ON the eve of the hotel’s 50th anniversary, general manager Jurgen Baumhoff proudly shows off an album of monotone pictures of guests at the InterContinental Genève. Among them are civil rights activist Martin Luther King, South African president Nelson Mandela, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan meeting with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
A stone’s throw from the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, the InterContinental Genève has been around since 1964 hosting heads of state and holding conferences that define the course of history. “The late Sheikh Zayed used to stay at InterContinental Genève every year for many years. His stay with the hotel would last for at least one to two months and he would come with a big group of people. He virtually took over the hotel during his stays, as you can image,” Baumhoff tells Arabian Knight on a whirlwind visit to the UAE. “Our royal suite was like his home in Geneva.” The InterContinental Genève has 16 meeting and event spaces, two dining venues, a bar, The Clarins Institute & Day Spa, a 24-hour fitness facility, and 333 intimate guest rooms, including 49 elegantly furnished suites and three handsomely appointed residences after a $120 million renovation that was completed in phases in July last year. The renovation, Baumhoff tells us, has not been able to touch the façade because it is protected by the Swiss government. “All public areas, rooms and suites, however, everything inside the hotel has been refurbished. And it has been done by a very well-known New York designer called Tony Chi, whose task has been to contemporise the hotel based on modern luxury lifestyle, while holding on to some traditional Swiss elements.”A selection of three stately accommodations in the hotel, The Residences are inspired by the opulent palaces of the past and dedicated to the leaders of tomorrow. The Diplomatic Residence, Presidential Residence and The Residence, each couple the privacy and innovation of a home, with the exclusive and friendly services expected at a worldwide luxury hotel. They afford panoramic views of Lake Geneva, the Jura Mountains and the Mont Blanc.
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Baumhoff … it is important to connect with guests |
The Diplomatic Residence consists of a master bedroom, separate living room and dining area, master dressing chamber, master marble bathroom, rain shower and tub room, powder room, study, two guest powder rooms, and pantry. The Presidential Residence is made up of two master bedrooms, two connecting Diplomatic Residences holding two dining rooms, two living spaces, master dressing chamber, two master marble bathrooms, rain shower and tub room, powder room, study, two guest powder rooms, and pantry. The Residence sits on the top floor of the existing hotel boasting 360 degree views of Geneva City and the surrounding dramatic landscape. Back in the day, The Residences would be booked out for long periods of the year by the Saudi Royal family and the ruling family of the UAE, including other scions of Middle Eastern royalties. Today it continues to host an institution of guests that shape the future of the world while immersed in the tradition of service excellence perfected by the InterContinental Genève.The Residence composes of East and West wings, two master bedrooms and nine additional light filled rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, including a grand salon, library, gallery, private lift, a kitchen fully equipped with John Pawson Demeyere cookware, a bar adorned with accessories by Ralph Lauren, and a personal butler named Olivier. The menu comes as a blank page as it all comes down to whatever the guest desires. The East wing encompasses a living and dining room, master bedroom, tub room, guest powder room, massage room, hamman, dressing chamber, vestibule chamber and pantry. The West Wing includes an additional fitness room and sauna. Baumhoff has recently celebrated his first anniversary as general manager of the iconic IHG property and is already full of anecdotes about important conferences and guests, the heady excitement of being party to news before the media swarms the lobby and satisfying politicians who don’t wish to bump into each other in the corridors in their pyjamas at midnight. The hotel’s connections with the Middle East run deeper than the patronage of heads of state – regional conferences are held here and disputes discussed, like the Iran conference of November last year. This makes Baumhoff’s responsibilities as a general manager so much more than that of the average hotel manager. “We cannot forget that at the heart of the whole thing really is hospitality,” smiles Baumhoff. There are local and regional businesspeople living at the hotel apart from the political celebrity and families with children frolick about the pool area or surrounding greenery. The InterContinental Genève is swarming with guests in the summer months, where it reaches the highs of 90 per cent occupancy, with many Arab families choosing to observe Ramadan in its opulent accommodations. “You cannot compare our occupancy with Dubai. I wish we would have the kind of occupancy Dubai has. In Europe obviously the traditional cities for tourism are London and Europe. They do very well because they have the market, but the moment you go out, the occupancy is only around 60-65 per cent. We come from a base like that and I am trying to beat those figures with little bit of luck and success in 2014.”An avid golfer, Baumhoff has a special connection with the Middle East having worked in various properties across different portfolios. Despite their busy schedules, he and his artist wife like to travel together as a couple and be inspired, discover new villages and explore the world.
By Rashi Sen
