At This Hotel, You Can Sleep In 2 Countries At The Same Time

The Arbez Hotel has both a French and a Swiss address.

Most buildings just have one address. However, a hotel in Europe has two addresses and is located in two separate countries. The Arbez Hotel has both a French and a Swiss address because it is located on the border between France and Switzerland, as per a report in CNN.

The Arbez is located in La Cure, France, on the Rue de la Frontera, and in Cure, Switzerland, on the Route de France. It is built in a rustic style and is a small family-run hotel. Hotel Arbez Franco-Suisse is also popularly known as L’Arbezie. 

The hotel has a long history that dates back to the 19th century. The Swiss and French governments agreed in 1862 to change the border in the Valley of the Dappes. The Treaty of Dappes was signed on December 8, 1862. As per the treaty, no building that existed at the time of ratification would be  impacted by the border change. Taking advantage of this, a businessman, Monsieur Ponthus, constructed a structure in an area of their property that was on both sides of the new border, with the intent of conducting cross-border trade, as per the hotel’s website. 

They further add that the structure was completed in time before the treaty took effect in February 1863. The three-story building was already complete when the treaty was ratified by the Swiss government, so it was left unaffected by the new border. Mr Ponthus set up a bar on the French side and a shop in Switzerland. The shop existed until 1921, when Mr Ponthus’s son Jules-Jean Arbeze converted it into the Franco-Suisse hotel that stands today.

During World War II, the hotel’s second floor served as a refuge for those fleeing German soldiers as the staircase crossed the Swiss side of the border. 

As per the website, all rooms have “high-quality bedding with storage and private bathroom” and free wifi. The tariff for a room for two people starts from 89 euros (Rs 7,876) and for a family of four, it is priced at 129 euros (Rs 11,416). The border of the two countries divides nearly every room in the building. 

A narrow open courtyard that serves as a channel between the French and Swiss sides of the building. A stone marker from 1863 is one of the oldest and most visible manifestations of this border. On one side is the eagle of the Second French Empire (France was ruled by Napoleon III at the time), and “Vaud” is simply written on the other, the outlet states. 

Conde Nast Traveller mentions that the dining room is divided by the French-Swiss border and the two flags are displayed at opposite ends of the room. In some rooms, guests sleep with their heads in France and their feet in Switzerland.

Interestingly, the bed in the honeymoon suite is also neatly divided. One room is entirely Swiss, with the exception of the bathroom, which is located in the French part of the hotel..