150 years of experience
For 150 years, the Compagnie de Vichy has helped people maintain the Capital that is their good health.
Founded in 1862, the Compagnie de Vichy, owner of the Vichy Spa Hôtel Les Célestins*****, is one of the oldest businesses in France. This prestigious firm with 300 employees actively contributes to Auvergne's national and international influence.
After belonging to the Lords of Vichy, and then the French monarchy, the Vichy thermal estate became the property of the state with the French Revolution. In 1853, the State gave Lebobe, Callou and Co. the concession to handle operations of the thermal spa.
Nine years later, it transformed into a public company under the name of Compagnie Fermière de l'établissement thermal de Vichy and was operated for the state. For this reason, it is committed to improving and maintaining the property of the State and pays royalties to the government.
Up until 1954, the company was directed by its founders or their descendants, in particular members of the Callou family. It became a subsidiary of the Brasseries et Glacières de l'Indochine. In 1968, it was acquired by the Perrier group. In 1992, the Castel Group, or the Aquitaine Investment Company, acquired Compagnie de Vichy. Since 2005, Mr. Jérôme Phelipeau is its majority shareholder.
The Compagnie de Vichy is the concession holder of two thermal spas in Vichy as well as a group of properties that encompasses nine springs, including the celebrated Vichy Célestins, and it also owns the 5 star Vichy Spa Hôtel Les Célestins as well as two 2- and 3-star hotels.
This represents a total of 400 rooms, and more than 160,000 thermal spa treatment days in 2010. The Compagnie de Vichy has invested in the construction of a very high-end Thermal Spa, with 7,500 m2 of space making it the largest in Europe, in order to bring to customers rigorous thermal medicine combined with an unmatched level of comfort.
"We still have tremendous development potential," according to Jérôme Phelipeau, President and General Director of the Compagnie de Vichy
While thermal spa treatments constitute the bulk of the operations, with 25% new spa clients every year, for several years now under the initiative of Jérôme Phelipeau, the Compagnie de Vichy has kept up with the times and opened itself to new opportunities: "We add value to the healthful properties of thermal care with well-being and beauty treatments. We still have tremendous development potential in the areas of prevention, therapeutic education and follow-up treatments. The second challenge involves communicating the expertise belonging to the Compagnie de Vichy. We make this expertise available to investors as we create health-beauty-wellness centers or when we relaunch current facilities following renovation.
In 2008, the Compagnie de Vichy created a subsidiary, called Vichy Spa International, which relies on the company's experience in France. The goal of this subsidiary is to develop and commercialize hotel complexes abroad by integrating Health Spas under the Vichy Spas Hotels & Resorts brand. "We are developing a concept built around the expertise of Vichy and the drive for the preservation of good health capital," explains Erwan MADEC, Director of Vichy Spa International.
