A secret garden in the heart of Little Venice
Marie and Nicolas Decker, owners of the La Cheneaudière hotel-spa in Colroy-La-Roche, presented their new project at a press conference on March 9. This is a luxury spa hotel located in the heart of the city of Colmar.
It is during the summer of 2020 that they are presented with the land that will host their new hotel adventure. Despite a period not conducive to the development of tourism projects, they fell in love with this enchanting place.
This colossal project is above all a family story for the Decker family, but also a collective thought in which each person contributes to the smooth running of the book.
The land chosen for Villa COSE (COlmar SEcret) is a historic place crossed by water, which includes a villa built in 1897 by the industrialist Gustave Boeschlin – called “The Mysterious House” by local residents – and more than 20 ares of classified forest, creating a rare and unique bucolic atmosphere in the city center. Auguste Bartholdi, the famous French sculptor behind the Statue of Liberty, once came to walk in this park near his home.
This villa was built for Gustave Boeschlin, “crown maker”. The plans were signed by the architects of Guebwiller: Virgile Sautier (father) and Adolphe Sautier (son) in March 1900. The villa mixes Jugendstil spirit and eclecticism. The woodwork upstairs evokes the villas of the Normandy coast. Stained glass windows illuminate the stairwell. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the industrialist Gustave Boeschlin built several villas on nearby land.
The new hotel will create about forty direct jobs, not to mention the partnerships that will result. The total investment for the realization of this project is estimated at approximately 17 million euros. Delivery is scheduled for autumn 2025, with work expected to start in late 2023 or early 2024.
A must-see tourist destination, Colmar is a city rich in culture, heritage and gastronomy, considered the capital of Alsace wines. With the opening of Villa COSE, the city continues to strengthen its high-end hotel offer, which contributes to the attractiveness of the region and local economic development.
The food&good editorial team
At first complicated glance, this project found favor with the eyes of Eric Straumann, mayor of Colmar. With the support of Odile Uhlrich-Mallet in the urban planning department, the appropriate solutions have been found to overcome the obstacles faced by this type of project.
Éric Straumann is delighted by this new local project that completes Colmar’s hotel offer – which already has two 5-star hotels – while helping its move upmarket. “I want Colmar to become the Baden-Baden of France,” he said.
The project is based on a simple idea: “Emotion and Sharing, as meaning of life”. The couple of owners wants to go against the tide and offer something exceptional turned towards the human experience.
The architect Jean-Philippe Marc was very good at translating their vision into three dimensions. In communion with his wife Sarah Marc, interior designer and decorator, they imagined a 5-star hotel-spa that provides 23 remarkable rooms and suites, as well as many spaces decorated with great taste. Inspired by the early twentieth century, between Art Nouveau and Art Deco, the hotel is adorned with gilding, glass, mirror effect, large panoramic tapestries and black and white photographs.
The spa is a haven of peace developed on 1200 m². It will feature a large indoor/outdoor pool, plenty of relaxation rooms, a water bar, 6 treatment rooms, 2 hot tubs, 3 saunas, a hammam and a snow cave.
“Day Spa” accesses will be offered to Colmarians and visitors with about thirty people admitted to ensure that the experience remains exclusive.
In addition, the project also addresses environmental issues, including water management. The hotel will be connected to district heating, 60% of whose energy comes from household waste.
This 5-star establishment also offers high-end club-style catering in the former villa divided into small, intimate boudoirs areas. Breakfasts will be served in a very lounge setting outdoors, near the water and on the edge of the forest, to offer a unique experience to customers.
