Arbez Franco-Suisse is a 2-star, 3-story hotel located in the small town of La Cure, more than 8 km north of Geneva, Switzerland. This is an ideal resort for tourists with ancient European architecture that is preserved intact, creating an extremely cozy feeling.
In the hotel lobby, there is a dividing line running across the territory of the two countries. This border also runs through a double bed, placed in a room specially for honeymooners. People often joke that: "At the Arbez Hotel, if couples have an argument, they can completely sleep in two different countries, even though they still share the same bed." Therefore, although it is just a simple 2-star hotel, Arbez is still considered one of the most unique hotels on the planet.
At the Arbez Hotel, if couples have an argument, they can sleep in different countries, even if they share the same bed.
Because of its unique geographical location, visitors' itineraries are often turned upside down. Normally, when planning a trip, you choose your destination first and then book a hotel. But in this alpine village, you can book a room in Arbez and then decide where you want to go on holiday, France or Switzerland.
Although it is a 2-star hotel, the interior is still very comfortable.
Since its inception, this two-star hotel has been a destination for many tourists. They come here for vacations, honeymoons or cross-country skiing. Not only the bridal suite, but many other rooms in the hotel are also divided by borders. In some rooms, guests can sleep with their feet in one country while their heads are "wandering" in another. In another room, the bed is in Switzerland but if you want to "relieve yourself", you have to cross the border and run to France to get to the toilet.
The room is mostly located in one country, but the bathroom is located in another country.
The interior of the hotel is decorated with objects typical of the two countries.
In addition to experiencing this seemingly unbelievable feeling, when staying at the Arbez Hotel, visitors also get to interact with two different cultures and traditions in the same vacation. In addition to the rooms, the restaurant of this special hotel is also “split” in the middle, serving both French and Swiss dishes.
witness of peace
For decades, France and Switzerland have been at odds over the Dappes Valley, which stretches more than 3km and lies just north of Geneva. The dispute began when Napoleon annexed the area to France in 1802. After their defeat at Waterloo, the land was returned to the Swiss, but France wanted to take it back. Eventually, Switzerland ceded the land to its neighbor in exchange for some French territory to the northeast. On February 20, 1863, when the treaty officially came into effect, the three-story building was completed, meaning it was unaffected by the new border changes.
In 1962, the Arbez Franco-Suisse hotel was chosen as the site for the signing of the Evian peace agreement granting independence to Algeria.
The village of Cure itself was previously located on the French border. However, when the border was re-divided, the village was located on the territory of both countries. A local resident named Ponthus decided to open a bar in France and a souvenir shop in Switzerland right in the building. In 1921, Jules-Jean Arbeze bought the building from the Ponthus family heirs, turned it into a unique multinational hotel and officially renamed it Arbez Franco-Suisse. And since then, the Arbez Hotel has become an interesting place attracting the footsteps of those who love to travel and explore.
The Arbez Hotel is currently operated by a French company, which is responsible for paying taxes in both countries.
It is also because of this special location of Arbez Franco-Suisse that many anecdotes happened here, especially during World War II. At that time, France was occupied by Germany but Switzerland was neutral. Germany could "do whatever it wanted" on French territory but was not allowed to do the same on Swiss territory. Therefore, when arriving at Arbez Franco-Suisse, the German army could only access the rooms located on French soil. The refugees took advantage of this loophole to hide on the second floor of the hotel. The stairs were also divided into two by the border with the first part belonging to Switzerland, so even if the German army wanted to go up and check, they could not.
In addition, since both France and Switzerland are members of the Schengen Agreement, as long as you are an EU and Swiss citizen, you can easily travel between the two countries and stay in hotels without being required to show a visa.
