Christina Hoerger (pictured, at left) will end 32 years managing the Hotel Savoy Baur en Ville, located on Zurich’s Paradeplatz, at the end of the month, the Swiss tourism portal «travelnews.ch» reports.

In 1985 Christina Hoerger and her now deceased husband Manfred Hoerger (picture, right) took control of the Credit Suisse-owned five-star hotel, turning it into one of Switzerland’s most renowned addresses. Christina Hoerger will continue to sit on the hotel’s administrative board, and provide support to her successor.

Unexpected Comeback

The incoming director, Werner Knechtli (pictured below) is a familiar figure in the Swiss hotel industry. When he handed over the reins of the Radisson Blu Hotel at Zurich airport to Daniel Twerenbold in December 2015, there were no signs he would be returning to high-profile Swiss hotel management.

That however is now the case, and from September 1, Werner Knechtli will steer the course of the hotel, to which the gourmet restaurant Orsini also belongs.

Knechtli served as general manager at the Regent Grand Hotel Bordeaux as well as other top hotels in the Rezidor Hotel Group, ending his career there at the Radisson Blu. His most recent job was as owner’s representative and ambassador at the Kameha Grand Zürich, according to «travelnews.ch».

Constant Sale Rumours

There have been persistent rumours in Zurich financial circles that Credit Suisse could sell the Hotel Savoy Baur en Ville, as it did with other prestige establishments in the city center (Leuenhof, Griederhof, Metropol), as finews.com has reported in the past. Credit Suisse has always denied it plans to sell the hotel.