Winter. Gingerbread houses, snowy. Hotly heated fireplace, mug of mulled wine and gingerbread cookies. It smells of Christmas tree and the upcoming new year. And outside the window are the majestic Alps and bright stars scattered across the dark winter sky. Do you want such a holiday? I will tell you where to go ...
After closing in July 2004, The Dolder Grand Hotel in the center of Zurich, after undergoing a massive renovation worth more than $ 365 million, reopened its doors in April 2008. And now this luxurious five-star city resort invites everyone to celebrate the first New Year and Christmas in its new walls. On the eve of our favorite winter holidays, we met with the hotel’s general director Thomas Schmidt, who spoke about this amazing place where the past, present and future are harmoniously combined.
Thomas, The Dolder Grand is a very old hotel. How did you manage to maintain his spirit after such an expensive and large-scale reconstruction?
It is a great honor for me personally to see the new birth of The Dolder Grand. For more than a century, this Zurich hotel has been one of the most popular stopping places in Switzerland among world leaders, movie and show business stars, as well as demanding and caring travelers. And today, I am happy that I participated in almost every stage of the reconstruction of this "grandfather" of the hotel sector, which today is younger and prettier and is again waiting for its visitors.
What exactly has been changed in The Dolder Grand?
First of all, we restored the old building, to which were added 40 thousand square feet of area of the Spa center, as well as two new outbuildings - Golf Wing and Spa Wing. I was appointed the general director of the hotel in 2006, and from that moment I took up the control of all repair work, and later the acquisition of new furniture, equipment of new restaurants and recruitment. The hotel, which we today proudly call the "city resort", has 173 rooms, four of which were converted into luxury suites by the United Design team. International Spa Consultant Sylvia Sepieli has offered us a completely new concept of the Spa Center, and today we have, perhaps, the most luxurious Spa in the city. In general, the task of carrying out restoration work was entrusted to the London architectural group Foster & Partners, which coped brilliantly with it.
Why do you call The Dolder Grand a “city resort”?
Everything is simple. Here, what do you associate the word resort with?
With clean air, water treatments, silence, unobtrusive service and a healthy diet.
So you yourself answered your question. Our hotel was built in 1899 between a nature park and the city center, and boasts the most stunning views of the city, lake and Alps. It is very quiet and beautiful. In the new Spa-center, we offer a huge number of procedures, including treatment under the supervision of experienced medical personnel. Our two restaurants have world-class cuisine, and the menu is prepared taking into account the recommendations of nutritionists.
But you mentioned that businessmen also like to come to The Dolder Grand. What attracts them to your hotel?
First of all, location. From the hotel you can easily get to the center of Zurich. And secondly, we have created excellent conditions for conferences or banquets. The rooms have internet access. In general, what else is needed in order to combine work with leisure.
Thomas, how did you come to the hospitality industry and what personally attracts you to this business?
I was born and raised in Bern, Switzerland. In 1991 he graduated from the School of Hotel Business in Lausanne. Probably, I, like all Swiss, have gotten used to order from childhood, and I really like hotels in which this is felt from the doorway, as well as the sincere cordiality of the staff. Especially interesting in this regard are old hotels that carefully preserve their traditions. Such as The Dolder Grand. You always want to come back to such hotels again and again, because, in the end, a hotel is not just walls and beautiful furniture, these are people who give their guests a state of comfort and peace. During my career I managed to work in hotels in Switzerland and Italy. I really like to perfect everything in the hotel. And it is very nice to see how the results of my work and the work of the whole team are enthusiastically received by our guests. This is the highest mark you can get in the hospitality industry.
The restored and reconstructed The Dolder Grand will celebrate its first Christmas and New Year in a new look. What special things will you offer to those tourists who decide to spend their Swiss holidays under the roof of your hotel?
Many surprises await our guests, but most importantly - true Swiss hospitality. And then - luxurious rooms, including two-story suites in a tower of an old building with an area of 400 square meters, a stunning Spa center, divided into male and female halves, having 19 treatment rooms, an ultramodern gym, a swimming pool with a panoramic view of the city, an aerobics studio and two Spa suites for exclusive treatments. Our Spa-center, by the way, works with unique products Kenzoki, Kerstin Florian, La Prairie.
For those who will come to our New Year celebration, we will provide a limousine transfer from the airport, then a gala dinner on December 31 and a brunch on January 1 of the coming year. In addition, a special package includes two Spa-treatments - for face and body. And, of course, many other pleasant things - a traditional Christmas tree, mulled wine by the fireplace, a festive menu. In a word, fly in.
Then the last question, what are the prices for accommodation in The Dolder Grand compared to the luxury hotels in Dubai?
We offer accommodation prices acceptable for a hotel of this class: a double room will cost from US $ 780 per day, single occupancy from US $ 630, and a suite from US $ 4760. I know that in some hotels in Dubai the prices are much higher, especially during the holidays. Therefore, I invite everyone to Zurich to celebrate Christmas and New Year. After many years of reconstruction, The Dolder Grand Hotel is finally ready to welcome its new guests. Welcome!
