It belongs to hotel division of the Sandoz Family Foundation.

It was first constructed by the Bishop of Lausanne as a tower on the banks of Lake Léman around 1170.

A century later, it was rebuilt and transformed into a fortified residence for bishops, particularly for Guillaume de Varax.

The canton of Vaud recovered it after the departure of the Berneses and sold off part of the land to Jean-Jacques Mercier in 1885.

The new owner radically transformed the castle by demolishing the ruins and old buildings, leaving only the tower.