LUCERNE, Switzerland, March 6, 2017 – A Belle Époque jewel will open for meetings and incentives guests in June 2017 after eight years of meticulous restoration and architectural preservation. The 111-year-old, four-star superior Palace Hotel – one of four properties in the Bürgenstock Resort – will feature 108 rooms and suites, a French restaurant, a lobby and lounge, an expansive terrace overlooking Lake Lucerne and 8,751 square feet of meeting facilities.
Bruno Schöpfer, Managing Director of Katara Hospitality Switzerland Ltd., the mastermind behind the resort had a vision. "Our aim was to preserve this iconic ensemble of hotels and the resort's 30 historic buildings which have more than 140 years of history," explained Schöpfer. "The original owners had a passion for architecture, and we are honoring that tradition," he said.
To bring the Palace Hotel into the 21st century, the 1905 wooden building was taken down to its outer walls. During the renovation, all the original ornamental plasterwork was removed, including the monumental faux marble pillars with their classical stucco molding. Curator Joe Miller catalogued 200 paintings and historic artifacts as well as the architectural moldings and pillars and placed them all in temperature-controlled storage. Stucco marble specialists, Schüpfer und Debon AG, who restore medieval churches and historic buildings, executed the painstaking work of repairing two faux-marble pillars.
The Palace's restaurant, Ritzcoffier, will feature classic French cuisine á la Escoffier and César Ritz, albeit lightened for contemporary palates. Interestingly, the world's first celebrity chef and its first luxury hotelier, for whom the restaurant is named, met in Lucerne. Before going on to their triumphs at the Savoy in London and the Ritz in Paris, the two began their celebrated partnership at Lucerne’s Hotel National, where Ritz hired Escoffier to manage the kitchens.
The Ritzcoffier will immerse guests in the ambiance of a 19th century kitchen. The original fireplace from the Hotel National takes center stage. Copper pots inscribed by Escoffier hang from the ceiling, and blue and white tiles grace the walls. Schöpfer even had the presence of mind to buy the antique wooden doors of the National's original walk-in refrigerator.
In addition to the restaurant, the Salle Palace ballroom and its foyer provide 3,552 square feet for conferences or weddings with stunning lake views. Fourteen other meeting rooms are also equipped with the latest technology.
All 108 rooms and suites of the Palace Hotel are spacious with floor-to-ceiling windows offering magnificent views of Lake Lucerne and the Alps. Ranging from 312 to 419 square feet, the rooms are warm and inviting in contemporary style with soft colors of ivory and beige and oak lining the walls and floors. Marble baths have rain showers and all rooms have the latest in intuitive technology.
"In developing our vision for the Bürgenstock Resort, our philosophy has been 'the future has a past,'" explained Schöpfer. "Switzerland has stringent preservation laws and equally strict building codes. Every two weeks, we would meet with the planning authorities of the Canton and the commune as well as hold regular meetings with the executive council. We believe our guests will value the work and dedication that was involved in preserving our valuable architectural heritage," Schöpfer said.
