Inspired by the story of entrepreneur César Ritz, among others, Winter Palace takes us back to the beginnings of Swiss hospitality in 1899. Directed by Pierre Monnard, this new series of events will soon be available on RTS and Netflix.
The most ambitious series co-produced by RTS (Swiss television), Point Prod, Oble and in collaboration with the streaming platform Netflix, offers an immersion in the Swiss hotel world. Produced in his region by the Vaudois Pierre Monnard and scripted by the British Lindsay Shapero, Winter Palace, eight episodes and seven years of development to its credit, tells the story of the Swiss hotelier André Morel, in 1899 in the Swiss Alps.
The beginnings of high-end Swiss hospitality
André Morel (played by Cyril Metzger), a fictional character inspired by the entrepreneur César Ritz, founder of the luxury Ritz hotels and a great businessman in the field of hospitality, wants to create an establishment open all winter season. The project is at the time more complex than it seems. Extreme weather conditions, somewhat rude staff, demanding British aristocratic clientele… The owner is in a series of difficulties.
It nevertheless continues to seduce the rich fortunes in lack of clean air and activities during the winter, despite the power games, the clash of cultures and social differences. The story of a man, supported by his wife Rose (Manon Clavel), who capitalizes on his dreams and participated in the emergence of tourism in a country whose mountainous resources were not especially perceived as a gold mine.
Many people know Switzerland, including our famous ski resorts. But few know that they have been around for almost 150 years. It was always crazy adventures to build them. We were very inspired by César Ritz but we also worked with a hotel historian, Évelyne Lüthi-Graf, a brilliant woman who knows all the anecdotes of the environment» says director Pierre Monnard in an interview for Luxury Tribute.
In this Belle Epoque setting, we discover colourful and profound people, like Lady Isobel Fairfax (Astrid Roos) who, although she is promised to a marriage of interest, intends to conquer the masculine world of skiing. Each of the protagonists wants to make their own way in this snowy place, a reflection of the international gotha of another era.
Very different characters are around each other. Some, like André Morel, are in constant representation, but there are indeed the clients, from certain social strata, there is the staff, in this case people who come from villages around. There is a real clash of cultures. This wealth is fertile soil,” says Pierre Monnard.
A series coming soon on Netflix
Shot in places such as the Caux-Palace, the Righi vaudois in Glion and the Château Mercier in Sierre, the series of eight episodes of 45 minutes is a reflection of the luxury of the early twentieth century. In this context, the directors and producers were supported by a number of high-end companies. We have partnerships with luxury brands, with Swatch Group, mainly vintage watches, for example the watch of André Morel, a Longines. LVMH lends us costumes, trunks, taken from their historical background. The Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne is also a partner. The cinema has always been a great showcase for communication.”
The director wants “to arouse curiosity about these pioneers who built the mountain hospitality, day by day, in a great improvisation. The rhythm is breathless, the tone burlesque and the characters very high in color, almost to the image of cartoon characters. We see real «asses», well soaked characters. It’s a contemporary approach that can appeal to a younger audience, well beyond our borders,” he says in his interview with Luxury Tribute.
While the first two episodes of the series premiered in Switzerland on Saturday, November 2 at the Cinérama Empire in Geneva on the occasion of the Geneva International Film Festival, Winter Palace has been revealed exclusively since December 26 on RTS 1 and Play RTS, then on Netflix from January 2025.
Something to highlight the Swiss hotel industry as the winter sports season is in full swing. Today, the country has a fine list of world-renowned luxury stores. These include the Mandarin Oriental Palace in Lucerne; the Eden Roc Hotel in Ascona; the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne; the La Réserve Eden au Lac in Zurich; the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in St. Moritz; the Grand Hotel Kronenhof in Pontresina; or the Hotel Fairmont Le Montreux Palace in Montreux.
According to the report «Swiss tourism in figures», the Helvetian hotel industry recorded a clear increase in its number of visits in 2023 with almost 42 million overnight stays, a record growth of 9.2% compared to 2022.
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Featured photo: © RTS
