URI, Switzerland — Alain Bachmann, a Swiss native whose resumé includes management stints at some of the world’s finest hotels, has been engaged as general manager of GHM’s forthcoming debut, The Chedi Andermatt.
Scheduled for a Winter 2013 opening, GHM’s ambitious new hotel is the centrepiece of the Andermatt Swiss Alps project, the largest integrated year-round holiday destination currently under development in the canton of Uri, Switzerland.
Bachmann starts work in September.
“With The Chedi Andermatt, we’re focused on delivering the quintessential Swiss experience — an experience that pays due homage to the past but at the same time cultivates a cool, contemporary atmosphere,” said GHM President Hans R. Jenni, himself a Swiss native. “Nationality isn’t the primary driver in our selection of a GM, but with Alain Bachmann, we have, in fact, increased our investment in the ‘Swiss-ness’ of The Chedi Andermatt."
After years abroad, honing his management skills at the Peninsula Chicago, the Mandarin Oriental Washington D.C. and the Ritz-Carlton Moscow, Bachmann returned to his Swiss roots with a three-year management role at the Grand Hotel Park in Gstaad, one of the top hotels in Switzerland.
He launched his professional life in the 1980s in banking before moving into the world of marketing and then on to hospitality in the mid-’90s. His education includes studies at both the Cornell Hotel Management School in the United States and Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Switzerland.
“It is an honour for me to be a part of this milestone for GHM, as well as the hospitality landscape in Switzerland. The Chedi Andermatt will not only raise the profile of the destination, but also up the ante for the standards for luxury,” said Bachmann.
At The Chedi Andermatt, Bachmann takes charge of GHM’s first Alpine resort and the latest design by renowned architect Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston International Architects and Planners Ltd. The 106-room hotel features two gourmet restaurants, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a unique spa and wellness centre and one of Switzerland’s most compelling ski experiences.
