Swiss ambassador to Qatar Edgar Doerig and his wife Junko Kimura Doerig, together with executives from The Bürgenstock Selection, recently welcomed Qatari government representatives and business leaders to the envoy’s residence in Doha.
During the exclusive event, guests were introduced to the three luxury properties of Switzerland’s largest deluxe hotel group that are united under The Bürgenstock Selection brand: the Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa Lausanne, the Hotel Schweizerhof Bern & THE SPA and the Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort Lake Lucerne.
Katara Hospitality, owners of The Bürgenstock Selection, has invested 1bn Swiss francs in these landmark properties – “elevating them to an unparalleled standard of modernity and luxury”, according to a statement.
Ambassador Doerig and his wife, along with Saeid Heidari, managing director of The Bürgenstock Selection, welcomed the dignitaries as well as the media to the exclusive event. Heidari stressed the similarity between Qatar and Switzerland, mentioning the two nation’s economic success and history of luxury hospitality.
Doerig welcomed the guests stating that the important investment and presence of Katara Hospitality in Switzerland “stands as a key element of the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries”. The participation of both Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani and then Swiss Federal councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann at the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne’s official opening ceremony on September 28, 2018 was a strong symbol of this joint project.
“Katara Hospitality invested 1bn Swiss francs in renovating three iconic properties in Lausanne, Bern and Lucerne and created 1,100 new jobs in doing so. Thanks to this substantial investment, The Bürgenstock Selection became one of Switzerland’s largest hotel operators, redefining luxury hospitality in Switzerland. All three welcome guests to properties with dramatic contemporary design, award-winning restaurants and world-class spa facilities,” said Heidari.
Alain Kropf, general manager of the Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa Lausanne, presented the facilities of the five-star hotel with its 196 rooms and suites overlooking Lake Geneva. According to Kropf, his guests have the opportunity to enjoy experiences such as a visit to the Olympic Museum, a boat cruise on Lake Geneva or a visit to a local farm’s petting zoo. Other guests can opt for a yoga class in the hotel’s expansive garden.
Many of the guests at the event had already heard of the renowned Bürgenstock Resort situated 500m above Lake Lucerne. The resort’s general manager, Robert P Herr, introduced Switzerland’s largest resort with its four hotels (including the Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa, the Palace Hotel and Taverne 1879), 10 restaurants, two spas as well as its medical centre in the fourth property, the Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence, Switzerland’s newest place devoted to health and medical well-being.
Bettina Haeberle, area director (sales and marketing), The Bürgenstock Selection, noted the many reasons why the Hotel Schweizerhof Bern & THE SPA “is the perfect location to discover Switzerland’s capital”. Guests are only a few steps away from the Old Town, a Unesco World Heritage site, and the Albert Einstein museum. Others might enjoy an excursion to the nearby Jungfrau Mountain.

Summer offers for vacationers
With the brand-new ‘Swiss Escape’ offer, guests will discover the country’s most sought-after and attractive destinations through the luxury properties of The Bürgenstock Selection, which are renowned for their strong heritage, contemporary design and impeccable Swiss traditions of hospitality, service and discretion, it has been announced.
The ‘Swiss Escape’ offer is available when staying at two or more hotels of The Bürgenstock Selection on a single trip throughout Switzerland. Guests may book a five-night stay for the price of four or eight nights for the price of six, with centralised reservations made via [email protected]
Between June 17 and September 17, guests at the Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence will enjoy a 20% discount on all 3- to 14-day prevention and health programmes. The five-star hotel also offers medical checkups, weight-loss, detox, beauty and healthy-ageing programmes.
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