Since 1829

Admiration and gratitude are due to François Masson, Elise's father, who, together with his wife, decided in 1855 to transfer ownership of the hotel and vineyard to his two children during his lifetime. Thus, the magnificent winegrower's house, built in 1829 under the care of the neighbouring Chillon Castle, and the splendid little hotel are now listed as part of the heritage of the Montreux region.

We have great respect for the person who was not afraid to take on a difficult legacy and turn a winegrower's house into a genuine tourist guesthouse. Elise Masson never gave up on improving the guesthouse, even after Jules Michelet, the famous French historian, visited in 1861. She adapted to the needs of her guests, who included members of the Russian aristocracy, English and German visitors, and made their stay a relaxing one.

Looking at the wrought-iron balcony dating from 1875, with its magnificent wisteria, one recalls with nostalgia the era of Elise Masson, the first hotel owner. After employing a waiter from Bern for two "seasons" to work in her well-stocked wine cellar, the 54-year-old hotel owner married the young man one day in July 1873.

In 1913, Jean Baptiste Genelin bought all 24 shares from the scattered co-owners from Rollis' estate. Unfortunately, this was at a time when the hotel industry was plunged into the trenches of the First World War. Nevertheless, he bravely continued to run the hotel pension for 12 years, which Charles Albert Rolli – Elise Masson's husband of 25 years – had left one November day in 1906.

In the tradition of hotel families, there was also a somewhat mysterious episode involving an owner named Marthe Spalinger, who ran the hotel for only five years. She acquired the hotel in 1925 from Jean Baptiste Genelin, about whom nothing is known except that he was probably the last successor to Charles Albert Rolli, the husband of Elise Masson, or perhaps another nephew of Elise...

When René and Jeanne Jaquier bought the hotel in 1947, the previous owner, Charles Baer, took a photo of little Anne-Marie in front of the large, old wisteria tree as a memento. He too had been unable to modernise the Hotel Masson due to a lack of funds. After purchasing it in 1930, he managed to survive the crisis and the Second World War. The hotel owes its original condition to him.

In 1985, Anne-Marie and Philippe Sèvegrand took over the hotel from Anne-Marie's parents, René and Jeanne Jaquier. The young couple had met at hotel management school in Lausanne. They later married and were blessed with two daughters and... three Lhasa Apso show dogs!

In 1999, the Hôtel Masson received a special award from the Icomos jury ‘for the exemplary preservation of the original substance’.

In 2015, the Hotel Masson was taken over by the Laves family. Simona and Frank Laves have been enthusiastic about the hotel industry since childhood and have found a little paradise in the Hotel Masson, which they would like to share with their guests. The hotel has been a member of Swiss Historic Hotels since 2005.

Over the past 10 years, the Laves family has invested heavily in bringing the house up to today's standards of comfort. All 31 bathrooms have been completely renovated without losing any of their historic charm. In addition to many smaller investments, a new kitchen and a new heating system have also been installed.