A few highlights from the HOTEL SCHWEIZERHOF history
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| 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.
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| 7.8.1877 |
The hotel opening is celebrated on 7th August 1877 at the very same location where shortly before sheep were grazing. 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 (Station Square) became than the entrance of the now world-famous pedestrian Bahnhofstrasse (Station Street) 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 |
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 comfortable 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 style. |
| 1896 |
Mr. Georges Wild, general manager and later owner of the hotel buys it in 1907. Unfortunately he dies in 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 Bahnhofplatz and the Linthescher Street are changed to a more linear architecture |
| 1961 |
A few bathrooms are installed in specific rooms and the hotel bar undergoes a renovation. The outside of the building to Linthescher Street 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 14 months and is completely renovated by the architecture company Schoch and Müller and the inhouse architects Georges and Markus Schlegel |
| 1986 |
New opening of the coffee shop "Café Courmet" on ground floor |
| June 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 the ground floor, the reception and the kitchen. The meeting rooms on the 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 reopens in 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. |
| 2007 |
Complete renovation of the façade: CHF 1.6 million francs.
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| August 2007 |
New gentlemen's toilet on the first floor.
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| August 2007 |
New carpet, and renovation of partition walls in the first-floor salons.
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