The family adventure of a lifetime

It was in the 1940s that François and Germaine HOMINAL, after leaving their small grocery shop in Gaillard, went into the hotel business, opening the Hôtel des Cèdres in Juffly, a small hamlet on the heights of Fillinges.François and his son Jean were both in the kitchen while Germaine and Raymonde (Jean's wife) looked after the rest of the house.

The business was concentrated mainly in the summer, but very quickly the winter periods became a problem due to the lack of customers. So they decided to canvass the neighboring mountains for a winter business. Their choice fell on the small village of Les Gets, where they bought a plot of land in 1949 that was inaccessible by road. There was no question of building straightaway; they had to earn money first. In 1952, Francois, Jean, Germaine and Raymonde opened a small, simple 10-room chalet called the Alpina to welcome skiers. The first winter season was not glorious, being set back from the center of the village and not being at La Turche either, which was very popular at the time thanks to the Combépine family's ski lift of the same name.

For a few years, they spent the summer season in Juffly and the winter season in Les Gets, but it was already time for François and Germaine to retire, leaving the younger generation in charge.

As the seasons passed, ski holidays became more affordable and the small village of Les Gets became a well-known resort, while the Alpina expanded and modernised to meet the ever-increasing demands of its clientele.

Work, always work, the life of a hotelier doesn't allow for much respite: during the season we welcome guests and look after them, between the seasons we repair, maintain and extend, whatever the time of year, we always have to hurry.