Andrea Scherz has been chairman of the board of directors of the globally active Leading Hotels of the World since the New Year. This is the second time that the prestigious office is in the hands of the Scherz family.

Leading Hotels of the World counts 400 hotels in 73 countries. Among them are the Park Gstaad and the Gstaad Palace. Traditionally, the chairman is Swiss, preferably a hotel owner of an independent family business. Andrea Scherz of the Gstaad Palace meets all these requirements, of course. He took over the office at the turn of the year. “It is a great honour to lead this prestigious organisation,” said the 52-year-old. He took over from Baurau-Lac owner Andrea Kracht. From 1974 to 1989, Andrea Scherz’s father Ernst Scherz was at the helm of the association of the world’s best hotels, which has been around for 94 years.

Overwhelmed as a teenager
Andrea Scherz got to know Leading Hotels of the World as a 14-year-old. His father, then chairman himself, took his family to New York, where the offices are located. It was Andrea’s first visit to the Big Apple. He remembers a meeting in the impressively furnished office. There were computers, projectors and screens. In the eighties, when overhead projectors and slide projectors were among the technical highlights of most schoolrooms and conference rooms, the computers and projectors were a glimpse into the future for the young Scherz: “I felt like I was on an alien planet.”

He was also impressed by the reservation centre with 50 workstations, where the telephones rang incessantly. His father helped introduce the computer age, Andrea Scherz pointed out. Under his aegis, the global distribution system was introduced, which digitally connects travel agencies and hotels.

Expensive but effective
Partners of Leading Hotels of the World have to dig deep into their pockets. The basic rate per hotel room is around CHF 1,500. “The Gstaad Palace pays around CHF 160,000 membership per year,” Scherz said. In addition, further services can be booked. In return, Leading Hotels of the World guarantees a tenfold increase in reservation turnover. “I like to compare the fees with a booking fee as we pay to other partners,” said Scherz, “similar to the booking fees on a hotel platform like booking.com.”

There are more advantages to being a member. The quality seal of Leading Hotels of the World is crucial. Moreover, the network with colleagues all over the world is central. One can exchange ideas, have professional discussions during a visit and cultivate friendships. Another positive aspect is the services, such as the covid protection concept, the loyalty programme, and staff trainings. Of course, access to all travel agents around the world is guaranteed so that each individual hotel can easily take sales measures.

High quality standards
It is unlikely that other hotels from the Saanenland will be included in the close-knit Leading Hotels of the World circle alongside the Park Gstaad and the Gstaad Palace. “We want to continue to raise the quality of the hotels, which is why we deliberately have more departures than arrivals at the moment,” said Andrea Scherz. And the rules are tough. Mystery guests check the quality on a regular basis. If a hotel does not meet the requirements, they get kicked out.

It is not all that serious, though. The image film to celebrate the handover displays a more humorous side. Andrea Scherz takes over the helm from Andrea Kracht on a ship on a Swiss lake, all with a wink, because even the late Ernst Scherz greets cheerfully from a picture frame – most simpatico.

BASED ON AVS/BLANCA BURRI