Hotel Postcards (1913-18) - Sepia Saturday 611

Linking to Sepia Saturday 611

Hotel Postcards from Gerda's travels 1913-1918

Besides the postcards that my great-aunt Gerda's wrote to her brother Gustaf, I have some blank ones which she probably kept as memories for herself. With this week's Sepia Saturday prompt being a vintage postcard of a hotel, I felt inspired to do a post of hotel postcards from Gerda's years in France. If you have been following my recent series about her, you have already seen some of these. But in this post I'm also including three unwritten cards not previously shown here; plus I have also done some online research to check if the hotels still exist, and if so, what they look like now. 

The post will serve as a kind of summary of Gerda's travels in France (and to Switzerland) during WWI. Seeing the hotel cards together enhances my impression that Gerda's employer/s must have been very well off - and Gerda herself, as lady's maid, thereby also enjoying a rather comfortable life compared to "most people" in France during the war years. (In the text on her postcards, she also never implied any financial worries for her own part.)

- - -

In 1913, Gerda was employed as lady's maid and travel companion to an English lady (her name unknown to me). In 1914, they were in France when WWI broke out. According to what I've been told, the lady was able to go back to England, but Gerda (Swedish citizen) was left behind in France.

G.064.01 -  London - Claridge's Hotel - 1913

London - 14.11.1913
"The journey has gone well so far, leaving for France tomorrow." /Gerda 

G.072.02  - Vittel, France - L'Hôtel de l'Établissement - 1914

I did not find any contemporary hotel in Vittel by this name. An English Wikipedia article informs me that from November 1917 until February 1919, Vittel was home to U.S. Army Base Hospital 36 from Detroit, MI. "This unit was formed at the Detroit College of Medicine and Surgery now Wayne State University, School of Medicine. They occupied the five resort hotels in the city plus the casino." 

Vittel, France - 1914 (date unreadable)

"This is the hotel where I am now. Next week I'll be travelling from here to England." /Gerda

Or so she thought. That did not work out though - Gerda ended up remaining in France throughout WWI and until the autumn of 1919. She obviously soon managed to find a new employment in Lyon, though, with another lady (I think maybe American) who also liked to travel.  With the war going on, it seems they limited their trips to the south-east of France, but were also able to cross Lake Geneva by boat to Switzerland. On the French side of the lake, they stayed at Evian-les-Bains.

M.014.02  - Evian-les-Bains, France -  L'Ermitage

(Blank postcard)

Hôtel Ermitage, Evain-les-Bains

"Anglo-Normand architectural style and elegantly designed 80 rooms and family suites --- located at the heart of the Evian Resort ---  on the shores of Lake Geneva, in close proximity to the Alps. A harmonious blend of luxury, picture postcard scenery and tranquil pace of life." 

 G.077.02 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Royal-Hotel

Switzerland 19.09.1915: "I'm now out alone on a pleasure trip on the lake." /Gerda

"Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa is located in the center of Lausanne
and a 5-minute walk from Lake Geneva." 
"The hotel consists of of two wings:
the Savoy wing occupies an elegant Art Nouveau-style building
and all rooms and suites are with lake views or city views."

They also went down to Nice on the French Riviera a couple of times. (1916, 1918)

G.086.01 - Nice-Cimiez, France - Hotel Riviera Palace

Spring 1916 (sent from Lyon 1.6)

"Here you can see the hotel where we stayed on our trip. I'm marking our rooms with X."

"Like most Palace-Hotels in the area, the Riviera Palace did not survive the tourist disaffection between the wars and was converted into condominiums. The huge park, fortunately preserved, gives this residence an exceptional character. The apartments, which have mostly kept their Belle Epoque charm, enjoy a remarkable view of Nice and the sea, and a haven of greenery in the foreground, at the heart of Cimiez Hill."

And they also went up in the mountains, to Brides-les-Bains (1918).

M.014.02 - BRIDES-les-BAINS, France - Hôtel des Thermes - Etablissement  

(Blank postcard - c.1918)

Hôtel Mercure Brides Les Bains Grand Hotel des Thermes

"Perfect for relaxation, leisure and work,
where the mountains and the snow meet
 a spa resort set amidst lakes and streams."

At some point, Gerda also visited Vichy, a spa and resort town in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France. Whether that was before, during or after the war years, I can't say for sure, as I have only blank postcards from there.

M.017.02 - VICHY - Rue Cunin-Gridaine et le Carlton-Hôtel

(Blank postcard)

My searches for Carlton Hotel in Vichy seemed only to lead to other old postcards and photos.
(Don't know when the photo above is from; I copied that from somewhere by screenshot.)

Also found a French article, though, from which I get the impression that it has nowadays been converted to apartments, but that back in WWI times it was a rather grand hotel. 

Google Translate to the rescue with the details: 

"Rebuilt almost entirely in 1912 by Joseph Aletti, the large Guillermen hotel, rue Wilson, is transformed into the Carlton palace. This new building, with a more sober and Art Deco decor, offers 300 rooms and 150 bathrooms. Its interior garden is reputed to be “a real little paradise”. In the 1960s, 20% of the Carlton was sold as apartments, with the rest of the rooms becoming a three-star hotel. Today, the entire building has become a condominium, the Résidence le Carlton."