerland’s A Capell’Art Hotel is nothing less than a masterpiece with magical dimensions. 

Four miles above Montreux, the Swiss Riviera represents a golden frame of additional splendor.  Pristine Lake Geneva at its feet, in the distance Mont Blanc reigns over the storybook effect of the Alps; those in search of a romantic utopia…look no farther.  

“The view of the lake and of the Alps is simply majestic, as if the mountain were falling into the water,” owner and director Olivier Perez describes. 

A paradox perhaps, but the hotel, equipped with modern amenities that include both WiFi and full Internet services (guests can utilize the computer in the downstairs drawing room), has managed to shut out modern-world exasperations by replacing them with an idyllic setting. 

“We are out of the city but yet very close (10 to 15 minutes), so there's a feeling of having left the noisy world and finding yourself inside a true haven of peace,” he explains.

Nestled in the Lilliputian village of Caux, a zigzag of winter ski runs and summer walking trails, the region is world-renowned for its international festivals and other area notables, such as the Musée Jenisch in Vevey and the Pierre Gianadda Foundation in Martigny.

“The Swiss Riviera is really a most romantic place; it has a micro-climate and that is why you will see cactus among the lake in Montreux.  Above us, the Dent de Jaman rises majestically to 2045 meters and, with the Rochers-de-Naye, dominates the lakeside Riviera, one of the most beautiful places in the world and recently classified as part of the UNESCO world heritage,” he notes.

Amid the natural grandeur, the inn vies for an equal showstopper status.  Built in the 19th century, the hotel has certainly achieved historical clout, being the second most ancient building in town.  An “absolute must” for couples, Olivier says, is to reserve "Romantique," a romantic suite.  Facing the lake, guests can step out on the veranda and feel the oneness with nature.   Note: the sunsets are so spellbinding, guests tend to nearly forget that dinner awaits.

The small 10-room establishment assures the homey appeal.  Each room features high-quality decor, but exudes its own authentic style furnished in one-of-a-kind treasures discovered in antique shops and flea markets throughout Switzerland, France and Italy.

Parents who reserve the “Familiale” with children on board can brush up on their romantic skills.  Modeled after the “Romantique,” but designed with an extra room, the quarters provide for two children.  Parents can also have a boost of yet more quality time together as their children engage in numerous outdoor and cultural activities designed for a variety of ages (5 to 17) and interests at the Chalet de Caux, which happens to be the oldest building in town, a 16th century farmhouse.  Plato, Schubert, Mozart...participants never know what may be woven into the children’s program.  As parents get some needed one-on-one time and kids get their own form of recreation, the concept, as Olivier calls it, is “the perfect match.”

The Chalet de Caux is like the rest of the property, a dream realized for Olivier and his wife, Isabelle.  Initially, her husband “fell in love with the town, the surroundings, the region, the country” and decided he wanted to share his love with others.

Since then, both, former lawyers, have turned up the volume on their creative geniuses.  Isabelle is most recently receiving notoriety with her copper engravings.  Olivier, author-composer-artist-performer, a master of many instruments, has made four recordings under the pseudonym Oscar Lalo.  The crescendo of their partnership (apart from their children: 12-year-old Alexandre and 11-year-old Joachim) is A Capell’Art Hotel, their interpretation of a “pure, genuine, non-aggressive way of presenting artistic activities.” 

The couple envisions the hotel as a beacon for the arts.  In fact, the name was inspired by “a cappella,” which means, in musical terms, “with no instruments (voice only).”  Whereas, “A Capell’ Art” opens the door to other art forms. 

“We host paintings of contemporary painters that we do appreciate, and whose talent is directly available to our customers as it would be in a museum, but for them to appreciate it at their own pace and leisure; and the concerts we regularly give in our third building (by the way the third oldest in town - the train station that we converted into a restaurant) are only played on acoustic instruments,” Olivier adds.

The restaurant, Buffet de la Gare de Caux, further arouses the most discriminating taste buds.  In fact, Olivier depicts the French chef as a wizard and states that his creativity fits into the “A Capell'Art spirit.”  The cuisine on the menu changes often, but always translates: “love at first sight.” The translation should be the calling card at A Capell’Art Hotel.  Art, music, magic:  it will make you a believer.