Katara hospitality to set global benchmark with Swiss resorts opening

The opening of the $1bn Bürgenstock Resort, Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, by the end of this month will set a new global hospitality benchmark for Katara Hospitality, Qatar’s leading global hotel owner, developer and operator.

The car-free resort, which is part of Bürgenstock Selection headquartered in Zug Switzerland, comprises four three to five-star superior hotels with 383 rooms and suites, a health and medical centre, 12 bars and restaurants, 67 residence suites, a 10,000sqm Alpine spa and a wide range of leisure pursuits.According to Katara Hospitality, the Bürgenstock Selection portfolio consists of the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, the Schweizerhof Hotel & Spa in Bern (99 rooms), and the Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa in Lausanne (196 rooms). Bürgenstock Selection invested a total of 1bn Swiss francs in the region.Following nine years of planning and construction, the complex construction work on the main part of the kilometer-plus long resort will be completed on August 28, in addition to the restoration of the resort’s 30-heritage protected and repurposed buildings.“Reservation enquiries regarding residential events and conferences have been robust for months, and there is a great deal of interest in the Residence Suites,” Katara Hospitality said in a statement.The Taverne 1879, Blockhaus, Spycher, the 9-hole golf course, Hammetschwand Lift and the Cliff Path have been operating for some time while Waldhotel – Health and Medical Excellence will open this fall season. However, the grand opening of the new Bürgenstock Resort will take place in spring 2018. The recruitment process for the resort is in full swing with more than 200 staff already under contract and hiring process is underway. The Bürgenstock Resort officials expressed confidence that they will have 400 employees by the time it opens. It aims to hire around 800 people once fully operational.Katara Hospitality said public transport links will also commence operations on August 28. The Lucerne – Kehrsiten-Bürgenstock shuttle boat service and the completely rebuilt vintagelook Bürgenstock Railway, which takes guests and visitors into the heart of the resort, will provide a direct and highly entertaining link between the city and the resort. The train will operate every 90 minutes between the early morning and midnight. A brand-new shuttle boat will come into service in spring 2018 to coincide with the Bürgenstock Resort’s grand opening, which will run every hour between the resort and Lucerne.With its environmental-friendly approaches to energy generation, construction and logistics, the resort's sustainability concept represents a landmark in ecological thinking. A study by BAK Basel Economics has indicated the Bürgenstock Resort's immense value creating potential: once the resort is fully up and running, it could be contributing some CHF140mn to the Central Swiss economy in terms of gross value creation (resort: 100mn, suppliers: 40mn). It is creating a total of 1100 direct and indirect jobs, making it the second-largest employer in Canton Nidwalden.