July 2016 saw the closure of the Hôtel des Horlogers in Le Brassus, owned by Audemars PIguet and the only four-star hotel in the Vallée de Joux. Opened in 1984 and renovated 20 or so years later, the hotel and its 27 rooms could neither be extended nor modernized, and its owner therefore decided to replace it with a new project. The first stone of the new Hôtel des Horlogers was laid on June 8th 2018 exactly where its predecessor once stood, in the center of Le Brassus, alongside the road taken by watchmakers and the many visitors to the Vallée, right next to the Manufacture Audemars Piguet. “Though far from simple, this project is important, not only for Audemars Piguet but for the entire Vallée de Joux”, said Jasmine Audemars, Chairwoman of the Audemars PIguet Board of Directors. “The hotel is a way to attract a broader public to this stunningly beautiful part of the world. It is essential for us to be able to cater to the needs of international travelers and to those of our locals”. Anchoring the new hotel complex within the geographical and cultural environment of the Vallée de Joux was of fundamental importance for the watchmaker. Developed by BIG, the firm headed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and renowned for bold architecture, the project will be supervised by the CCHE architects’ firm based in the Canton of Vaud. BIG had already designed the “Maison des Fondateurs”, the Audemars Piguet museum. This innovative, partially sunken spiral-shaped building, blending remarkably smoothly into the surrounding nature, is currently under construction on the other side of the Manufacture. The new Hôtel des Horlogers bears the style signature of the Danish firm, with its futuristic Z-shaped design arranged into four buildings, as well as a sloping roof that guests will be able to use in leaving their room, on foot in summer or in winter-time “ski-in, ski-out” mode. Wood-fired central heating, entirely glazed and featuring authentic materials such as stone and wood from the region, this 6,300 sqm monument to modern architecture will comprise 50 rooms -including 10 junior suites and 2 master suites – along with three seminar rooms and a wellness & fitness facility. A brasserie focusing on regional produce, a second restaurant and a lounge bar will be available to hotel guests as well as local residents. The inauguration is scheduled for 2020 and this establishment should raise the number of overnight stays in the Vallée de Joux to more than 25,000 per year.