Taittingers plan makeover for Chamonix hotel
After reporting back in 2009 on the purchase of the Hotel Mont Blanc by the Taittinger family, we have been keeping an eye on plans for the prominent Chamonix centre hotel.
Tariq Taittinger and his wife Janina Snell will take over the running of the hotel and undertook 3 months of intensive on-the-job training in all aspects of the hotel and restaurant trade this winter in order to get to grips with their new venture.
Architect Alain Mezza has been taken on to oversee the extensive renovations, which will see the hotel modernised yet retain the traditional style and classic features. All 40 rooms will be refurbished and 10 more will be added. The swimming pool will be made larger and will move to the site of the tennis court, which is hardly used, and a spa area will be created.
Hotel Mont Blanc has long had a reputation for fine cuisine and the Taittingers hope to add a second bistro that will be more "accessible" than the current gourmet restaurant (we think that means cheaper, rather than easy to get to!).
These plans are all still in the development stage and have yet to get the green light from the Mairie. However, once they get the go-ahead they plan to close the hotel between April and December 2011 while the building work takes place. The objective is to restore the hotel back to its former four star glory, whilst maintaining a "positive ratio between quality and price".
The hotel is in a prime position next to the Tourist Office, so it shouldn't be too hard to have a nose at the progress once it all gets under way!
Source: Le Dauphiné Libéré
