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The art of mountain living

A soul that lives on: the Hotel Mont-Blanc

I wasn't born yesterday, and Megève and I lived for a long time far from the hustle and bustle of life. With the exception of a few old friends, few people knew us until Georges Boisson decided to sweep us up in his crazy joie de vivre after the war.

24
Dec
2025

A little bit of my history

In 1949, Georges decided to capitalize on the beauty of the site as well as my personal charm. It was Jean Cocteau, the "Prince of Poets," who took charge of decorating my bar, which he renamed "Les Enfants Terribles." Christmas Eve 1949 was a triumph! Word spread all the way to Paris, where Jean Prouvost, who had just launched Paris Match, sent us a photographer. A handsome young man brimming with talent, Roger Vadim, arrived with two friends, Leslie Caron and Christian Marquant, to "play the models." The article not only made the rounds in France, but around the world! Last winter, we might have feared a return to anonymity. But that was not the case! The Fernandel family came to my house to set up their summer quarters, and I received visits from many wealthy clients from the East. I was living the life of a Parisian palace! Jean Cocteau even nicknamed me the "21starrondissement of Paris"! Marc Maisony hosted a series of galas, and we saw a parade of young singing talents, including Line Renaud. We became friends with "l'Equipe," the tea room and nightclub across the street, and we could see our clients, always elegantly dressed, crossing the street to visit one or the other. At the risk of sounding modest, I can say that I contributed greatly to Megève's international reputation, and I am proud of that: the painter Yves Corbassière, Annabel and Bernard Buffet, Juliette Gréco, Jean Cocteau of course, Jean Marais, Josephine Baker, Ali Khan and Rita Hayworth, Marcel Dassault, Pierre Mendès France, always punctual for aperitifs, François Mitterrand, Aznavour, Bécaud, Jeanne Moreau—heroine with Gérard Philippe in Vadim's "Dangerous Liaisons," filmed within my walls— Françoise Sagan, were regulars at Les Enfants Terribles and in Megève in general. This was followed by years, each more turbulent than the last, culminating in 1966/1967.

1994: The Sibuets give me a new lease on life

Jocelyne Sibuet designed my 38 rooms and suites with her signature elegant extravagance, creating an arty, couture-inspired decor. In 2021, she revisited some of them with my lounges. She has given me a spirit that is both modern and vintage, yet timeless. Dressed entirely in white, they are as cozy as they are refined. My champagne and cocktail bar, Les Enfants Terribles, and my tea room, Le Georges, where homemade pastries are elegantly displayed in beautiful showcases, have won over connoisseurs who come to curl up in my plush armchairs. They love to linger there, watching the horse-drawn carriages pass by on the square, in front of the large Christmas tree laden with multicolored baubles, and dancing snowflakes, when it's not the flames in the fireplace.

Today, I am...

... What remains is this ultra-chic bistro, "the place to be," I might say. My new restaurant, Le Relais du Mont Blanc, celebrates the cuisine of the Alps. In a charming setting decorated with light wood, tapestries, and pretty naive paintings, you can sample delicious recipes gleaned from the peaks of the Italian, Austrian, Swiss, and Savoyard Alps, from grandmothers' recipe books and trattorias serving generous cuisine.

... But I also have a spa whose icy cave decor echoes the purity of the mountain peaks. Because here, beauty comes from nature, but also from the cold. Naturally equipped with a swimming pool, my walls, clad in fur and white granite, are wonderfully soft.

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