Swiss Deluxe Hotels brings together 43 of Switzerland's leading five-star hotels. With its positioning as a high-end hospitality brand, the association aims to combine excellence, Swiss quality and international appeal. The demands on communication work in an increasingly competitive environment are correspondingly high.

Contcept Communication is responsible for strategic and operational media relations for German-speaking Switzerland - with a focus on relevant specialist and business reporting as well as targeted storylines relating to the hotel industry, luxury, cuisine and Swiss tourism trends.

AMP Communication has a strong foothold in the media landscape of French-speaking Switzerland and will expand the presence of Swiss Deluxe Hotels there in a targeted manner. 

"The collaboration with Contcept Communication and AMP Communication gives us the opportunity to make our media presence in both language regions even sharper, more differentiated and more effective," says Nathalie Seiler-Hayez, Managing Director of Swiss Deluxe Hotels.

Both agencies will work closely together to ensure a consistent and high-quality positioning of Swiss Deluxe Hotels in the national media space.

43 five-star hotels included

The Swiss Deluxe Hotels (SDH) association was founded in 1934 and brings together 43 of the most renowned 5-star hotels in Switzerland, such as The Dolder Grand or the Baur au Lac in Zurich, the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken, the Gstaad Palace, the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, the Badrutt's Palace Hotel and the Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz, the Castello del Sole in Ascona and the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois in Basel. They have all been shaping the reputation of the Swiss luxury hotel industry for almost two centuries. With a total of 4300 rooms and suites and around 8600 beds, the group represents more than 40% of Switzerland's 5-star hotel capacity. In 2024, turnover amounted to around CHF 1.52 billion.

The new claim: "Reach for the right stars". Under the project management of Nicoletta Müller, Innovation, Sales & Marketing, who also manages the office, the new website was created, developed by Design Studio Soda. The website allows for easy and quick navigation, from which those responsible hope to achieve even greater awareness and visibility of the hotels.

More and more guests are booking overnight stays via the hotel's own website. This is shown by the latest distribution channel study by Hotellerie Suisse in collaboration with the Institute of Tourism at the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland Valais (HES-SO Valais-Wallis). The digitization trend among Swiss accommodation providers, which was accelerated by the Covid crisis, is thus continuing. At the same time, the market power of the large online booking platforms (OTA) remains high, so that they continue to exert pressure on the accommodation businesses.

The reason: In Switzerland, any parity clauses have been banned since December 1, 2022. Since then, businesses have been free to offer lower prices and further discounts on their own digital channels. Since then, more than half of the businesses differentiate prices individually across all channels. Thanks to the increased use of so-called channel managers, this is also technically possible. This is booking software that automatically compares and updates data with other channels.

Overall, guests booked around 60 percent of overnight stays via direct booking channels - whether online or offline - last year. This is a slight downward correction on the peak level of the crisis year 2021 (63 %). This can be explained by the fact that after the crisis, proportionally more foreign guests are visiting Switzerland again, who book directly less often than Swiss guests.

Market power of OTAs remains high

In terms of digital bookings, OTAs continue to hold by far the largest share (around 56 percent of digital bookings). Overall, OTAs generate 27 percent of all overnight stays in Swiss accommodation, with Booking Holding alone covering 75 percent of the OTA market and thus holding a virtual monopoly position. Around half of the establishments surveyed state that they only accept the terms and conditions of the online booking platforms because they have a great deal of market power. Problematic points are, for example, aggressive discount programs of the OTAs with customer loyalty programs such as the Genius discount at booking.com. Although businesses are free to participate in such programs, they are in fact forced to do so, as non-participation often results in downgrades in the ranking.

Digitally fitter and fitter on the move

The digitization push - triggered by the pandemic - continues. For example, 55.3 percent (+1.4 percentage points compared with 2021) of establishments now use an interface to metasearch engines (e.g. Google Ads, Trivago, Tripadvisor, etc.) by means of a permanent link to the hotel's own booking system. In 2022, 77 percent of establishments were already using an Internet booking engine, i.e., software that allows guests to make bookings in real time on the hotel's own website. This represents an increase of almost 10 percentage points (2021: 69.9 %). Digital solutions are also gaining ground in payment. For example, more and more guests are paying with their smartphones. Here, the Twint payment system is the most popular. Payments via debit or credit card are also increasing, while cash payments are decreasing.

The entire study is available here.

The new Elevator ePanels (32 inch, full HD, portrait format) enable local and national advertisers to dynamically display content in hotel elevators in tourism and mountain regions. The screens can be booked specifically and to the target group and embedded in the customer journey as part of the APG|SGA offer in the mountains. After the initial commissioning of around 150 new screens, the network will be continuously expanded and further developed.

With "unique and creative experiences around food and drink," the campaign aims to build a bridge to culture, indulgence and social change. Starting in September 2022, it will run worldwide in Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts under the motto "Indulgence done right". The idea is to indulge yourself and others - but without a guilty conscience.

When vacationers enjoy, they do so thoughtfully and properly. The campaign focuses on authenticity, a playful component, and food as a link to having a good time with others. The aim of the campaign is to position Mövenpick more strongly in the premium segment and reach a younger, pleasure-oriented target group. In addition to the on-site guest experience, digital campaigns via social media are planned. In the Middle East, Mövenpick is focusing on a cooperation in the form of a dinner series with French pâtissier Eric Lanlard.

Consumer study as a basis

A current consumer study serves as the basis for Mövenpick's new campaign. The topic: How do travelers worldwide describe luxury. Time to relax and enjoy themselves was the general consensus. The data and results show that consumers are increasingly looking for unique experiences and are consciously seeking ways to combine health and wellness with the pleasure of good food without compromise. This is also at the core of the Mövenpick philosophy and the Hotels to Indulge campaign. The focus is on a link back to chocolate and a playful visual language, as well as guest experiences involving local gastronomy. Mövenpick aims to evaluate its brand awareness, expand its positioning in the premium segment, improve relevance among its core and younger target groups, and increase guest engagement through simple, authentic experiences - a dining brand that brings people together and stirs emotions.

"Hotels to Indulge will inspire travelers to visit Mövenpick hotels and enjoy their stay, as indulgence is at the forefront and guests will encounter it again and again while at the hotel - from the daily Chocolate Hour at Mövenpick hotels to the brand's initiatives to preserve our environment. The campaign is a heartfelt invitation to our guests to satisfy their appetite for love, connection, curiosity and pure life when staying with us," said Alexander Schellenberger, chief brand officer of parent company Accor. Mövenpick founding father Ueli Prager knew back in 1948 that simple and authentic experiences are the ingredients of the recipe for success: "We don't do anything extraordinary. We are successful because we do ordinary things in an extraordinary way."

Use of the "Cake-Boy

In the Middle East, guests can enjoy exclusive delicacies created by renowned pastry chef Eric Lanlard, aka "Cake-Boy. In the United Arab Emirates, for example, Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island is inviting food influencers and content creators to an indulgence weekend with Eric Lanlard, where they will participate in chocolate masterclasses, sweet experiences and a dinner. A similar series of events is planned in eastern target markets. A Mövenpick Chocolate Hour, developed exclusively by Lanlard for the campaign, will be offered at 15 of the brand's hotels in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey.

After five successful years, Tiziano Pelli will remain active as a member of the Executive Board and a member of the Board of Directors and will devote more time to his projects and strategic development.

Chantal Cartier, a 39-year-old from Zug, previously worked as a partner at the consulting agency and is the internal specialist in the areas of hospitality, gastronomy and the hotel industry.

"I am delighted about this new task. After a successful start-up phase, the agency must now be led into the future. After all, the environment in which our clients operate is currently highly volatile and we have to be correspondingly agile," says Cartier. Three years after taking up her post at Schmid Pelli & Partner, she replaces 44-year-old Tiziano Pelli, who has been responsible for agency management since the company was founded. Pelli will hand over the reins as planned after five years of successful leadership in order to devote more time to his client projects and the strategic development of the agency. "A change in leadership questions existing things and brings new ideas back into the agency," comments Pelli. He will also remain active as a member of the management team and the board.

A graduate of the renowned Ecole hotelière de Lausanne with an Executive MBA from the University of St.Gallen/Rotmann School of Management in Toronto, Cartier launched her career at Hyatt International in Zurich and subsequently worked for over 10 years in various functions at Switzerland Tourism in Zurich. For many years, she was significantly responsible for the development and strategic direction of Switzerland Tourism's hotel marketing. Since 2017, she also headed the global city marketing before joining Schmid Pelli & Partner on September 1, 2019.

A tribute to Nathalie Seiler-Hayez

The large and magnificent resort belongs to the "Sandoz Foundation" and has been managed by Nathalie Seiler-Hayez for seven years. A world-class general manager, she has successfully managed the "Lutétia" in Paris, the "Grand Hotel de Bordeaux" and, above all, the famous "Sandoz".

"Connaught" in London before taking over the "Beau-Rivage Palace" in Lausanne. An eighth year will not be added: Nathalie Seiler-Hayez will hand over the hotel to her previous deputy Benjamin Chemoul on December 31. GaultMillau Editor-in-Chief Urs Heller: "The "Hotel of the Year" award is also a tribute to the boss: Nathalie has led the resort with heart, style, charm and the highest degree of professionalism. She has gently changed the DNA of the hotel: The Beau-Rivage is not only a business hotel, but also a first-class leisure address, thanks to its generous spa and wide range of restaurants."

Madame Pic's love for Lausanne

Culinary epicenter in the huge house: The "Restaurant Anne-Sophie Pic". Madame Pic is France's first and only three-star chef, has already been voted "Best Female Chef," and runs restaurants all over the world from her famous headquarters in Valence. Her love for the "Beau-Rivage Palace" in Lausanne is particularly strong. She has been cooking here since 2009, and she does the "full program"; in other cities, she appears with a simpler concept ("La Dame de Pic"). Madame Anne-Sophie is not always in the huge kitchen in the "belly" of the hotel, accessible by escalators, but she always sends top chefs to Switzerland. Right now, Kévin Vaubourg is cooking, for 18 points and two stars. On the menu, a dish that's a touching tribute to her famous father Jacques: sea bass from the Ile d'Yeu, with 30 grams of caviar. Executive chef is the well-traveled Frenchman Thierry Buffeteau.

Spoilt for choice: "Café Beau Rivage", "L'Accademia", "Miyako", "57°".

It doesn't always have to be pic & caviar: At the "Café Beau-Rivage," for example, classic brasserie cuisine is the order of the day. "Tout Lausanne" frequents this place, because the "Café" with its spacious terrace is not "only" a hotel restaurant, but also a meeting place for the locals. Right next door, the "Miyako" serves sushi, sashimi and much more from Japan (13 points). Italian cuisine is the order of the day at "L'Accademia" in the nearby Hotel Angleterre, which also belongs to the Fondation Sandoz. "The best Italian in town," praise the GaultMillau testers (14 points). The "57°" in the likewise fantastically located Château d'Ouchy is a first-class grill restaurant (13 points).

Magic "Beau-Rivage" wing

The most beautiful rooms in the resort are located in the "Beau-Rivage" wing. The historic building was completely remodeled over years of work. The Parisian star architect Pierre-Yves Rochon designed the 63 rooms and seven suites, which are arranged around an impressive inner courtyard, with great respect and his sense of color. Each room is individually designed. Rates start at CHF 600. The grandiose Impérial, Royal, and Malmaison suites cost 15,000 CHF per night. The virtuoso new spa is also impressive: "Spa Cinq Mondes" on 1'500m2, modern gym with lake view, yoga and meditation studio, two large pools, indoor and outdoor in the fantastic park.

Carl F. Bucherer watch for the boss

GaultMillau and Carl F. Bucherer celebrated the grandiose resort and its 380 employees with a party in the park. The resort's chefs set up their food stations and spoiled the guests, among them many previous award winners. Title sponsor Carl F. Bucherer did not travel to Lausanne empty-handed. In his luggage was a large watch for the hotel and an exclusive watch for General Manager Nathalie Seiler-Hayez. Engraving on the timepiece: "Hotel of the Year 2023.