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Few Souvenirs of the early years of the Kurhaus Hotel in Arolla (Valais/Switzerland)
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Honorine Gaspoz (born Spahr).
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Jean-Baptiste Gaspoz.
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Hotel History
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| 1860 |
Building of the Dent Blanche Hotel in Evolène. |
| 1875 |
Jean-Baptiste Gaspoz buys the ground of the future Alpage d’Arolla. |
| 1896 |
The construction of the Grand Hôtel & Kurhaus is complete, the area of the property is 10’843 m2. |
| 1896 |
In the beginning the hotel is managed by Honorine and her
brother Adrien Spahr,
it is then taken over by Anna Gaspoz and her husband Henri Spahr,
and later by their daughter Georgette and her husband Stanislas de Lavallaz-Spahr. |
| 1917 |
Honorine death. |
| 1930 |
Georgette and Stanislas de Lavallaz-Spahr manage the hotel. |
| 1960 |
When Stanislas dies, Mona and George Weatherill continue. |
| 1968 |
First winter opening. Teleskis were built in Arolla the year before. |
| 2006 |
The hotel is now managed by Marie-Claude and Peter Weatherill. |
Architecture / building steps.
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| 1913 |
Henri Spahr obtains a concession to capture the water of the
de Zigiore Nove torrent. He builds an electric power plant near the hotel. |
| 1930 |
Construction of the North wing of the hotel. |
| 1966 |
The central heating is installed in the hotel,
fifteen room are added a bath room and twenty rooms are built on the third and fourth floors. |
| 1968 |
First winter opening. |
| 1970 |
Building of the large congress room. |
| 1979 |
The hotel is completely refurbished. Concrete floors are built between floors and all the rooms have a bathroom. |
| 1993 |
Renewing of the roof, the heating system and outside walls. |
Some of the famous people who stayed in the hotel.
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| Joséphine Baker |
Singer and dancer with a banana belt but also known for her fight in favor of the Civil Rights and Liberty, stayed at the hotel
with all her children in 1968. Despite an electric power failure she participated in the Christmas festivities.
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| Emear Quinn |
Irish singer who won the Eurovision in 1996 with the song "The voice", stayed at the hotel in 2006.
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| Historic Tours. |
In Summer, every wednesday at 18.00, free historic visit : discovery of the hotel managed by four generations of the same family. The long history of the building
is noticeable. Many fun stories on the program... |
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Few links...
From July 4th to July 6th 2008
TAXI Follonier
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