NEWS
Automne Hiver – Fall Winter 2020-2021
A new decor for the Beau-Rivage wing The Beau-Rivage wing reinvents the dream of classic luxury by incorporating current hotel codes. Interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon is completely reinterpreting the wing’s 68 rooms and suites. the curtain-raiser is expected for summer 2021 – Text Elodie Maître-Arnaud
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nyone lucky enough to have stayed at the Beau-Rivage Palace would surely have been deeply affected by its soul. “This is a legendary hotel, with a very strong identity,” manager Nathalie Seiler-Hayez emphasizes. Built in 1861, the Beau-Rivage wing is the oldest in the establishment. It is also the noblest, with its huge suites, extraordinary volumes and period furnishings. Interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon has been commissioned to restore the wing’s full splendour. He is responsible for the decor of other major traditional hotels, including the Savoy in London, the Four Seasons Georges V in Paris, and the Beau Rivage “Palace” wing, renovated in 2014. “We had planned this renovation over three years by sealing off one floor each winter,” Nathalie Seiler-Hayez explains. “In the current context, we have decided
not to reopen this part of the hotel in order to concentrate the work over ten months.” INTEGRATING NEW WAYS OF LIVING
Transforming a place of character while preserving its soul: this is the Parisian interior designer’s approach. “I always start by listening to my client,” he says. So, Nathalie Seiler-Hayez wanted to let in the lake and light to the bedrooms and bathrooms. At her request, some of the furnishings will be restored in order to preserve the hotel’s historical heritage. This is an important aspect for Pierre-Yves Rochon who also draws heavily on the identity of a place in order to reinterpret it. “The Beau-Rivage wing is a listed building, a factor that must be taken into account to maintain consistency between the interior and the exterior,” he adds. Other characteristic elements such as
mouldings and parquet floors will thus be preserved. But it’s not only about committing to respect the past; it’s also about offering guests rooms that are consistent with current luxury hotel codes. “The classic ambience has to ring true – we are not doing a historical reconstruction!” the designer points out. New ways of living have thus been integrated into the thinking: bathrooms benefiting from natural light and, when possible, a view of the lake; design of dressing rooms; choice of lighting or even layout of the furniture. Three colour combinations will be available in the rooms and suites, while the park-side rooms will be trimmed in green. Soft and soothing tones that echo the notion of well-being that Nathalie Seiler-Hayez wants to incorporate into the hotel’s strategic focus. See you next summer to discover this new setting! REG A R D S n °1 8 19
