The Belle Epoque
When it opened in July 1902, the Caux-Palace was the largest and most luxurious hotel in Switzerland.
The Caux-Palace Hotel
the main façade, looking West. The hotel was built by the Caux Property Company (Société Immobilière de Caux) to plans by the architect Eugène Jost.
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In the early years of the century, celebrities such as John D. Rockefeller, the Maharajah of Baroda, Arthur Rubinstein, Rudyard Kipling, the Oppenheimers, the Gilettes, and Kellogs stayed at the hotel, along with celebrities of the theatre, the opera and the cinema.
The main entrance
it looked like this until 1946,
when it was re-built.
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Through the First World War, the hotel was closed and clocked up a million Swiss francs in losses. Then it opened again, but its days of glory lay behind it.
Winter sports
a site for international sporting events – and for the pleasure of the hotel’s guests.
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In 1930, the World Bobsleigh Championships were held in Caux. Olympic skaters trained there. The World Ice-Hockey and Toboggan Federations were founded in Caux. The ‘piste du diable’, the ‘devil’s run’ was considered one of the most challenging descents in the new sport of skiing. Prince Ibn Saud, later to become the King of Saudi Arabia and the writers Edgar Wallace, Daphne Du Maurier and Scott Fitzgerald were among the famous guests.
The dining-room for banquets
with sumptuous menus
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The dining-room for banquets
…and for the guests
a luxurious restaurant.
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