Hôtel du Grand Paradis: a story of hospitality spanning three centuries

The Hôtel du Grand Paradis, one of the first three hotels built in Cogne, spans three centuries of history and more than a hundred years of hospitality. Everything began in 1899, when it was owned by Julien Boch, as still recalled today by the painting displayed beside the entrance. It is a long story—often shaped by women—that, starting with Rosalia Perret Gérard, who acquired the property in 1931, marked the beginning of the enduring management of the Gérard family, still active today.

The authentic atmosphere of the past and of the Alpine environment has always been a defining feature of this landmark hotel in the village at the gateway to the Gran Paradiso National Park. This identity has been preserved even after a major renovation and interior restyling project, carried out between October 2024 and June 2025 by Lamatilde studio.

A family-driven and environmentally conscious hospitality

Through a process of integration and subtle blending between the original identity, its enhancement and continuity with the surrounding landscape, and contemporary design, the architects have improved the usability and welcoming quality of both shared spaces and guest rooms—without ever compromising the hotel’s authentic, warm and family-oriented atmosphere.

A first intervention focused on the entrance, now emphasized by a new central timber structure with two symmetrical vestibules, topped by a minimal and elegant sign that also conceals the building’s double height, while evoking the hotel’s historic signage. At ground level, a transitional space has been created, acting as a welcoming threshold between exterior and interior.

A wooden heart

The interior restyling—across common areas, rooms, suites and apartments—places wood at the core of the project. Its finishes, consistent with the overall design philosophy, maintain continuity with existing surfaces, creating a harmonious dialogue between past and present.

This effect is immediately evident in the lobby and reception, which has been reconfigured to gain greater prominence and spatial continuity with the adjacent bar. Here, breakfast is served each morning, featuring a rich buffet of local products, with the experience further enhanced by custom wooden volumes with concealed movable elements.

The graphic art of the territory

Special attention has also been given to graphics and handcrafted decorative elements, both in the common areas and within the rooms. These include motifs carved into wood or painted on textiles, inspired by traditional mountain floral patterns and Alpine botany.

Applied to fabrics ranging from carmine red to sage green, as well as to furnishings, floors and surfaces, these elements introduce a subtle narrative layer consistent with the hotel’s identity. Finally, the rooms have been expanded through the addition of three new tiers of balconies, opening the interiors to views over the Cogne Valley landscape.

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