New York, USA, 2023-Apr-4 — /Travel PR News/ — The board of Swiss Deluxe Hotels, an organization of 39 of the most exclusive 5-star hotels in Switzerland, has appointed Nathalie Seiler-Hayez as its new Managing Director. She succeeds Jan E. Brucker, who will step down at the next General Meeting in Interlaken on June 26, 2023.
Nathalie Seiler-Hayez managed the historic Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne for seven years. A graduate of the EHL Hospitality Business School, she began her career at the Hôtel Lutetia in Paris in Sales & Marketing. She then relocated to New York and worked for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. On her return to Europe, she was appointed General Manager of the Radisson Blu Champs Elysées Hotel and supervised the opening of the InterContinental Bordeaux – Le Grand Hotel in 2007. In 2010, Nathalie Seiler-Hayez assumed the running of the renowned Connaught in London.
“I feel very connected to this wonderful association, which does so much to promote the luxury hotel sector in Switzerland and provide hoteliers with solutions in a rapidly changing world,” says Nathalie Seiler-Hayez.
“It is a great pleasure and an honor to have found in Nathalie Seiler-Hayez a Managing Director with a proven track record, who brings the experience from the international luxury hotel industry and at the same time knows the needs and demands of the members of Swiss Deluxe Hotels,” says Michael Smithuis, President of Swiss Deluxe Hotels and General Manager of the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace in Montreux. “Maintaining the amicable and collegial atmosphere among the members – what we call the Amicale – is a key element of our association, and hence one of the priorities of Nathalie Seiler-Hayez as the incoming Managing Director.”
As current Managing Director, Jan E. Brucker has been responsible for the business of Swiss Deluxe Hotels for three years, having served as the association’s President for 10 years and Vice President for three years. He was also the face of the Widder Hotel in Zurich for 19 years as General Manager. He will now devote himself to various projects with his company Brucker Hospitality Consulting.
Evelyn Gorgos, Head of Corporate Communications and Media Relations will remain with the association to ensure continuity for the various external relations and the large partner network.
About Swiss Deluxe Hotels: The Swiss Deluxe Hotels association (SDH) was founded in 1934 and comprises 39 of the most renowned 5-star hotels in Switzerland such as The Dolder Grand and the Baur au Lac in Zurich, the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken, the Gstaad Palace, the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, 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 all embody the prestige of the Swiss luxury hospitality sector, to which they have contributed so successfully for almost two centuries. With a total of 4,100 rooms and suites and some 8,200 beds, the SDH’s membership accounts for more than 40% of Switzerland’s 5-star capacity. The SDH is thus the most important association in this segment and has for decades assumed a leading role in Switzerland’s luxury hospitality. The name Swiss Deluxe Hotels stands for exclusive quality and the highest standards. The personal service is unique: over 8,000 employees ensure the well-being of a clientele accustomed to service luxury. In 2021, the group recorded around 1,038,335 overnight stays, while annual sales in 2020 totaled around CHF 1.38 billion. https://www.swissdeluxehotels.com/en
The figures are based in part on extrapolations of the entire group of 39 Swiss Deluxe Hotels in 2021.