The renowned Manoir Rouville-Campbell, in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, closed its doors on March 8, pending its imminent reopening under a new vocation.
Posted at 10:10 a.m.
An agreement in principle concerning the sale of the hotel located in the ancestral manor was recently concluded; the new owners, however, intend to change the mission of the establishment, which became a hotel complex in 1986. which is chaired by André Imbeau, owner of the hotel hilairemontais since 2006. I cannot mention what this new vocation is or who the new owners are. These should make an official announcement in June. Since the details of the agreement are still to be finalized, it was impossible to know the price of the transaction.
28 million
This is the sale price displayed on the 1er October for the Manoir Rouville-Campbell, owned by the Imbeau family since 2006.
Source: G5 Management Group
Hotel employees learned of the news on the morning of March 8, hours before it was posted on the hotel’s website. “We told them that the mansion would no longer be a hotel, but that it would not be a residence for the elderly either,” said Mr. Desrivières, adding that the Imbeau family was in no way involved in the project. new project.
But the group is 100% comfortable with what’s to come. We are happy with the direction it will take.
Michel Desrivières, vice-president finance of Groupe Gestion G5
“It’s up to the new entity to announce what it is, I can’t speak for them. But the project is firmly on track, we would not have made the decision to close if we had not been certain of our move, ”continues the manager.
Management has rightly chosen to close shop to allow a healthy transition, but also out of respect for customers. “We saw the calendar moving forward, with several summer events to come, and we didn’t want to have to cancel activities at the very last minute,” explains Michel Desrivières. We had about sixty weddings planned from the spring, so we notified all the customers – we kept four employees who are in place to settle this. Everyone who made deposits will be refunded, same for those who bought gift cards. »
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Owners since 2006, the Imbeau family has invested nearly $20 million in renovations and expansions at Manoir Rouville-Campbell.
Thirty-nine people worked at Manoir Rouville-Campbell, which is almost a third of the number of people employed in 2019, before the outbreak of COVID-19. “The crowds started again, but never at the pre-pandemic level,” recognizes Mr. Desrivières.
The pandemic has certainly affected our operations. It made us realize that the mansion was mainly an establishment for events, weddings or team building activities. With the restrictions, it had become difficult to operate, it was a challenge.
Michel Desrivières, vice-president finance of Groupe Gestion G5
The manager maintains, however, that the family sought first and foremost to develop new business activities.
André Imbeau bought the Manoir Rouville-Campbell in 2006 from Yvon Deschamps and Judi Richards, longtime friends. The establishment then offered 25 rooms, it now has 70, in addition to a lounge and a care center. In all, the Imbeau family estimates that they have invested some 20 million for various renovations and expansions carried out over the past 15 years.
The little story of Manoir Rouville-Campbell
The Rouville-Campbell manor is a Tudor-inspired neo-Gothic ensemble that was built between 1853 and 1860 by integrating the previous seigneurial manor, built in 1832 on the banks of the Richelieu River. The site remains property of the Campbell family until 1955, after which several owners succeed one another, the manor falling prey to vandals for years. It was the sculptor of Catalan origin Jordi Bonet who bought the estate in 1969; he then undertook to restore it to its former glory and had it classified as a historic monument in 1977 — the estate had benefited from a protected area since 1979. The manor was transformed into a hotel in 1986, a vocation it would retain until in March 2022.
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PHOTO DAVID BOILY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
In 2005, the Manoir Rouville-Campbell sported imposing climbing ivy plants on its facade, reflecting the time when the sculptor Jordi Bonet owned the ancestral building. The Catalan-born artist’s family sold the castle to hotelier Yves Dion in 1986.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE
Under the heritage status of the Manoir Rouville-Campbell, all renovations carried out since 1977 have been framed by strict architectural standards.
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PHOTO ROBERT MAILLOUX, PRESS ARCHIVES
Yvon Deschamps and Judi Richards remained owners of the Manoir Rouville-Campbell for 10 years, from 1996 to 2006. The comedian and singer had the Manoir’s performance hall built, which was inaugurated in June 2000.
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