Bürgenstock hotelier: “I am particularly looking forward to Viola Amherd”
Published: Friday, May 31st 2024, 09:50
Updated At: Sunday, Jun 2nd 2024, 09:30
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He does not decide which heads of state will sleep next door to each other at the Ukriane Peace Conference in mid-June on the Bürgenstock NW. But as director of the luxury resort high above Lake Lucerne, Chris Franzen ensures that the high-ranking guests feel completely at ease. He has no sleepless nights because of the summit meeting. He says: "We have it under control."
Chris Franzen had to make a cold start: On April 1 of this year, he took over the position of Managing Director of the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne. The internationally experienced hotelier from Valais returned from the Gulf region after more than 15 years. Most recently, he had opened and managed a luxury resort complex in the Qatari capital Doha.
More or less on the same day, he learned that the Ukraine peace conference co-organized by Switzerland was to take place on the Bürgenstock. "That was of course a great start," says Franzen in broad Valais dialect in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency. As a hotel director, he is happy to organize such events.
However, the announcement of the conference did not trigger any special feelings in him; heads of state are hotel guests just like others, he says - slightly modestly. "Our aim is always for our guests to arrive well, feel comfortable and ultimately leave satisfied," says Franzen. To achieve this, the ambience has to be right: The light, the music, the decoration, the service - everything around it.
One hundred high guests for one "Chlapf"
The Zermatt native, who has been working in the industry for more than three decades and comes from a family of hoteliers, has already welcomed numerous state guests and celebrities as hotel manager, as he explains. "But yes, of course not 80 to 100 in one 'Chlapf'".
So it doesn't seem to be quite so commonplace after all. He laughs and admits that he is also looking forward to it. "It's fantastic to have all those people together in your hotel on these days who you normally only see on the news," he says - visibly excited. And finally, holding this conference doesn't just benefit the hotel financially and in terms of marketing. The whole region and the suppliers benefit immensely from it.
16'000-Franken-Suiten
Around 900 people are expected to attend this weekend in June. The hotel on the Bürgenberg high above Lake Lucerne and the Stans plain will be full. The conference is being organized by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). "The Bürgenstock Resort is the venue, the meeting point," says the hotelier.
However, not all participants will be able to stay overnight on the Bürgenstock. The hotels in Lucerne and the surrounding area are already fully booked. The FDFA decides who will be accommodated where. "We have no say in that," says Franzen. So it remains to be seen who will be allowed to rest in the most expensive rooms, the 16,000-franc suites, on these days.
The Bürgenstock team only provides advice when it comes to planning the menu for Volodymyr Selensky and Co. "He who pays, commands," says Franzen. In this case, the federal government.
Politicians are "the easiest guests"
For the hotel on the Bürgenstock, which can look back on over 150 years of history, hosting such a large conference is "everyday hotel life", as Franzen says. "We have it under control." The pressure is no greater than usual. The infrastructure is in place, the know-how, the staff. Depending on the season, the resort employs around 700 people.
He will not have sleepless nights because of the conference. He simply hopes that there won't be any cancellations at short notice. The closer the date gets, the more you can feel the special energy building up.
The resort has not yet had to accept any special requests. The army is taking care of the construction of a temporary helipad in the Obbürgen area just below the resort. However, Franzen also emphasizes that politicians usually only have a few special requests compared to film stars. "They are the easiest guests."
Personal photos are taboo for staff
The imposing location of the resort is ideal for such a conference and is easy to control as there are only two roads leading to the top. Added to this are the many rooms - the resort comprises three hotels with 360 rooms and suites as well as a ballroom for 600 people and 15 conference rooms. If required, the two indoor tennis courts could also be converted into conference rooms.
The really big challenge for the hotel and its crew is the security aspect, says Franzen. But the federal government is also responsible for this. "We discuss with our team what we can and can't do," explains Franzen. Because even if the guests are high-ranking and encounters with them are perhaps not an everyday occurrence for the hotel staff: taking your own photos, for example, is not an option, says Franzen.
He himself is particularly looking forward to meeting the President of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd. The last time he met her was in May 2014 in a hotel in Doha, where he was Hotel Director. The fact that he is now able to welcome her again as Managing Director at the Bürgenstock is very special. An encounter entirely among Valaisans.
©Keystone/SDA
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