By Virginie Bosc - le 1st October 2009

In Villars sur Ollon you will be able to give both your body and your spirit time for a little break.  With a guaranteed high mountain and cocooning atmosphere, the hamlet, halfway between a charming hotel and a bed-and-breakfast, is composed of 3 mazots (or chalets) named evocatively Péché Mignon (literally, sweet sin), Dolce Vita, and Petit bonheur (Small Happiness) - the oldest.

The Mazots du Clos also count 3 beautiful rooms, and 2 chalets perched next to each other at 1800m above sea level. More than enough to delight either the group of friends you would like to spend New Year's Eve with, or lovers who will without a doubt choose the romantic option. The refined decoration and the welcoming atmosphere in the Mazots du Clos alone would be enough to fulfill one's every wish, but a spa called « Les Fontaines de pierre » ("The Stone Fountains") has also been added and it is nearly impossible to resist! Sauna; hammam; jacuzzi; solarium; steam bath; massage salons - everything here has been thought out to allow you to « let go » during your stay. Right across from the mazots, a heated pool looking out over the valley will surely tempt you enough to dive in, or just bask in the sun on the terrace while enjoying the magnificent viewpoint of the Dents du Midi.

Whoever still believes that happiness on earth does not exist should go and experience the Mazots du Clos - it will definitely change their mind!

Contact: www.mazotsduclos.ch
Les Mazots du Clos
1884 Villars sur Ollon
T : + 41(0)24 495 38 88

After having joined the « Relais & Châteaux » group in 2008, the Grand Hôtel du Lac in Vevey integrated, in June 2009, the Swiss Deluxe Hotels association, which groups about forty five-star hotels across Switzerland.

Two labels for a « small » hotel which sports all the characteristics of a large one. Recently renovated by the architect Pierre-Yves Rochon, the establishment, originally built in 1868 and reopened in 2007, tallies only 50 rooms. A human dimension gives it a very « manor-like » touch. The present meets the past and a decidedly eclectic spirit transpires in this dwelling, with harmony as its only rule. Original elements thus mix with Chinese-inspiration tapestries and furniture. And as it should be in a hotel of this standard, one also finds a gym, a hammam and a sauna with all the body care and massages one can dream of. A very beautiful conversion for this hotel, born during the Belle Epoque, which, like a lot of establishments in the luxury hotel business, has seen its share of turpitude and new owners.

Contact: www.hoteldulac-vevey.ch
Grand Hôtel du Lac
1, rue d'Italie
CH - 1800 Vevey
T + 41 (0)21 925 06 06
Photo: Swiss Deluxe Hotels

Since July, 2009, a new Ibis hotel has opened its doors in downtown Lausanne.  This new, entirely non-smoking establishment has 127 air-conditioned and soundproofed rooms, all with the usual amenities (flat screens, Wifi wireless internet access). Five of the rooms are equipped for guests with limited mobility. The hotel offers excellent value for the price and a breakfast option with generous timings - from 4 am to noon - for just under 100 francs. This is the 18th Ibis Hotel in Switzerland, that seems to attract a clientele in Lausanne, as well, since the hotel announces good results for its first weeks in operation.

After an investment of 18 million francs and almost as many months of work, the Lausanne-Bussigny Novotel afforded itself an important rejuvenation. If the slightly impersonal exterior hasn't changed much, the transformation of the interior has, in contrast, been spectacular. A very contemporary design, from the reception hall to the rooms, some of which were specifically designed to receive guests with limited mobility, with a restaurant, a bar and a « Web Corner on a Mac » which is an Internet space graciously put at the disposition of its clientele.

And, above all, even if it isn't necessarily obvious at first glance, the hotel has delved deeply into sustainable development: a certified Minergie building, a sodded roof for extra insulation, vapor boilers, harvested rainwater for the toilets. The result? With its consumption remaining the same, the building's capacity has increased by 46%. And if you feel like taking the « bio » experience to its limit, don't hesitate to dive into the « Biotech » pool. The ecosystem that filters the water gives you the impression of bathing in a small bay of a lake!

Informations: www.novotel.com

Novotel Lausanne Bussigny
35, route de Condémine
CH- 1030 Bussigny Lausanne