A few highlights of the HOTEL SCHWEIZERRHOF
history
1876/77
The hotel is constructed during the years
of 1876/77 by the architects Heinrich Honegger-Näf
and Julius Bosshard. At the beginning the hotel is called
HOTEL NATIONAL
and there are two different entrances with 2 different addresses:
Bahnhofplatz 7 and Bahnhofstrasse 93.
7.8.1877
The hotel opening is celebrated
on 7th August 1877 at the very same location where shortly
before sheep were grassing. At this time the lake area was
the place to BE and the main railway was seen as the suburbs
of the city. The Bahnhofplatz (Bahnhof-square) became than
the entrance of the now world-famous pedestrian Bahnhofstrasse
(Bahnhofstreet) at that time called Fröschengraben.
1877/78
Mr. Werdenberg-Steinmann
from Bale becomes the very first general manager and stays
in this position for a year.
1878/95
The General Manager Wilhelm Ferdinand Michel
buys the Hotel National in 1880 and the next door building
at the Bahnhofstreet 91. The two buildings become one hotel
under his management. This is the time when the beautiful
"Moorish Room" is constructed: high ceiling with
an oriental atmosphere. In 1893 the building at Lintheschergasse
24 becomes part of the hotel. At that time the Hotel National
consisted of 4 different buildings.
1883
A new general manager of
the Ferdinand Michel-Pauli family takes over and changes the
name into GRAND HOTEL NATIONAL.
1884
130 comfort rooms with 200
beds, 5 family apartments, 4 meeting rooms, 5 bathrooms,
an
elevator, a coffee restaurant with three billiard tables.
The fountain located in front of the hotel was replaced
1889
by the statue of Alfred-Escher.
1896/1906
Owner Achilles Mislin
1908
With the hotel renovation of 1908 the classic
round archs disappeared from the façade. That was the
beginning of the art nouveau stile.
1896/1916
Mr. Georges Wild,
general manager and later owner of the hotel buys it in 1907.
Unfortunately he dies 1916 and the hotel goes to his son, Mr.
Georges Wild junior.
1918
General manager
Georges Wild junior changes the name to Hotel Schweizerhof-National
throughout
the thirties
Mr. Ernst Manz was
the leaseholder of the hotel
1930
A new floor between
the ground- and the 1st floor is built. The round arch at the
Bahnhofsquare and the Linthescherstreet are changed to a more
straight-line architecture
1961
A few bathrooms
are installed in specific rooms and the hotel bar undergoes
a renovation. The outside of the building to Linthescherstreet
is renovated with metal and marble.
1966/76
Family Rudolf and
Judith Mühlberg-Iten take over the management and open
the restaurant called "Bel Etage" on first floor
1978/1979
The hotel is closed
for 14th months and is completely renovated by the architecture
company Schoch and Müller and the inhouse architects Georges
and Markus Schlegel
1976-1991
Management by Hansueli
and Heidrun Strässle
1986
New opening of the
coffee shop "Café Courmet" on ground floor
Juni
1991
Mr. Jörg Rudolf
von Rohr takes over the management of the hotel
1992/95
2 million Swiss
Francs are invested to do a soft renovation of all rooms
1993
A new heating system is bought for 0.9 million Swiss Francs
1997
The hotel is closed for 3 weeks and for the amount of 4.5 million
Swiss Francs is invested to make a complete renovation of the
lobby on ground floor, the reception and the kitchen. The meeting
rooms on first floor undergo a soft renovation. The most modern
airconditioning system as well as a new firealarm system and
a business corner are added.
2000/01
The hotel closes
mid December and reopened on mid March 2001. All rooms, suites
and bathrooms are completely renovated for 14 million Swiss
Francs. A few highlights are: light and cheerful "lifestyle"
colours, bathrooms done in Italian granite, Italian furniture,
new beds all electrically adjustable, trouser press built into
the wardrobe, colour television with a variety of videos.
