Type Subsidiary Area served International Founded 1980 | Industry Hospitality Products Hotels Headquarters Kloten, Switzerland | |
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Key people Meinhard Huck, President
Juerg Siegenthaler, Vice President Marketing and Sales
Pierre Botteron, Vice President Human Resources
Lilian Roten, Vice President Operations Parent organizations FRHI Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, SAirGroup AG Profiles | ||
Swissôtel Hotels and Resorts, more normally simply known as Swissôtel, is a group of hotels pitched at the higher end of the hotel market. The chain currently includes 37 properties in 17 countries. The corporate offices for Swissôtel are located in the Prioria Business Center on the property of Zurich Airport, Kloten, Switzerland, near Zurich. and the company is headed by President, Meinhard Huck.
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Corporate history
Swissôtel was founded in 1980 as a joint venture between the Swissair and Nestlé groups with its headquarters in the Swiss city of Zurich. Initially hotels were operated in Berne, New York City, Geneva and Zurich. In 1990, the hotel group became a fully owned subsidiary of the Swissair group and in 1996 its head office moved from Zurich to New York.
In 2001, with the parent airline in the serious financial difficulties that eventually lead to its demise, Swissôtel was sold to Raffles Holdings Limited, the owners of the famous Raffles Hotel in Singapore. In July 2005, Colony Capital, a private international investment firm, acquired Raffles International Limited, the company that by this stage owned both Raffles and Swissôtel brands.
In May 2006, Colony Capital, together with Kingdom Hotels International, acquired Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. With the completion of the transaction, the Fairmont and Raffles International portfolios were combined, transforming the companies into a global hotel leader headquartered in Toronto called Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, with 120 hotels in 23 countries under three brands – Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel.
After the transaction, the corporate office of Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts moved back to Zurich, where it was headed by President, Mr Meinhard Huck, who retired in 2013. Ms Lilian Roten was appointed Vice President Swissôtel Brand in November 2013.
Corporate responsibility
Swissôtel has a high profile approach to corporate social responsibility, which concentrates on charities who help underprivileged children around the world. The company has formed a link with SOS Children's Villages for which it organises fundraising events such as an annual summer party in Zürich. The company has supported particular projects including that in Lavrovo, Oryol, Russia.