Roland Fasel, former general manager of the Dorchester and regional director, UK, of the Dorchester Collection, has been appointed chief operating officer of global, luxury hotel group Aman.
Robert P. Herr, an award-winning Swiss hotelier, has been appointed General Manager of the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, Switzerland's newest luxury resort. He brings 23 years of experience with luxury hotels in Europe, the U.S. and the Middle East.
One of the key objectives of the World Tourism Forum Lucerne (WTFL) – to be held in the Swiss lakeside city for the fifth time on 4 and 5 May 2017 – is to promote the sustainable development of this increasingly global industry. It is within this framework that travel and tourism professionals from different generations and levels of corporate hierarchy are integrated into the Forum. They represent such fields as hospitality, tour operating and destinations, as well as the airline and cruise sectors.
The Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvédère in Davos has been the traditional main hotspot for the World Economic Summit since as long ago as 1971. It once again provides an impressive backdrop to this year's event, which takes place between 16 and 20 January and attracts 2,500 participants from 100 countries. Visitors include Heads of State and Government, top managers from global corporate groups and international show stars.
Since opening its doors in December 2016, Huus Gstaad has fast become a favorite for locals and guests alike. Nestled on a rolling hillside between the villages of Saanen and Gstaad, the seven-story, 136-room traditional wooden-clad chalet transcends simple Swiss hospitality and strikes a delicate balance between a restful retreat and a community hub for likeminded explorers and adrenaline junkies. From the adventure lounge, restaurants, spacious spa, and fully fledged family area, to the all-inclusive activities and complimentary equipment hire, the year-round hotel is the sheer embodiment of Bernese bonhomie. www.designhotels.com/huus-gstaad
Since opening its doors in December 2016, Huus Gstaad has fast become a favorite for locals and guests alike. Nestled on a rolling hillside between the villages of Saanen and Gstaad, the seven-story, 136-room traditional wooden-clad chalet transcends simple Swiss hospitality and strikes a delicate balance between a restful retreat and a community hub for likeminded explorers and adrenaline junkies. From the adventure lounge, restaurants, spacious spa, and fully fledged family area, to the all-inclusive activities and complimentary equipment hire, the year-round hotel is the sheer embodiment of Bernese bonhomie.
Tourism is set to grow exponentially, with some 1.8 billion people expected to travel by 2030. Last year that figure was 1.18 billion and nowadays some eight million people fly each day. The United Nations has already declared 2017 the international year of sustainable tourism for development. So what does that all mean for the industry?
Innovation. It's the lifeblood of many industries. But in our industry, hospitality, innovation tends to be incremental rather than radical. That's not to say there have not been new and innovative practices, but by and large it's a conservative and traditional industry, which focuses on best practices and processes. In an ever-changing corporate landscape, the need for continuous innovation has become a prerequisite to stay competitive and conduct business in a new way.
You have a beautiful hotel, filled with luxury touches to make your guests’ stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. But are you truly ‘owning’ the guest experience from the moment of booking and beyond? Communication is the key to the new wave of brand loyalty. If you make communication easy, personal and accessible, you open an opportunity to a new level of guest loyalty… And following loyalty, of course, follows revenue. It’s time to own the guest experience through mobile, personalised, digital technology.
Today, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), the world's leading institution in hospitality management education, announces the publication of its much-awaited Lausanne Report, an inspirational analysis of two years of extensive market research and exclusive interviews with prominent business leaders. The study provides readerfriendly reflection on some of the most important forces that are shaping today's world and their long-term impact on the hospitality industry. The Lausanne Report challenges a conventionally unilateral thought process and enriches the debate on future risks and opportunities within the industry.
In one of the world's most stunning settings, in a land renowned for its hospitality, a trendsetting new destination is set to debut next summer. Set on a forested ridge 2,800 feet above spectacular Lake Lucerne with views of the Rigi and Pilatus Mountains, the car-free Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne is spread over 148 acres and will be open year round. Katara Hospitality is investing 500 million Swiss francs in this holistic resort dedicated to healthy living and responsible tourism. Bruno Schöpfer, Managing Director of Katara Hospitality Switzerland Ltd. has shepherded the monumental project for the past several years.
During my many years of travel in the service industry and having stayed in hundreds of hotels worldwide, it's clear that the past five years have brought about enormous change in the hotel industry. Innovation with architecture, interior design and guest comfort is at an all-time high. Widespread revitalisation has been incredibly successful in meeting guest expectations. Yet, in an increasingly demanding world, there still also remains a huge opportunity to truly create a home from home for the traveler.
The Rezidor Hotel Group and prizeotel, are proud to announce their first joint hotel project in Bern, Switzerland. This will be the largest hotel in Bern and is scheduled to open its doors in late 2019. The 188 room hotel will be located at the former Swiss Post headquarters at Viktoriastrasse in Bern. Since March 2016, Rezidor now owns a 49 percent stake in prizeotel; the Bern project is the first landmark step towards long-term and ambitious expansion plans in the economy hotel sector by Rezidor. In these plans, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and the Benelux countries, have been identified as the priority target markets for short-to-medium term brand development. prizeotel, the German economy design chain, currently operates three city-center properties in Hamburg, Bremen and Hanover totaling 555 rooms.
The Future of Hospitality Summit 2016 held at the end of October at Les Roches hotel management school in Switzerland focused on the rapid pace of innovation affecting the hospitality industry, highlighting practical ways of thinking about, and confronting, the unfolding future.
Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), the world's leading institution in hospitality management education, will be offering a new MBA in Hospitality as of September 2017. With 80% of the curriculum available through a novel distance learning platform, busy professionals will be given access to a unique learning experience without getting sidetracked from their career. This new program is part of EHL's broader commitment to defining industry standards, while catering to the needs and aspirations of its students. It is also the first time that EHL is offering digital learning, demonstrating its capacity to listen to the industry and produce an academic program adapted to the latest trends.
Fabien Fresnel, Chief Operating Officer, Sommet Education based in Clarens, Switzerland. Sommet Education encompasses Glion Institute of Higher Education and les Roches Global Hospitality Education, both among the world’s top three institutes of higher education for an international career in hospitality (TNS Global Survey, 2013). Dr. Fabien Fresnel, Chief Operating Officer of Sommet Education
Sarah Schwab holds a bachelor degree from Aston University, Birmingham and an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management. She has over 17 years of management experience in various sectors, including higher education. Most notably she led the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Geneva and was in charge of the business school's expansion in Europe, Middle East and Africa. In her last position, Sarah acted as partner at Decision Strategies International (DSI) where she led strategic operations and consulting for numerous organizations across Europe, Middle East and the US.
Dr. Nicolas Graf holds a BS and an MBA from Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne and a PhD from Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and has over 15 years’ experience in higher education and hospitality. Dr. Graf has acted as professor at several universities and business schools, namely the University of Houston, Reims Management School and more recently as Director of IMHI, the Center of Excellence in Hospitality, Food & Travel at ESSEC Business School in Paris; and as Director of Alain Ducasse Education & Consulting. He has authored several articles and contributed research related to finance and strategy in academic publications such as the International Journal of Hospitality Management, Real Estate Finance Journal and the Journal of Retail and Leisure Property.
Kulm Hotel St. Moritz and Grand Hotel Kronenhof Pontresina are pleased to introduce the newest member to their team, Director of Sales & Marketing Cornelia Koebele. With over 20 years of experience in the hotel industry, Cornelia was most recently Director of Sales & Marketing at the multi-award winning 5-star luxury hotel Jumeirah at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi. Prior to that, she was Regional Director of Sales for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts in the Middle East and Director of Business Development & Marketing at Jumeirah Emirates Towers.
Students of Les Roches Global Hospitality Education in Crans-Montana, Switzerland are organizing the second Future of Hospitality Summit (FHS) on 28-30 October, a conference with industry professionals sharing insights into the latest innovations and future tech-based developments to the leaders of tomorrow.