Few Swiss cities are more picturesque than Martigny. Hugging the floor of the Rhône Valley, encircled by wooded ramparts, its history as a natural crossroads saw the town develop as a Roman garrison—whose ruins were long a draw until a highway bypass in 1993 limited visitor numbers. Now a new project—Quartier LôDzè—is looking to establish Martigny as a base for skiers.
Opened in March 2025, the development is anchored by Hotel Borsari, a boutique property with a twist: subterranean public pools built around re-created wine silos are a swank, contemporary ode to Roman baths. The minimalist wine-red façades and stained-concrete interior echo Martigny’s agro-industrial past, while other hotel features reflect sensibilities of community, creativity and well-being: restaurant Le Cercle, for example, spins locally sourced cuisine around a cobblestoned courtyard shared with Saucithèque, a wine and charcuterie bar.
Quartier LôDzè is the dream of John Cretton, a Brit with a taste for history and former hotel/nightclub owner in nearby Verbier. Seeking more tranquil environs in Martigny, he’d been charmed by the abandoned 19th-century Borsari winery. Here, many of the region’s growers had delivered grapes to the first-ever concrete tanks used to ferment wine, creating the town’s largest employer by the 1930s. With his grandfather also born here, it was a personal heritage project for Cretton, who knew any urban restoration achieved could set the tone for the next 30 years. “With the bypass, Martigny had kind of lost its way,” he says. “So this was a real opportunity. The place has good energy—even some mystic qualities. And the baths gave me a way to say You won’t find this in any ski resort.“
Indeed, with Verbier only 20 minutes away, Cretton is hoping Quartier LôDzè captures skiers who will appreciate these more-historic, less-expensive, uniquely relaxing digs.
