News & Specials–News

30 years of Hof Weissbad – under the same hotel management

When is the right time to end a formative phase in a company and in your life? This is the question Damaris and Christian Lienhard, the two hosts at the successful Hotel Hof Weissbad, have to ask themselves. For 30 years, from 1994 to 2024, the two have devoted themselves with passion and enviable dedication to running the hotel in Weissbad, just behind Appenzell. Next year, they will end their joint venture in hotel management. Not to retire, but to make way for the younger generation and to be able to focus on new challenges.

Christian Lienhard earned his spurs at a young age as a project manager during the construction of the legendary Hotel Giardino in Ascona. As deputy director to Hans C. Leu, he experienced first-hand how to build a hotel from scratch at the Giardino. This was something that would later prove to be a great advantage for him at the Hof Weissbad. It was also at the Giardino that he met his future wife, Damaris. Their life together took them from Gstaad to Appenzell, where, as a young couple, they took over responsibility for the new Hotel Hof Weissbad in 1994.

After a difficult start...

The start was anything but easy. When the two began building the $32 million Hof Weissbad project, there was a great deal of public skepticism after the previous spa hotel had been closed for 20 years. For most people, running a year-round business practically at the end of the world was almost unimaginable.

... quickly to lasting success

With hard work, expertise, and unwavering perseverance, they achieved a miracle that locals and critical experts at the time thought was almost impossible. The hotel was in the black by its third year. After only five years, occupancy was consistently at a record high for Switzerland of over 90 percent.

Impressive success figures

Hof Weissbad remains an economically stable hotel business to this day. Much has changed – and improved – since it first opened. A total of CHF 100 million has been invested to make the hotel one of the best in the country. The new spa, the latest addition to the hotel, has just opened following an investment of CHF 10 million. Now, the couple are delighted that the resort, with its 222 employees, is finally complete.

Awards and prizes

The business successes were soon followed by awards. Nine years ago, Christian and Damaris were named "Hoteliers of the Year" in the Sonntagszeitung newspaper. The couple were also delighted to be voted "Employer of the Year" four times and "Friendliest Hotel of the Year" once. Because more than 250 apprentices were trained during these successful 30 years, this achievement also earned them the "Hans Huber Foundation Award" for their commitment to dual vocational training.

A matter close to the heart

Hotelier couple Christian and Damaris Lienhard have decided to pass on the reins at Hof Weissbad in summer 2024. They can look back with pride on what they have achieved together over the past 30 years. There will certainly be some sadness too. Thirty years of dedication to the same hotel and its regular guests has led to many friendships and lasting memories. "No two days were the same; every day brought new and exciting encounters with guests, employees, and locals. That is the best reward for working as a hotelier," Damaris and Christian Lienhard emphasize in retrospect.

The success story of the Hotel Hof Weissbad will continue under new management. The course for this is currently being set. Fortunately, both long-standing deputies, Roberto Wittwer and Christian Huber, will remain with the Hof Weissbad company.

The future will tell...

Christian Lienhard will continue to support Hof Weissbad as a member of the board of directors, contributing his wealth of experience in strategic matters.

He is already working part-time in the Ticino restaurant empire of the recently deceased Fred Feldpausch. As Chairman of the Board of Directors, he supports the CEO there. The recently acquired Hotel Mulino in Ascona was renovated last winter and is to be merged with the three existing restaurants. The new concept for the Hotel Mulino, which will reopen in March 2024 under the name "Ascona Lodge," is sure to be exciting. The restaurant on the ground floor will be transformed into a living room with a library, fireplace, trust bar, and workspace. Guests will feel right at home and can enjoy breakfast in their own kitchen.

As a member of the board of directors of Schweizerische Bodensee-Schifffahrt AG, Christian Lienhard is also involved in the planning of a 3-star hotel directly in the harbor of Romanshorn.

Damaris Lienhard is looking forward to a longer summer break and is not yet revealing her plans. She will be looking around for one or two exciting projects. She recently completed further training as a team and health coach at the Coach Academy Switzerland (CAS).