Episode 1: Now What? – How One Hotel Handled Its Closure

Date Published: April 15, 2020

Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort Lake Lucerne closed its doors due to the COVID-19 crisis. Now what?

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Unconstrained Conversations podcast. In this episode, IDeaS’ chief evangelist Klaus Kohlmayr speaks with Robert Herr, general manager of Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort Lake Lucerne. Set in a breathtaking mountain landscape, Bürgenstock’s destination resort consists of three hotels, a healthy living and medical center, significant meeting space and a number of other facilities perched 500 meters above Lake Lucerne, Switzerland.

Like so many hoteliers over the last few weeks, Robert had to make extremely difficult decisions for his business. He talks about his team’s decision to close two of their properties prior to government mandates and the necessary discussions with owners and investors. Other topics Klaus and Robert discuss in this episode include:

• The handling of cancellations as well as updates to their terms and conditions
• Thoughts about recovery and the future of travel
• Changes in future travel and hospitality trends
• Ways hospitality might have to adapt in a post-pandemic conscious society
• The importance of HR teams and clear communication

Thanks for listening! Please be sure to share with colleagues in the travel and hospitality space who may find this episode useful.