Ophélie Juillard celebrates 20 years with Maison Fenestraz
Ophélie Juillard, General Manager of Maison Fenestraz, is celebrating her 20th anniversary within our family-run hotel group this winter season.
Find out more about her career and experiences below.
Can you tell us about your career with the Maison Fenestraz group?
It all started in the summer of 2004, when a colleague from Château de Bagnols – my native Beaujolais – suggested that I spend a winter season in Courchevel. At the time, I had just returned from a long stay in England and I didn’t yet have a clear plan for continuing my career in the hotel trade.
That’s when I discovered Les Airelles, where I spent my first winter season in 2004-2005. I was immediately won over by the atmosphere that reigned in the hotel: a passionate team, totally devoted to Ms Fenestraz, who was very active on a daily basis. I started my career in the reservations department, an area that suited my commercial temperament perfectly. What I loved was filling in the wall schedule of bookings, turning this task into a real challenge: the aim was to complete this giant puzzle with as many bookings as possible, avoiding any ‘gaps’ (those who know will understand)…
After that first season at Les Airelles, I became assistant manager at the AlpenRuitor hotel in Méribel-Mottaret, where I ended up staying for ten years. In 2010, Mr Raoul Fenestraz, who had taken over the management of the AlpenRuitor and the Hôtel de La Loze – following the sale of Les Airelles in 2007 – offered me the chance to manage the two Alpine establishments. I was honoured to accept this challenge, which allowed me to divide my time between Annecy in the summer and Méribel in the winter.
In 2016, just as I was beginning to tire of the rhythm of the seasons, Raoul Fenestraz made me an offer I couldn’t refuse: to become his right-hand and the General Manager of all his magnificent houses around the world. My fluency in Spanish made this new opportunity even more exciting, especially with the prospect of working in Argentina, a territory still unknown to me at the time. We then grouped all the entities together to create the Maison Fenestraz brand, with headquartered in Annecy, where I am still based as of today.
What does it mean to have worked for a family group for 20 years?
Working for a family-run hotel group, particularly alongside the Fenestraz family, means above all being part of their family. I’ve seen their three children grow up: I attended Victoire’s first training course at Les Airelles, in Dirndl, when she wasn’t even 14. She then returned to my side when the Maison Fenestraz group was created in 2016, and I also accompanied her for two seasons when she was running the AlpenRuitor.
We also work closely with Gautier, who now manages the whole ‘MF brand image’ side of things. He always brings a fresh, modern perspective to our projects.
As for Sacha, I’ve known him since he was a kid. Although we’ve never had the opportunity to work together, we keep in regular contact.
Madame Fenestraz still lives in Cannes and I never miss a year without visiting her to tell her how her Alpine Maisons are doing. Although her health is no longer optimal, she still remembers her winter seasons at Les Airelles or in her house at La Loze.
Finally, working alongside Raoul and Stéphanie means sharing their dreams. Even though the work is demanding, I’m passionate about what I do and about the professional relationship we’ve built up over the years. Today, it’s a mutual respect that binds us together, and I’m proud of what we’ve achieved.
Throughought my career, my personal life evolved, and the Fenestraz family has always been there for me during these key moments, especially when my daughters were born. They never fail to check up on them.
What are your most memorable professional memories of the last 20 years?
Without a doubt, one of the most intense moments was the opening of the new AlpenRuitor in 2012. Upgrading to a 4-star rating, creating a spa, and launching two restaurants with a bar, all after two years of intensive projects and only one off-season for the construction. I was deeply involved in this renovation, and on the opening day, I shed a few tears because the emotion was so strong…
Aside from this memorable event, my fondest memories are also linked to the exchanges, first with our hosts when I was working directly in the establishments, and now with our employees and partners. Having contacts with people from such different backgrounds and cultures every day is a constant source of enrichment. I’ve developed a particular love for Latin America, a region I didn’t know before, but which has won me over with its energy and vitality.
And in 20 years’ time?
I prefer to live in the present and savour every day. So let’s start by focusing on the 2024/2025 winter season, which promises to be a great one. And above all, let’s celebrate Le Colibri’s 20th anniversary properly!
Arvipa!