Luxury hotelier Andrea Scherz: Insights into the world of the super-rich at the “Palace” in Gstaad

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Andrea Scherz (54) is the third generation to run the “Palace” in Gstaad and in an interview with NZZ in the middle of high season, she chats about her guests’ wishes and what true luxury tourism is. And it explains why the hotel is still family-owned today. This is also because his father did not pressure him to take over the hotel.

On the contrary: Andrea Scherz managed to advance in the hotel industry and take on the big task when she was ready. “I’m happy to be here today. “This house has been there day and night since my childhood,” says Scherz. The sale of the luxury icon above the Gstaad BE was never discussed, even Michael Jackson (1958 – 2009) rejected it. “My father told him about it,” says Scherz. “He said it wasn’t relevant,” he recalls.

Busy tempo in the luxury temple

What exactly is a luxury hotel? «Comfort should be at the same level as the comfort of the guest at home. “Also, our guests naturally want their favorite table, their favorite waiter, their favorite room,” says Scherz. In the past, guests’ preferences were stored on index cards, but for data protection reasons this is no longer possible today. The index cards read: “He is an alcoholic.” Or: “Attention: in January she is Mr. Meier’s mistress, in summer his wife.”

Nowadays, everything has to move much faster than before, and luxury guests have become more impatient. For example, one woman immediately wanted a Christmas tree decorated with silver stars and white balls for her suite. “Some people think they and their needs are the only ones in this world,” Scherz says.

However: The guest’s request is the hotelier’s order. So if the guest’s dog isn’t used to walking in the snow, a grass mat is quickly installed in the shower. Or lay a new floor. “Once we had to raise the floor of the suite by thirty centimeters for a guest from America. “He thought he couldn’t see out of the windows very well,” says Scherz in an interview with NZZ. «Our carpentry team delivered Harassen, laid a new floor and carpeted it. We had to pull the electrical outlets. That’s how he got his upgraded flat.” Of course, not everything was free and the guest was charged full price.

Tilting opens doors

In Switzerland, the rich feel comfortable and, above all, safe: “We have foreign guests who leave their watches and jewelery in a safe in Gstaad and wear them with us for these two or three weeks. “Great!” excites Scherz. The super-rich abroad Many avoid wearing jewelry for safety reasons.

In the world of the super-rich, better service can be bought with friendliness or a big tip, even if all guests are “officially” treated equally. «If our waiters know that you will pass fifty every time, you can be sure of getting a good table. This is a human being and we cannot control him. “We still have many guests who know how important tipping is,” the host of “Palace” said.

By the way: The movie “Return of the Pink Panther” gives an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhat the lives of the beautiful and rich were like in the 1970s. In the work of Blake Edwards (1922 – 2010), Peter Sellers (1925 – 1980) plays the main role as the extremely stupid Inspector Clouseau. Many stars attended the world premiere on the “Palace” terrace: Liz Taylor (1932 – 2011), Richard Burton (1925 – 1984) and Curd Jürgens (1915 – 1982) watched the film in its original setting.

Source :Blick