"Once upon a time" the Gstaad Palace

Grand opening of the ROYAL HOTEL, WINTER & GSTAAD PALACE, GSTAAD. Very modern for this period its 150 rooms already have 50 private bathrooms, the building has electrical lighting-system throughout and even 6 telephone booths.

The First World War brings hard times because of closed frontiers and only a few guests as customers.

The golden twenties for the GSTAAD PALACE; Times are good the hotel is very successful and becomes more and more popular.

After the Wall Street crash of 1929 the world-wide economic recession also hits Switzerland. The business is bad, there are only a few guests and very unfortunate for the Palace - they spend very little.

The share capital of the ROYAL HOTEL, WINTER & GSTAAD PALACE, GSTAAD company has to be reduced. Finances are rearranged.

Arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Scherz-Bezzola as managers of the hotel. They were Directors of the Hotel Carlton in St. Moritz before.

Second World War: Again closed frontiers, most men in the army, rationed food, only a few guests, many of them refugees in Switzerland. Mrs. Scherz cultivates the GSTAAD PALACE’s garden, raises poultry and manages the hotel almost alone as her husband is guarding the frontiers with the Swiss army.

The holders’ majority of GSTAAD PALACE shares is totally discouraged and decides to sell. Mr. Ernst Scherz is unable to meet the price within 24 hours; the shares are sold to a German industrialist who plans to turn the hotel into a home for sick or/and old factory workers. With the help of many friends and relations Mr. Scherz manages to buy the shares back from him.

Later, over the years Mr. Scherz gradually buys almost all other shares from holders who had never seen a dividend. The Scherz family starts improving the hotel with modest means and a lot of genius. Famous entertainers such as Maurice Chevalier, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald perform at gala evenings.

Over the years the entire hotel is refurbished, bathrooms are added, technical systems are modernized. Celebrities now often stay at the hotel and many of them buy Chalets or apartments in Gstaad later.

After managing the GSTAAD PALACE for 30 years Mr. and Mrs. Scherz-Bezzola feel that time has come for a change. They call their son Ernst Andrea and his wife Shiwa to come home and succeed them.

Ernst A. Scherz had made a typical Swiss hotel career: Hotel Management School of Lausanne and internships as waiter, cook, and receptionist in Europe’s top hotels, a short course at Cornell University followed by more practice at the Swiss State Hotel Bank and the Mövenpick Restaurant Company.
Before going home Mr. Scherz had worked for the Aga Khan at his Sardinia development on the Costa Smeralda, where he was responsible for commercializing 4 hotels.

Important additions to the GSTAAD PALACE open: a fabulous indoor-pool with artificial sunlight and underwater-music, a Night Club called “GreenGo” which will become very famous, as well as a fitness centre with saunas and massage rooms.

Opening of a condominium-building directly linked with the hotel called “La Résidence”. The building contains over 20 deluxe apartments serviced by the hotel and sometimes sublet by their owners.

Construction of a small house “Chalet Shiwa” for rental.

Opening of a new staff house “Chalet Marmite” containing 50 rooms all with private bath, telephone and color-TV, a staff kitchen and possibly the most attractive staff restaurant of Switzerland at that time.

Opening of “La Grande Terrasse” covered by the largest electrical canopy in Switzerland and also of a new meeting room “Salle Piero”.

Building of a staff house “Chalet Vapeur” away from the hotel, containing over 50 apartments in joint buildings of which the GSTAAD PALACE owns one with 15 apartments.

Hotel’s entrance side restructuring with a two-story underground garage of 80 parking spaces, an elegant hotel entrance, major enlargement of the kitchens, a new ski room & sports’ shop, an additional boutique and a new centralised room-service kitchen above the main kitchen linked to the floors by an additional freight elevator. Reorganisation of all storage areas and goods entrance.

Opening of the new Grand Ballroom and Conference room “Salle Baccarat” seating 250 guests for dining or 350 persons in theatre style.

After a long fight Shiwa Scherz loses her battle against cancer. She had been much loved, highly regarded and had contributed enormously to the success of the hotel. Besides her husband she leaves two grown up sons, Andrea and Thierry.

Ernst A. Scherz marries a Peruvian Rosa “Taty” Vasquez. In 1996 a new Scherz is born: Christopher Julian.

Construction of a new GSTAAD PALACE residence “Les Chalets du Palace”. This new complex is linked directly to the hotel, has its own underground garage and consists of a dozen luxury apartments - most of them sold, some of them for rent. The inhabitants of “Les Chalets du Palace” enjoy all the privileges of hotel guests and have the complete range of hotel services at their disposal.

After graduating from the Hotel Management School in Lausanne followed by various training periods and jobs in Switzerland as well as abroad, Andrea Scherz starts working in his father’s business as chef de reception.

Andrea Scherz and Laura Antoniades get married and Laura joins the management of the Gstaad Palace.

Ernst A. Scherz separates from his wife “Taty”. Andrea & Laura Scherz are the happy parents of a son: Alexandre.

Construction and opening of the spectacular PENTHOUSE SUITE on the roof of the hotel (3 bedrooms, living-dining room, kitchenette, panoramic terrace with jacuzzi and sauna in the tower).  
The General Manager Hansruedi Schaerer retires after 43 years of service at the GSTAAD PALACE. 

On January 1st Andrea Scherz is appointed as General Manager; in spring his wife gives birth to their second child, Sabrina.

Thierry Scherz graduates as a Bachelor in Law. Moreover, he is responsible for the “Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad” the new festival of classical music which takes place at the end of winter.
In 2002 he is elected to the board of Directors of the GSTAAD PALACE Company.  

After the immediate success of the Penthouse Suite, two more luxurious “Tower Suites” were built.  

The very popular Restaurant “La Fromagerie” has been equipped with a new kitchen and its capacity was increased.  

The 45 year old Bar, the Grill Room and “Sans Cravate” restaurants are transformed into a new Gastronomic centre of the hotel: A “Grill-Rotisserie” where chefs work with open fire, the so popular “Bar du Grill” for cocktails and lounged meals - still with live music for dancing, and also an Italian restaurant called “Gildo’s”. It is named after the GSTAAD PALACE's first Maitre d'Hôtel.

Thierry Scherz gets married to Martina Böhnisch in November.  

Martina and Thierry Scherz are the happy parents of their lovely twin daughters Emilie and Maxine born on June 12.

After a construction period of fifteen month the existing SPA is extended by 1300sqm. It features an authentic and luxurious décor, breathtaking views and all the facilities one can expect from a extraordinary wellness center.  

Together with this project an additional underground parking of 54 spaces, for the use of the employees, is built underneath the tennis courts.    

It is estimated that since the GSTAAD PALACE is owned by the Scherz family, approximately 90 million Swiss Francs have been spent on enlargements and improvements, in addition to normal maintenance and upkeep.