Agency on rental frenzy during WEF week: “Some chalets cost over a million francs”

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According to the local tourism authority, there are approximately 50 hotels, many holiday homes and second homes, and approximately 25,000 beds for visitors in Davos GR. This is far from sufficient for a world-class event like the World Economic Forum (WEF); although many participants spend the night in Klosters GR, Bad Ragaz SG or even Zurich.

Result: Prices rise rapidly during WEF week. “Prices have been rising for years because more and more providers want to take advantage of WEF,” explains Peter Zombori (52), whose company Premium Switzerland specializes in luxury property rentals.

There are many houses where he mediated specifically for the WEF period. For example, he was able to rent Tivoli Lodge for 500,000 francs during WEF week this year. In normal times, the weekly cost of a hostel is around 60,000 to 80,000 francs.

But it could be much more expensive: Bortji Mansion, with three chalets and accommodation for up to 42 people, sold for 1.25 million francs. Zombori had no part in this: “We used to do more business at WEF, but now there are more agencies in the ultra-luxury segment.”

Luxury booking without insurance

Of course, Zombori does not name the politicians, business leaders, princes or entertainment stars from whom he rents luxury chalets in Davos. However, even though he does his main job with these, the development of prices does not leave him indifferent. “Prices should be the subject of social debate,” she explains.

It’s hard to justify such price increases when billions of dollars disappear from the economy. “Even for a simple, small stay, one pays 1,000 francs per night,” says Zombori. Prices are increasing rapidly in luxury residences.

This leads to absurd situations: Some people rent a house in Davos for a year just because it’s cheaper than WEF week. The same situation can be observed in retail areas.

But what surprises Zombori the most is this: “We often receive inquiries from secretaries via the Internet, and the secretaries then pay the entire rent in advance online, including the deposit for the entire week.” So five or six figure sums. “This is very risky considering the many scam attempts on the internet,” says Zombori.

Everyone wants to benefit from WEF

The usual procedure for VVIPs is for their company to be recommended – for example, a responsible ambassador in Switzerland inquires about reputable providers through Swiss Tourism or other authorities. The property is then inspected before money is transferred.

This is important because some people also have special needs. Zombori was already able to rent chalets with panic rooms. “If you have a chalet like this, you can charge exorbitant prices,” says Zombori. He also knows of chalets in Davos equipped with security devices that go far beyond the panic room.

If there was no longer a WEF in Davos, there would be no need for this. But as long as Davos is the “center of the world” in January, everyone will want to make money on it. Zombori therefore cannot see the end of the price spiral yet.

Source :Blick