Page 65 - Livre Beau Rivage Palace
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100,000  12,000,000                                                      250,000

 90,000
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 80,000                                                                   200,000
 70,000
  8,000,000
 60,000                                                                   150,000
 50,000
  6,000,000
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 30,000   4,000,000
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                                                                           50,000
  2,000,000
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 0
 1861 65   69   73   77   81   85   89   93   97   1901 05   09   13   17   21   25   29   33   37   41   45   49   53   57   61   65   69   73  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May  June   July  Aug.  Sept.  Oct.  Nov.  Dec.
 that they were entitled to expect at that time, and which the   (an industry based on foreign visitors). But let us refine our   often based on intuition or makeshift rules. The formalisation   But it is difficult to excuse this precariousness when it was
 other establishments offered in abundance. Its beginnings were   analysis and look more closely at what was behind the manager’s   of knowledge and expertise in hotel management was still   the result of the failure to keep Lausanne among the choice of
 brilliant, however, if we are to believe the report given in 1897  words. His explanation mixes factors that are specifically internal   in an embryonic state that could quickly result in unbridled   favourite destinations.  ‘Destination creation’ is  a topic  that has
 by Jacques Tschumi, one of its most outstanding managers. ‘[At]   to the Beau-Rivage with others connected to the more general   overspending. The establishment of the Lausanne Hotel School   not much been studied in the history of tourism. And yet it is
 the opening of our hotel and for a number of years the Beau-Rivage was   environment, both local and international.  in 1893 by Jacques Tschumi was the clearest manifestation   very important, as the example of Lucerne shows. Situated in
 uniquely attractive to the nobility from all over the world. From Geneva   What, in particular, is meant by the term ‘circumstances’? It   of this dawning awareness.  In the case of the Beau-Rivage,  the centre of Switzerland, and benefiting from the opening of
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 to Villeneuve, there was not a single competitor, except perhaps for the   must firstly be understood to refer to the recession that affected   conclusions were drawn quite late in the day. Antonio Martin   the Saint Gotthard tunnel in 1882, it had all the prerequisites to
 Trois Couronnes in Vevey and the Hôtel Byron in Villeneuve, and even   European economies between 1875 and 1890. The impact on   was dismissed in 1888 and replaced by Jacques Tschumi himself,  ensure an abundant clientele. It epitomises the triple combination
 these two establishments could not compete with the location of our model   the number of visitors to the hotel is clear. But it must also   who remained at the helm until his death in 1912.   of a lake, mountains and hotels.
 hotel. People were  more  or less  obliged to come  to the  Beau-Rivage;   be understood to mean the management practices of Tschumi’s   Another reason – to do with the structure of the hotel   Analysis of this argument also refers us back to Lausanne’s
 high society did not have any other comfortable hotel to choose from and   predecessor,  Antonio Martin Rufenacht.  This manager had   industry, but no less insurmountable – concerns the growth of   sluggishness. ‘Firstly Lausanne has not understood how to maintain
 they came here with pleasure, certain of finding here a select company   succeeded Alexandre Rufenacht, Beau-Rivage’s first manager,   competition and market developments.  ‘The Beau-Rivage has   and develop the city of Lausanne as a centre for foreigners, nothing has
 where they could enjoy themselves in every respect, and the liveliness   in  1876,  when  the  latter  took  over  the  reins  of  the  Hôtel   continued to suffer the effects of the general slump that has affected   been done for the pleasure and the entertainment of people wishing to stay
 of the winter seasons encouraged people to remain as long as possible.  National in Geneva, a new luxury hotel that had just opened.   the hotels located outside seaside and health resorts; we have seen the   there and, above all, the doctors have done nothing to make Lausanne
 The Beau-Rivage was at its best then; it was during that time that our   According to a committee of experts, Antonio Martin Rufenacht   hotels of Geneva and Bern stagnate alongside us, while the hotels and   known as a healthy, agreeable place to stay, advantageous in every respect,
 institution established its universal reputation.’ 3  demonstrated a recklessness that explains the excessively high   guesthouses on the other side of Vevey did excellent business. We cannot   particularly in the winter and in the early months of spring. Because of
 In 1870, the hoteliers at the end of the lake complained that   expenditure. However, his managerial practices reveal a lot   compare ourselves with the mountain hotels filled thanks to the heat of   this failure, our location has gained no reputation abroad. On the contrary,
 4
 the Beau-Rivage was diverting travellers from Geneva.  But in the   about the administration methods endorsed by the directors.   last summer, nor with those of Lucerne whose position in the centre of   today Lausanne is only known for its negative side – cold, damp and
 years that followed the hotel had difficulty staying on course, as is  ‘The committee was astonished to note that, with regard to expenses as   Switzerland, at the foot of the mountains that travellers flock to visit each   unhealthy during the winter, not warm enough to stay there in the spring,
 evident from two sets of figures: turnover and occupancy (table 1).   considerable as those of upkeep, the board of directors proceeds with no   year and right by the St Gotthard railway, is exceptionally favourable.  in the summer too hot, and in the autumn too late.’ 9
 Up to the mid-1890s, the growth curve is hardly encouraging.  budget, no method and often even with no official decisions. The chairman,   The Beau-Rivage has been empty for a good part of the year and, at the   In condemning the inertia of Lausanne’s town councillors
 After the first exhilarating years, the figures drop to quite mediocre   the members of the delegation or the manager himself sometimes decide   height of the season, has scarcely been occupied except by travellers trying   and doctors, Tschumi was not insensitive to fact that there was
 levels. Figures for the 1880s are very depressing, in fact: turnover   on this or that acquisition – sometimes considerable – with no discussion   to economise.’ 8  some mistrust of the notion of ‘propaganda’ that was beginning
 and particularly occupancy drop significantly. It is not until the   by the board and with no authorisation recorded in the minutes. And so   These points, raised here by the chairman of the board of   to creep into approaches to tourism. He demonstrated a certain
 belle époque of the 1890s that the graph begins to climb again,  in 1882, despite it being a year in which there was no hope of seeing   directors, Fédor de Crousaz, are just as crucial. By linking its   harshness that hid an obvious irritation with the expansion of the
 rising even more sharply in the 1900s.  many more visitors to the hotel than in the previous years, orders were   destiny to the burgeoning tourist industry, the Beau-Rivage merely   Lausanne hotel fabric. The number of hotels, inns and guesthouses
 There are several explanations for this. Before the same   placed for beds and even luxury furniture, the need for which was far   acknowledged the endemic vulnerability of this economic sector.  grew vigorously between 1880 and 1900, their numbers doubling
 board of directors, Jacques Tschumi outlined the most important:   from being established.’ 6  The instability of weather conditions made the smallest forecasts   from 138 to 275, with the number of first- and second-class hotels
 ‘Since the creation of our establishment, circumstances, the development of   The report was a harsh one for the Beau-Rivage, but it   very uncertain. The hotel was not master of its own destiny because   rising from 19 to 26 . Clearly, this development created a strong
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 our shores and our town, the manner of travel and of spending money, the   was also indicative of an imprecision that existed in Swiss hotel   its destiny was linked to… the heavens. Aside from variations in   and understandable sense of anxiety at the Beau-Rivage. ‘The
 quality of the travellers, the extension and the connections of the railways,  management in general. Hotels must bring together a complex   the weather, the Beau-Rivage was still subject to the sociological   ridiculous competition on our shore and, above all, in our town aids these
 the direct and indirect competition in the surrounding area and in   universe comprising very different elements into a coherent   changes that affected its clientele. Although guests were no less   profiteers, the guesthouses are sprouting up like mushrooms: one house
 Switzerland in general, etc. have changed considerably and unfortunately   whole. In the second half of the nineteenth century, hotel   wealthy, and although the aristocracy was giving way to a more   sets itself up in order to kill off another one, each charges lower prices than
 to our disadvantage!’ 5  management, particularly as far as accounting was concerned,   specifically middle-class clientele, they were tempted by the many   the next without knowing if it is making or losing money, so that we
 These words describe very pertinently the evolution of the   was as yet nothing more than a notion left to the discretion   options on offer; they were making the very most of these and   find ourselves with the sad fait accompli that, for instance, Hôtel Gibbon
 industry that began to be referred to as the ‘industrie des étrangers’  of people whose sole criterion was experience, still far too   tending to reduce the length of their stays.  takes boarders at 6 fr., Richemond at 5 fr. 50, Beauséjour starting at 5 fr.,

 Table 1          Table 2
 Trend in turnover and occupancy (1861-1976).   Seasonal occupancy in room nights (average monthly turnover).
 Turnover / Room nights.  1876-81 / 1885-90 / 1910-15.


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