History
Angelo and Irma Celesia gave life to Notre Maison at Christmas 1979. Before this date, Celesia family lived in Charvensod in a house with a large tavern, where they often used to host their friends at the weekends. Hence, Irma cooked for many people. That’s why they decided to open a hotel. Angelo and Irma wondered <Why don’t we combine business with pleasure?>. This is the origin of the name Notre Maison and, still nowadays, Celesia family are running their home-like business the same way.
Their children Andrea and Stefania were growing, too. In 1985 they realized the Solarium Hut, where you can have lunch outdoor in summer. In 1998 they built a new chalet with 15 rooms, the wellness centre with indoor swimming-pool, Turkish bath, whirpool and two cabins for beauty treatments and massages. In 2006 they built other two chalets with 7 rooms and a detached massage centre. In 2015 they realized the Wood of Books and the environmental-friendly biomass power plant which producing electric and heating power for the whole hotel. Then, in 2016 they enlarged the wellness centre with the mountain lake.
Angelo
Born in Aosta on 28th July 1938. His family members were business owners.
He studied at Salesiani di Don Bosco school and graduated as surveyor.
He became supervisor at Società Autostrade, the society managing the Italian motorways.
He is one of the marvellous 10 who invented Marcia Gran Paradiso and, in 1978, he decided to build Notre Maison with his wife.
Dynamic and sport-addicted – alpine skiing, ski mountaineering and cycling – he is a brilliant and charismatic man. He often entertains the guests at the fireplace and tells him stories, traditions and anectodes. At dinnertime, in the dinner hall, he cooks meat on the “losa”. He deeply loves nature and he develops and take cares of the large park of Notre Maison, where he created interesting naturalistic paths with rare plants. With Irma, he represents the historic tradition, wisdom and memory.
Irma
Born in Epinel on 29th October 1937, she has been a teacher at the primary school for years. She taught in the various helmets around Cogne. Sometimes children were just a few so she had to teach to to children born in five different years. Still, her ex pupils do remember her with love. When she got married, she quitted to teach to look after their children. She is a very sweet lady, she has great organizing skills, she is sensitive and deeply loves taking care of the other people. In our hotel, she is like the mother and confidant of a lot of our guests, too. She loves the house and reading. She is a real good chef – she used to be the chef at Notre Maison at the beginning of our experience. She is the heart of Notre Maison and keeps running it lustly and constantly.
Andrea
Born in Aosta on 23rd October 1967, he is Angelo and Irma’s first child.
When his parents opened the hotel, he was 12.
He graduated at the hotelier school and immediately began to work his way up the ladder in our hotel – kitchen hand, chef’s assistant, waiter, etc.
He went on studying in Great Britain and in the USA, then has dedicated all his time to the family business. His enthusiasm and competences have stimulated his family to never stop growing their business. He is a sommelier so he personally selects the wines for the hotel wine cellar. He is also a counsellor on tourism and sport in the municipality of Cogne and was the vicepresident of the Association of Hotelkeepers in Valle d’Aosta. He is a snowboard instructor and worked at Gran Paradiso ski school for several years. Andrea is an open-minded and friendly man, he is always smiling and has good communication and diplomatic skills. He pays attention to novelties and new trends – such as our biomass power plant. He is our driving force on innovations. He is married with Francesca, who runs our hotel massage and wellness. They have two children – Alessio, 10, and Marta, 7.
Stefania
Born in on 15th September 1973, she’s the intellectual member of our house.
When they opened the hotel, she was 6.
After her high school diploma in foreign languages, she studied and graduated in Turin in Modern Literature – the topic of her thesis was “literature on mountaineering”. She is a publicist and cooperates with “La Stampa” of Aosta.
At the weekends she used to come home and work in her family hotel so, when she finished to study, she decided to work there. A sort of attraction towards her roots. She takes care of reception, booking and cocktail bar. She attended a course on bar tenders at AIBES and, as she is keen on teas, she personally selects the most prestigious blends for our guests. She brought her love for literature and art in our hotel – the Wood of Books is a small library where guests can find interesting books. With her brother Andrea, she shares the push for innovation and the love for nature and our territory. She has a son, Alberto, 8 years old.