Thanks to our ancestors we have become what we are today. The heritage they have left us can be considered as a part of themselves. So that they can continue living in our memories we must take care of this heritage whilst giving it new life.

The hotel Fleur de Neige is not simply a chalet. It is the achievement of a dream of two families and three generations. It has a soul and a history of its own.

Thérèse and Auguste Cottet build the hotel:
In 1935, Thérèse and Auguste Cottet bought the land on which the hotel is constructed. Originally, they came from a small Swiss village near Geneva called Hermance. They had left Hermance and had become owners of a bar with a restaurant in Vogny near Thonon-les-Bains. They liked their profession, but dreamed about leaving Vogny and build a hotel in a mountain village.

In 1935, the opportunity came to them to buy land in Châtel. Once the construction plans were made the work could begin. During the construction of the hotel, Thérèse and Auguste Cottet rented the house next to the hotel and started a pension for the tourists passing through Châtel.

At this time no one could imagine that Châtel would become the renowned ski resort which it is today. At the end of the nineteenth century, attempts to become a thermal resort had been made thanks to two sources (a sulfurous and a ferruginous one) both rising at Tré-les-Pierres. The attempts had been in vain, but in spite of this the Cottet family stayed confident.

Weeks, months and years passed on and gradually Fleur de Neige took shape. By the end of 1938 the hotel was ready to accommodate its first guests for the winter season 1938-1939.

The Second World War:
Unfortunately, with the outbreak of the Second World War the tourists disappeared and during the war Fleur de Neige was requisitioned by the Italian troops. When they retreated, the hotel was requisitioned by the French army and was not free until the end of the war.

During the war, the Cottet family was obliged to return to Switzerland to earn their living. Being anxious to continue the hotel, the son of Thérèse and Auguste Cottet, Pierre (born in 1926), left home between 1942 and 1944 in order to start training as a cook at the Bonnivard hotel at Montreux in Switzerland,

At the end of the apprenticeship and having attained a cook’s licence he went to work at hotel l’Ecu in Neufchâtel as a kitchen assistant. This was between 1944 and 1945. From 1945 until autumn 1945, he worked as a kitchen assistant at the Buffet de la Gare Cornavin at Geneva.

During the period when the Cottet family was absent from the hotel, Thérèse’s sister - Margueritte Decorzent – and her husband helped supervising the hotel. Driving the bus between Châtel and Thonon-les-Bains during the daytime, Mr Decorzent could return to the hotel in the evening where his wife spent the day cooking for the soldiers who were occupying the hotel. She also had to do all the domestic tasks and the upkeeping of the hotel in presence of the observant French soldiers. When the village of Abondance only 11 kilometers from Châtel, was bombarded, it was Margueritte Decorzent who welcomed the refugees searching for shelter during night having only the glow of a candle light to show them their way.

By the end of the war, Thérèse and Auguste could return to Châtel where they were ordered by the French government to use the hotel to shelter and feed children from Lyon suffering from the war. When the children left again, they were in better health thanks to the pure mountain air and the good fat milk from the cows.

In the winter season 1945-1946, Fleur de Neige could open as a hotel again. At the time, guests in the mountains were mainly summer guests looking for quietness and beauty, but the hotel also welcomed the first few skiers in the region coming to try out the slopes still without ski lifts. With the construction of the first ski lift of Châtel at Vonnes in 1947, the first winter sport tourists followed. More and more tourists chose Châtel as destination for their winter holidays.

Maurice Neuvecelle arrives at the hotel:
In December 1953, Auguste Cottet went to see Mr. Fernand Neuvecelle at Thonon-les-Bains in order to buy potatoes for his restaurant. He used the opportunity to ask if Fernand knew anyone that could work at Fleur de Neige for a forth night during Christmas and New Year. Fernand’s son, Maurice Neuvecelle then at the age of 17, offered his services.

Thus Maurice came to Fleur de Neige, first with the intention of staying there for only two weeks during the busy Christmas holidays. But soon he found himself enjoying his job at the hotel and decided to make his profession out of it.

After only a few months, August, Thérèse and Pierre realized that they could confide in Maurice and entrusted him to the responsibility of the restaurant. He had an innate sense for making the guests feel welcomed and was completely devoted to his job.

The day came when August Cottet had to retire from the business due to health problems.

A strong and profound friendship slowly grew between Thérèse and Pierre Cottet and Maurice Neuvecelle. Thérèse asked Maurice to promise her to remain at her son’s side, who had never married and had no children, and help him run the hotel in the future.

In August 1962, Thérèse Cottet passed away after a long time of illness.

At the age of 36, Pierre Cottet thus found himself solely in charge of the hotel. For some years, he fought hard to run the hotel business that his parents had passed on to him. He took care of all the administration work, the correspondence with the guests and the contact with his suppliers and at the same time he did all the cooking.

Maurice being loyal to Fleur de Neige, and to the promise he made to Pierre’s mother, was very supportive and managed the restaurant and welcomed the guests.

Pierre saw that he could count on Maurice and in 1977, he asked him to become his business partner. Maurice accepted this offer and Pierre made him Managing Director as well as shareholder.

Having no children of his own, Pierre became truly attached to the four children of Maurice and Danielle Neuvecelle and he is still like a father to them.

At present, it is Maurice Neuvecelle’s youngest son, Stéphane, who has taken over the running of the hotel. Pierre Cottet has started to go out of business gradually in order to leave all responsibilities in the hands of Stéphane and his family.

Pierre is happy that he can count on them and it is with pleasure and for the love of his profession that he stays by their sides giving a helping hand if needed.