The new Relais des Communailles was born from the friendship between Philippe Cavelius and Gilles Vanderweyen. The two men, who share a passion for outdoor activities, fell in love with the region several years ago. In November 2021, they acquired the building, with the dream of raising Le Relais des Communailles from the ashes. They are joined by Sébastien Braun, Philipp’s cousin, as the architect for the project.
Story
Fall 2021
A project built on friendship and love for the region
Fall 2021
Emptying the building
Straight after acquiring the building, family and friends gather to kickstart the refurbishment. They have one mission: to clear out the building, a building which had remained abandoned since its closure in 2013. Only the outside walls were to be preserved and in just one week, the team empties the building of 120 m3 of old equipment, wood and rubble.
Spring 2022
Demolition Work
After removing the old equipment, the renovation involves removing the decaying terrace, the indoor floors and cladding. The transformation of Le Relais des Communailles has truly begun.
Summer 2022
Extending the building and renovating interiors
A new building is also erected next to the historic chalet. This extension will house two brand new kitchens: the show-kitchen, facing the Mont-Blanc, and the production kitchen in the basement, in addition to technical rooms. Meanwhile, renovation work continues in the historic building to bring it up to standard. Le Relais will be equipped with a 3-storey lift to accommodate people with disabilities.
Fall 2022
Closing the site to face winter
During autumn, the team focus on the insulation work. Windows are installed and the roofs insulated from the outside, to keep the wooden frames visible. We were ready to face winter, under the watchful eye of the beautiful Mont-Blanc!
Winter 2023
Technical work and recruitment of the Chef
Gilles and Philippe supervise the installation of the ventilation system, leading a team of technicians to carry out the electrical and plumbing work. Meanwhile, the carpenter continues to clad walls and floors with oak planks, formerly used on freight trains. The result exceeds our expectations, and we can’t wait to welcome our future guests to this magical atmosphere.
This winter’s big news comes from the kitchen. Pierre Villière is joining the project as head chef to strengthen the management team. For over 30 years, Pierre has managed and inspired teams in the French Riviera’s finest hotels and restaurants.
Spring-Summer 2023
Focus on operations
Workers intensify their efforts to continue the refurbishment, with the installation of the kitchen and bar planned for August. The emphasis is also on furnishings, decoration, the choice of tableware and recruitment.
Fall 2023
Final preparations before the opening
Completion is scheduled for the end of October, which will leave a few weeks to fine-tune the details before opening a new chapter with our customers.