The Dolder Grand Magazine – December 2014

No. 2 — December 2014

MAGAZINEThe Dolder Grand

SPECIAL: BUTLERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

That will be all, James.MET IN THE LOBBY

Rene RussoONCE UPON A TIME

Booming ’50s and ’60s

Swiss passion for magnificent gems

Share our family-owned company’s passion for exquisite jewelry and

outstanding craftsmanship.

gubelin-jewelry.com

Luzern Zürich Basel Bern St. Moritz Genève Lugano Kuala Lumpur Hong Kong

GUB014_Dolder_Grand_EMagazine_230x300_E.indd 1 24.06.14 09:16

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In the second edition of the Dolder Grand Maga-zine, our historical review takes us back to the boom-ing ’50s and ’60s, when guests began to travel to Zu-rich by plane.

In “Met in the Lobby”, actress Rene Russo tells us how she approached her role as an ambitious TV news producer in the film “Nightcrawler”. We found her to be an extremely likeable guest and are pleased that she felt so at home here while in the city for her visit to the Zurich Film Festival.

Our suite guests have been enjoying our new butler service since June this year. We thought this was a good reason to devote an article to the subject – after all, the stiff butler image has changed a lot over the years.

I fully admit that, at least for business purposes, I can no longer imagine life without my smartphone. I prefer my work to be as paperless as possible, with my files organised on my smartphone, so I can be mobile while still having all the information I need at my fingertips. Although I have never been to a digital detox camp, as described in our lifestyle article, I have at least learned to limit my access to email during holidays. If you struggle with such a restriction, you may find the article thought- provoking.

This edition also contains more hotel news, and information on events in and around Zurich. This time we take a peek inside the suitcase of Russian lifestyle celebrity Miroslava Duma, and Indian journalist and TV presenter Vir Sanghvi gives away some personal travel stories. In “Dolder Moments” we look back on the successful launch of our gourmet festival, THE EPICURE – Days of Culinary Masterpieces at the Dolder Grand.

I hope you enjoy the read.

Mark JacobManaging Director

EDITORIAL

Welcome to Zurich in winter

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Features

SPECIAL: BUTLERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

That will be all, James.The profession of butler has changed significantly over the last 100 years. A butler is now much more of a creative personal assistant.

MET IN THE LOBBY

Interview withRene RussoThe actress on things that despair can drive you to, working together with her husband, and laser treatments.

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FeaturesLifestyle30 Just imagine: you go offline

and – nothing happens

Standards6 Grand news

22 Favourites: I packed my bag and in it I put …

34 Spa news

48 From the Guest Book

54 Dolder Moments

56 My experience: Always the same and always getting better

Culture42 The concierge recommends

43 Calendar

44 What’s going on

Imprint

Editor: Dolder Hotel AG, The Dolder Resort, 8032 ZurichTexts: Public Relations The Dolder ResortPublication: The Dolder Grand Magazine is published twice a year as an online magazine (June and November)Design: Source Associates AG, ZurichPhotos: Heinz Unger, Fabian Häfeli, David Biedert, The Dolder Grand, archive Dolder Hotel AG, private collections and othersCover: view over the Dolder Golf Club and Zurich (Heinz Unger)Copyright: Dolder Hotel AG, Zurich

ONCE UPON A TIME

Zurich’s shortage of hotel bedsA historical view of the Dolder Resort: the booming ’50s and ’60s.

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GRAND NEWS

VALENTINE’S DAY

Culinary magicThe Dolder Grand has put together something very special in prepara-tion for Valentine’s Day. After our cooking class you will be able to sur-prise your partner with tempting dishes. Of course, you can apply your culinary magic well beyond Valentine’s Day … The cooking class is led by Chef à la carte Patrick Hetz and also provides a fascinating insight into the Dolder Grand’s main kitchen.

Wednesday, 11 February 2015 from 5 pm to 10 pm for CHF 290.00 per person, including course materials, aperitifs and dinner.

WINTER SPORTS

Ice-skatingWhich luxury hotel has its own ice rink? At 6,000 square metres the Dolder Grand’s rink is also the largest open-air facility in Europe. You can indulge in this winter sport on ice right here. Skaters on the rink can circle the 9-metre Christmas tree, which gives the facility a unique ambience. For a real party atmosphere, there are five ice disco evenings in the winter season. The event on 17 January 2015 is a special highlight, offering a snow-world experience and displaying various snow sculptures. The com-pany Sculptura presses the snow from the ice resurfacer into blocks, and then sculpts them into different figures, such as penguins, polar bears and mythical creatures.

DID YOU KNOW …?

… that the Christmas tree at the Dolder Grand

is decorated with 5,500 baubles?

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GRAND NEWS

AUDITORY IDENTITY

New musical concept

We see, we feel, we taste, we smell – and now at the Dolder Grand, there is something special to hear. With the support of an agency, the luxury hotel has further developed its brand per- sonality with the Brand Music Library, taking its brand to the auditory level. In the initial phase, the new musical concept will be used in the public rooms and the spa from December 2014. The idea is for guests to per-ceive the “auditory identity” uncon-sciously, generating the feeling that “everything is just right”.

LITERARY AND MUSICAL EVENTS

ReadingsThere has always been a close connection between literature and hotels. The Dolder Grand has hosted regular readings since June 2014, mostly as Sunday matinees. Some special events take the form of musical readings – either in the large Ballroom in col-laboration with the Tonhalle Zurich (a leading Swiss orchestra), or on a smaller scale in the Ballroom Foyer, with readings from literature classics accompanied by the piano. For the last three years, the Dolder Grand has also been the hospitality partner for the book festival “Zürich liest” (Reading Zurich). The programme is available at www.thedoldergrand.com under “Events”.

BRITISH CULINARY DELIGHT

English afternoon tea

The traditional English afternoon tea at the Dolder Grand will delight anyone with a soft spot for leisurely afternoons in a hotel lobby with a crackling open fire in the back-ground. On Saturdays and Sundays from 2 pm to 6 pm during the winter months. For the luxurious version you can treat yourself to a glass of house champagne “Erick De Sousa Tradition Brut”.

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GRAND NEWS

GAULT MILLAU GERMANY

Honoured once again

Chef Fine Dining Heiko Nieder has crowned an eventful year with a successful conclusion: Gault Millau Germany awarded the cre- ative chef from Hamburg the prize for the Best German Chef Abroad at the 2015 awards. “To have left your home country but still receive this kind of appreciation and re-spect is really a great honour”, said the 42-year-old chef.

Heiko Nieder has worked at the Dolder Grand since its reopen-ing in 2008. During that time he has cooked up 18 Gault Millau points and two Michelin stars for The Restaurant, making him the head of the most highly ranked res-taurant in Zurich.

It was an eventful year, as he had been working intensively for the premiere of the new gourmet festival at the Dolder Grand in September 2014. The response to THE EPICURE – Days of Culinary Masterpieces at the Dolder Grand with 12 international master chefs, including three-star chefs Benoît Violier, Massimo Bottura and Joachim Wissler, was very positive. Zurich now has a new gourmet highlight. Excitement is already building ahead of the next event in September 2015.

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GRAND NEWS

GAULT MILLAU SWITZERLAND

Honoured for the first time

For the first time, the Garden Restaurant has been recognised by Gault Millau Switzerland and awarded 13 Gault Millau points, to the delight of Chef à la carte Patrick Hetz and his team. On the menu at the bright, urban Garden Restaurant is a range of light European dishes and modern interpretations of Swiss cuisine, such as scallops marinated in gin and tonic with cucumber wasabi jelly, pickled shitake mushrooms and slipper lobster, Zurich “saucisson” with truffled cream of leeks, baked corn cakes, root vegetables with beetroot and potato mousseline, and salmon fillet fried in sesame oil with sage sauce, wakame seaweed, baby carrots and white cannellini bean puree.

NEW YEAR’S EVE 2014

Welcome the New Year

in styleThis is how beautiful New Year in Zurich can be – with a gala dinner, live music and entertainment at the very first Dolder Grand New Year’s Eve Ball. The exclusive hotel Ballroom will be the venue for this glamorous premiere. Join the traditional cham-pagne countdown in the Steinhalle at 5 minutes to midnight, or step outside for a breathtaking view of the city and the fireworks. And afterwards, there will be dancing late into the night. That is the way to celebrate New Year’s Eve! Tickets are available with an accommodation package or just for the evening.

BUTLERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Thatwill be

all, James.The profession of butler has changed

significantly over the last 100 years. A butler is now much more of a creative personal assistant.

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SPECIAL

Butlers have to be called James – or at least, that is the cliché. The “Downton Abbey” series has pro-vided a recent reminder of the image of the classic British butler: as the major-domo, he had the highest status of all the servants

and practised his profession with great pride and honour. This role, which was firmly established in the 18th and 19th centuries in the old European and American mansions and in the colonies, gradually disappeared after the First and the Second World War, and butlers were only very rarely seen.

From mansion to hotelWith the advent of mass tourism in the ’60s, the need arose for new hotels. Building these was no problem, but there were not enough experienced and well-trained staff available for all the hotels. This meant that hotel guests did not have a single point of contact, and had to turn to different people depending on their needs.

In the late ’80s, the number of millionaires and billionaires increased once again, leading to a revival in the profession of butler in private homes. The booming Asian cities also made their own con-tribution – and from private mansions, the step into the hotel world soon followed. This development would be responsible for a renewed flowering of the profession. Luxury tourists don’t mind spending money during their stay and have high standards, bringing significant change to the butler’s role and job description: today, he is much more his guest’s personal assistant.

London, cradle of the modern butlerOnce again, the British were on the right track. The Lanesborough Hotel in London was the first hotel in Europe to introduce a butler service for all its guests, in 1990. Head Butler Robert Watson was responsible for building the butler department and developed many of the systems and standards, as well as the appropriate training. In 1998, Watson established his own company, The Guild of Professional English Butlers, and has since led projects all over the world in hotels, on cruise ships and on luxury yachts.

That is why, in 2014, the Dolder Grand asked him to train the staff in its newly established butler department. For Zurich’s City Resort, this was one of several initiatives undertaken to realise its new mission statement, “Experiencing personality”. Matteo Previsdomini was entrusted with the pro-ject; he is head of the new division. Since June 2014, all suite, top-suite and residence guests at the Dolder Grand have been able to enjoy the on-call butler service. The butler gets in touch with the guests before they arrive to clarify their individual needs and make the best possible preparations for their stay.

DID YOU KNOW …?

… that the word butler comes from the Anglo-Norman “buteler”,

which is derived from the Old French “boteillier” (cellar master)?

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RUBRIK

“I don’t believe a man can consider

himself fully content until he has

done all he can to be of service to his employer.”

Butler James Stevens in the film “Remains of the Day”

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SPECIAL

New understanding of service“The butler experience has changed my understand-ing of service”, explained Matteo Previsdomini from the Canton of Grisons. “A good butler needs to anti- cipate what the guest wants, not wait until the request has been made.” Unpacking, ironing, cleaning shoes, arranging individual food and drink orders, orga- nising transfers and reservations for events and much more – these are the standard services that suite guests can expect. “But that is not what makes us different. Each guest has individual needs, and these are our focus.” It is more a matter of stepping beyond

guests’ expectations – only then is the wow factor achieved. For example, a guest ordered a beautiful bouquet of flowers for his partner for their return to the suite. The butler team perfected the evening by creating a little more: the suite was carefully pre- pared with music, a fire in the fireplace, candlelight and a set table on the terrace under the stars – and with the bouquet as ordered. “The butler delighted the guest with something that he did not expect.” This is how to create good memories of the stay, and of “his” butler, who made it all possible. In this sense, butlers need a lot of creativity and imagination.

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A butler’s job description moves with the times and adapts to the changes in travel behaviour in various countries. While butlers have traditionally been male, women are now also found in these roles. As the Dolder Grand is home to many guests from the Gulf States, female butlers are also part of the team – because in this culture, men may not enter the suite of a female guest, explained Previsdomini.

From the Rolling Stones to the King of SwedenThe introduction of the butler service at the Dolder Grand has been a great success. “For guests who have never had the pleasure of a butler, it is an addi-

Questions for Robert WatsonThe Guild of Professional English Butlers

Are there any differences in being a butler in an Asian, Middle East or European hotel? Do you train butlers differently?Butler service is in essence a personalised service, so we train butlers to fit the culture, environment and style of the hotel. For example:– In Bali, the butlers will slip off their shoes before entering

a guest’s room, as they do in their own homes.– In Saudi Arabia, a male butler cannot enter a room where

a female guest is on her own, as it is against Koranic law for a man and a woman who are not related by blood to be in a confined space.

– In a London hotel, the guests expect their butler to be more like Jeeves or a character from “Downton Abbey”, to reflect the English butler style.

– Clearly, a guest in a resort hotel in the Seychelles has a different service need to the businessman in a European city centre hotel, and the butler service has to be adapted to suit both requirements.

What challenges do you see in the coming years?– As more and more hotels implement a butler service, the

danger is that many hotels will not invest in training for the butlers, and instead will put a waiter in a nice jacket and call him or her “the butler”. However, without the training and understanding of the role, they will provide a very second-rate service which will not satisfy the guests’ expectations.

– In the future there will be 100 million Chinese tourists visiting many countries around the world. We will all have to learn how to service that huge market, which is very different to what most of us are used to.

– Although we will have to embrace new technology as service-focused personnel, we must ensure that we do not lose our basic role, which is that of one person serving another. The machine or micro-chip cannot do this.

– Great service will always be the differentiator between one hotel and another. Those hotels that concentrate and develop their service levels will always be in demand.

tional service that provides much joy and conveni- ence. We love to spoil our guests and try our hardest to surprise them again and again”, said Matteo Previsdomini. And what are the highlights of being a butler? “We have a wide range of guests. Of course, it is not always the Rolling Stones or the King and Queen of Sweden … but it can be!” he explained with a grin. In closing, he added: “We are there to make the guests happy. This is a rewarding task and can be very satisfying.”

Sources: The Guild of Professional English Butlers, The International Butler Academy, Wikipedia

SPECIAL

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FAVOURITES

I packed my bag and in it I put … A glimpse inside the luggage

of celebrity travellers – inspired by a children’s game

I usually travel with: Only hand luggage I often have too many pieces/

overweight! Comment: It depends. When

I go to a fashion show or attend several events, of course I have too many pieces of luggage. But for a one-day business trip I travel with hand luggage only.

I prefer: Travel bags Any old suitcase Quality in a suitcase is

important to me.

Preparation: I prepare my luggage a few

days before I travel and I am well prepared.

My packing is rather last minute.

Comment: Both happen.

My style: I like to dress relaxed and only

have casual items. I always need to be dressed up

and travel wearing elegant/business items.

I travel with a mixture of styles.

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Miroslava Duma

The Russian trendsetter began her career as an editor of “Harper’s Bazaar” Russia and rapidly gained popularity among fashion bloggers and photographers. Miroslava Duma is always found in the world of the international fashion scene. She is a journalist, jet-setter, It girl, fashionista and founder of the trendy lifestyle news website Buro 24/7.

My coat: I wear classic coats. Never without my leather

jacket. One? I take at least five coats.

My shoes: High heels Something comfortable,

Tod’s style Boots

When travelling, I like to stay active and therefore take my sport clothes:

For the gym To go jogging Other

On my head: Cap Hat I hate wearing hats.

For the night: Classic pyjamas Underwear/shorts Nothing

My beauty items fit into … a wash bag a beauty case anything. I hardly need more

than a toothbrush.

Shower gel and shampoo: I use those provided in the

hotel. I always take my own items.

I love the products of Frederic Fekkai.

Electronics: Mobile phone Tablet Laptop

To pass the time: Music on my MP3 player/

mobile phone My favourite travel

soundtrack: Frédéric Chopin

MET IN THE LOBBY

Rene RussoThe actress on things that despair

can drive you to, working together with her husband, and laser treatments.

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MET IN THE LOBBY

Y ou are here for the Zurich Film Festival. Is this your first time in the city?

Yes, it’s my first time in Zurich. I’ve been to Lucerne – about 20 years ago. It was so beautiful and I thought that I would have to make it back to Switzerland. It’s one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to and ever seen. You’re used to it, but it is absolutely spectacular.

Your new film “Nightcrawler” brings you to Zurich. In movies, the audience knows you as a chic, clever and smart lady, or a vulnerable mother. Now you are a news shark. What did you think when you read the script?I thought this was so different and I didn’t know how I was going to manage it. I have never played such a role before. The way that I found her was more through desperation than by being a shark. Because when I thought about being just a shark, I couldn’t find that place in my-self. The time when I crossed boundaries to get where I needed to go – that always had to do with the fact that I was desperate, or that I was afraid. In desperation and being afraid I think we do things that we wouldn’t normally do. The exploration of that is what was exciting to me. It’s an interesting question. It really took me a while to figure out what would make me do things I nor-mally wouldn’t.

In desperation and being afraid,

we do things that we wouldn’t

normally do.

at the role: I am a business woman and I am practical and you heard him (editor’s note: Jake Gyllenhaal as Nightcrawler) say, you are the lowest-rated station, your two years are almost over, and you don’t have health insurance. It’s like a negotiation and Nina had been negotiating before. There was a lot going on, on the inside. She needed this guy and she said ok, and didn’t look back until he didn’t bring the goods. And when he didn’t bring the goods, she just exploded on him, but he thought differently.

Do you think it is because we ex-pect men to be that way, but we find it surprising when women are?Look, I find in general that men don’t like women who are less sensitive, less in line with their idea of what is feminine. And if they are – without wanting to put it too strongly – in control, I find that some men don’t deal well with that. So if you are at all demanding (like a man would be, which would be ok), it might just be too much for a man. I don’t know if it’s even in their DNA, and they can’t cope. I don’t mean that insultingly. There’s a fine line; women can be bitches and men can be a…holes – I mean, let’s face it! Maybe they are threatened a little bit by women like that. But I do notice that a lot of men are telling me that I as Nina was strong and kind of bitchy. That is interesting.

I hoped that people could see that I was coming from a different place. And what’s interesting: some people do and some people don’t. Men don’t see that vulner- ability as much as women do. I wonder if it’s because women, in some ways, have a little bit more of a struggle.

The scene in the restaurant is particularly interesting.It’s funny; one journalist said I gave in too easily there. But he was young, and he was male – it’s a different generation. I looked

So: Nina, a woman of my age, 60 years old, holding on by her fingernails, has to compete against young women and men at her place of work, plus she is los-ing her health insurance. Where is she going to go? I saw some-thing heartbreaking in that. I knew that Nina was tough and mean outside and in, and people would judge her morally. Of course, she crosses more bound-aries. I really wanted that to come from somewhere.

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Will we be seeing you more in this kind of role?I just take one role at a time. And once I’ve been doing a role, I don’t want to do it again. I would love to do comedy, more comedy. But it’s very rare to find good roles.

You have been married for 22 years. How did you find working with your husband?You know, it was great; Danny (editor’s note: Dan Gilroy, her husband, the director of “Night-crawler”) is so easy-going that there wasn’t any friction; we talked about the film and the role beforehand.

Did you set some rules on how you should work together?We didn’t, because Danny is really open to collaboration and he

hard news, I guess. In the USA, you have NBC, which is quite liberal, and you have Fox News, which is not very balanced. You just have to listen to everybody, everybody has a different view. I am a news junky but not local news. The thing I really enjoy is: I get in bed, I have a bowl of yoghurt or cereal, and I turn on the news.

But do you take time off?No, I don’t, not from the news, because it’s such an interesting time that we’re living in, and a scary time too; it really is fright-ening. But I don’t take time off from the news.

What about travelling privately, besides film tours?Actually, I don’t. When you have a teenage daughter, and when you’re

didn’t put any restrictions on me in terms of the role. He allowed me just to find it. The only thing is that I was a little bit worried be-cause it took me some time to find out how I thought she was.

He is also a scriptwriter. Did you suggest changing the script?I didn’t in this film. At first I said, “I think Nina needs a little work”, and then I realised I couldn’t find her. I wasn’t able to find her right off. But sometimes he gives me his scripts while he’s writing them, and I give him a suggestion from an actress’s point of view. That can be helpful to a writer.

Are you a news person?I don’t watch local news; it scares me. It gives me bad dreams before I go to sleep. I’m a news junky, but

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RUBRIK

Men don’t like women who are less in line

with their idea of what is feminine.

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MET IN THE LOBBY

trying to get them through, from fifteen, to get them into college, into their twenties, it’s a lot of work. And especially senior year in high school. There wasn’t a lot of time to travel, to be honest. I love my in-laws so much, so instead of travelling, we’re going to visit them on the East Coast. We haven’t been on a real big vacation for so long. Coming here, looking at this view, I realise we need to do it, get out there a little bit more often.

And how do you recover?I work out. I don’t do it for a long time; I can only stay on my bike for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes I’m so bored I want to stop. That’s the best thing for me, I think. And then a nice warm shower. I went into your workout room here at the hotel and got on your bike. I might even do it again.

But you look marvellous, how do you stay in shape?You know, people ask, “What are your beauty secrets?” There are a few. One is that smoking is bad for your skin, and too much sun is not good for your skin. Those are obvi-ous ones that age you literally over-night. And I just eat reasonably; I don’t eat perfectly. I exercise moderately, and what I love to do is laser beauty treatment. I find it’s really good for stimulating collagen in your skin and it really made a difference to my skin.

Rene Russo

The American actress Rene Russo starred in “The Thomas Crown Affair”, “Lethal Weapon”, “Outbreak”, “Get Shorty”, “Bounty” and the “Thor” films among others, together with Mel Gibson, Clint Eastwood, John Travolta and Pierce Brosnan. Now she is playing a news-hungry TV producer interested in violent crime in the thriller “Nightcrawler”. Rene Russo has been married to screenwriter Dan Gilroy since 1992 and has one daughter.

Cutting and pulling and all that is not what I really want to do. But I support it wholeheartedly. If it’s what a woman wants to do to feel better about herself, then go for it.

Do you go swimming, have mas-sages, facials or anything?Heat isn’t good for me. I just get dehydrated and weak. But I love facials and I love massages. I did get a tour of the spa here. What a beautiful spa! I loved the medita-tion walk.

Are you enjoying your stay at the Dolder Grand?Honestly, the room is so beauti-ful. I looked out the window and it’s truly one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever had. The hotel is just spectacular. I’m sure it’s one of the nicest hotels. What could be better than this?

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L IFESTYLE

Just imagine: you go offline and –

nothing happens With today’s connected technology, we never miss a thing.

And at the same time, we miss a lot because it takes up all of our time. So much so that there are now

programmes available for digital detox.

Do you remember who was waiting with you at the bus stop? Who sat opposite you

on the train? And during your last workshop, did you chat to col-leagues at break time? (Oh, you cannot remember if any of your colleagues were at the work- shop …) Do you start sweating if you leave your phone at home? Then maybe it is time for a digital detox.

Dominated by technologySmartphones and tablets have undoubtedly opened up fascinat-ing technological possibilities. And yet – these new technologies are increasingly dominating us and our lives. Sylvia Sepielli, a spa designer from Arizona, agrees. “What a sight – a family sitting at the table, and each member is totally absorbed in their own digital world”, she laments. “On the one hand, there’s the fear of

missing something if you’re not online. And on the other, we miss so much because everyone is on-line! We no longer take the time to be aware of our environment,

Set alerts to let you know when you spent a certain amount of time on an activity.

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look at paintings or nature or allow ourselves to be touched by them.”

“I see some real challenges for the spa area here”, Sylvia ex-plains. The familiar sign with the crossed-out mobile phone is be-coming less and less effective – you so often see spa guests fum-bling with their devices. “But surely it must be possible to separate yourself from your smartphone for an hour or two?” she asks. “The best thing you can do is leave it in the hotel room.” However, as with all addicts, you can only help those who want to be helped. And most people are not even aware of how “depend-ent” they are.

Physical effects“We don’t yet know the physical effects of our constant exposure to electromagnetic fields”, the spa expert adds. She recommends contact with water as often as

possible, in line with Hawaiian and indigenous rituals, according to which you should avoid elec- trical environments and cleanse yourself by bathing in the ocean. Sylvia also emphasises the bene-fits of seaweed treatments. Vari-ous seaweeds have been included in many detox programmes for some time now because they con-tain numerous minerals, trace elements and vitamins in con- centrated form and have a balanc-ing effect.

Returning to the analogue worldTour operators have discovered the market and are offering digi-tal detox camps, enabling guests to return to the analogue world. Holiday guests are retaught – or rather reminded of – how to walk through the forest, look at the stars and talk to others at meal-times. Electronic devices are strictly prohibited on the camps. But perhaps it is like alcohol with-drawal. If you checked, you would probably discover a few smart-phones hidden under the mat-tress. It might sound cynical, but do we really need a detox camp to get away from electronic devices

and social media, or to learn how to handle them sensibly?

Digital assistance for digital detoxIt is just like going on a diet – we are often told that a one-week crash diet will not achieve anything, and what is needed is a long-term change in eating habits. In this respect, a digital detox camp can only provide temporary relief. The aim must be to incorporate digital detox into everyday life.

RescueTime.com can be of assistance here. The name sums it up quite succinctly: waste less time, and gain more of it. Rescue-Time helps you to understand your daily habits around digital media, so you can focus and be more productive. The application shows you how much time you spend every day on sites, apps or email, and lets you block time- consuming applications.

You will receive detailed reports on your digital day.

L IFESTYLE

Block distracting websites by choosing an amount of time to focus on your work.

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Digital detox tips

– Do not check your emails during your holidays.– Set up an out-of-office reply, e.g.: “Sorry, I am offline

right now, but will contact you tomorrow.” Or something like this: “I will get back to you during normal working hours.”

– During the holidays, do not post photos of every meal on Facebook or Instagram.

– Set yourself well-defined digital downtimes and make conscious decisions about when to be online.

– Enjoy going for a walk without your smartphone.– And just do not let yourself be dominated by a small

device.

The German answer to this need is called Offtime, which was launched by a start-up company in July 2014. Again, annoying alerts, calls and text messages can be blocked for individually selectable periods, and access can be limited to sites that are felt to be a temptation.

The applications focus on the right thing: your awareness. And even if it sounds like a para-dox that you might need an app for your digital detox – the main thing is that it helps you gain understanding of your digital habits.

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A burst of resilient youth

In January 2015, La Prairie is expanding its Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Collection with the new Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Eye Cream to combat the first signs of skin ageing in the eye area, and Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Emulsion, a lightweight moisturiser for daily use. The Swiss Ice Crystal Complex, the active ingre- dient that gives the collection its name, and new ingredients that have been specially chosen for the new products, combine to strengthen the skin in fighting the first signs of ageing.

Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Eye Cream: average retail price CHF 266.00 (20 ml)

Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Emulsion: average retail price CHF 364.00 (50 ml)

Both products in stores from January 2015

Renewal for the bodySince October 2014, guests have been able to select from a range of treatments from the new Spa Menu at the Dolder Grand Spa attuned to their sense of wellbeing at that moment. The basis for this is provided by the Dolder Grand Life Balance concept. LPG® Shape Perfection by Kerstin Florian is a new treatment from the “Dolder Collection”. LPG®-Lipomassage™ first refines and firms the skin, and is followed by Kerstin Florian’s ex- clusive Intensive Slimming Serum, which stimulates lipolysis. Pleasantly cooling compresses and a massage with highly nourishing Multi-Vitamin Firming Crème complete this re- newal experience for the body. The treatment takes 90 minutes and costs CHF 330.00.

S PA N E W S

Beauty tips to keep you well-groomed and looking good through winter. New products and services

from the Dolder Grand Spa.

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Ballet workoutAttitude, grand-plié, assemblé … ballet fever has taken hold in the group fitness classes at the Dolder Grand. Derived from clas-sical ballet, the specific movements and routines provide for holistic strengthening and stretching of the body. The abdomen, legs, arms and buttocks in particular are effectively toned and stretched. The group fitness programme is open to hotel guests, Spa members and Day Spa guests.

Spring collectionThe UK label Melissa Odabash is known for its glamorous, exotic and sensual designs. Grieder offers the spring 2015 collection in the Dolder Grand Spa Shop. The Long Caftan, which is 100 per cent silk, feels wonderful on the skin. Complete the look with the matching swimsuit.

Long Caftan in two versions: CHF 650.00 or 570.00, swimsuit CHF 330.00

3 in 1 for menMen tend to take a practical approach to skin care. The Moisture Balm by Kerstin Florian is a moisturising mask for the eyes, lips and face. Suitable for normal, dry and mature skin types.

Moisture Balm by Kerstin Florian: CHF 63.00 in the Dolder Grand Spa Shop

Foam rollerThis practical item is used for massage, core training and therapy. It is easy to carry and ideal for travel. Exercises with the foam

roller can relieve tension, assist with muscular problems following inten-sive training or serve to warm up muscles before activity. Personal trainers also incorporate the exercis-es into training programmes.

Available in the Dolder Grand Spa Shop for CHF 78.00

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1

The interior design at the Dolder Grand Hotel in the 60’s

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tended into the mid-fifties and was led by the railways, which were the main means of transport for tourists. At the same time, the number of cars also exploded, with the call for motorways fol-lowing close behind. Zurich Kloten Airport began operation at the end of the ’40s and was continually expanded from then on. This was a key development for the Dolder Grand Hotel because, from as early as 1959, a large proportion of its guests were arriving in Zurich by plane.

ONCE UPON A TIME

Zurich’s shortage of hotel beds

A historical view of the Dolder Resort:

the ’50s and ’60s.

T he Dolder Grand Ho-tel came through the Second World War relatively well – despite

its distance to the train station and the lack of fuel at the time. It celebrated its fiftieth anniver-sary in 1949 and by then had already become a key feature of the Zurich hotel landscape. The anniversary also ushered in the booming ’50s and ’60s, which was accompanied by a dramatic increase in tourism. The first major expansion of tourism ex-

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Increasing number of overnight staysOnce the war had ended, the number of guests at the Dolder Grand Hotel started to increase. This was particularly true of those from other European countries – luxury was back in demand. The hotel flourished, especially in the summer months. Thomas Mann was among the guests in 1950. With good sales figures, the hotel invested more in refurbishments, renovations and furniture, and the last of the rooms and apart-ments were equipped with pri-vate bathrooms in 1959.

The Dolder Grand Hotel was regularly the scene of inter-nationally important political

Sir HenryThe Dolder Grand Hotel came to stand for Zurich society life. It owed its international reputa-tion as one of the finest and most modern hotels to G. Henry Kraehenbuehl, who had been a director since 1925 and was known for his strong business skills and professional expertise. He also had a large circle of friends and was very well con-nected, both in Switzerland and internationally – particularly in the United States. In these circles, he was known to everyone as “Sir Henry”. At the Grand Hotel, he was a noble host and a perfect gentleman of inter- national calibre.

meetings and conferences during these years. The Swiss-South Africa Association (SSAA) was founded in its famous La Rotonde restaurant in 1956. In 1959, the talks between the premiers of Greece and Turkey on the Cyprus question were held at the Dolder. And in 1961, the Austrian Ambas-sador Dr Kurt Waldheim met his Italian counterpart Umberto Grazzi at the Grand Hotel, to find a solution to the conflict in South Tyrol.

While guests from the enter-tainment and film industry had previously come to the Dolder from Europe, the ’60s saw an in-crease in guests from the show business industry in the USA.

1

RUBRIK

1 The Dolder Grand Hotel with the new extension from the ’60s

2 Weddings, banquets, celebrations – the Grand Hotel was a meeting place for Zurich society.

2

2

2

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In 1952, under his watch, the new bar and dance floor at the Grand Hotel was inaugurated in the style of Louis XV. He had a first-class sound system installed, which was connected to the orchestra, a record player and a broadcast system. Another function room, the Hall of Mirrors, followed in the same style in 1954, as the hotel was hosting so many private events and wedding parties that a new venue had to be created. An entry ticket for the New Year’s

not be fully covered by the hos- pitality industry. In 1963, the Dolder Grand Hotel began work on its modern extension. As the labour market was very tight – workers were generally hard to find at the time – construction work was delayed.

The extension was carried out in stages from June 1964. The number of beds was in-creased by 50 per cent, so the Dolder Grand Hotel then had 200 rooms with 300 guest beds.

Eve celebration and dinner cost 26 Swiss francs at the time. When G. Henry Kraehenbuehl died un-expectedly in early 1957 it was a great shock. With his death after 30 years of service, an important era for the Dolder Grand Hotel came to an end.

Modern extensionThere was a significant shortage of hotel beds in Zurich in the ear-ly ’60s. The increase in tourism during the summer months could

1 2

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RUBRIK

1 1955 Christmas card from Mr and Mrs Kraehenbuehl (directors) and management

2 The “new” bar boasted a state-of-the-art sound system.

shorter stays was also noted at the Dolder Grand Hotel, where guests had previously booked for four days or more on average. At that time, the largest group of guests at the Dolder came from the United States, at 25 per cent.

The hotel premises were fre-quently also used for social or business events and purposes. The Dolder Grand Hotel was a venue for glittering balls and weddings and a meeting place for Zurich society.

To begin with, the extension was only open during the summer months, but it was set up so that it could be used in winter at any time. For years, the extension hosted a special guest who, with his entourage, occupied an entire floor: the Shah of Persia.

The end of the ’60s saw a sig-nificant change in the hotel industry: first-class hotels were increasingly housing business travellers who only stayed for a short time. The trend towards

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WHAT’S GOING ON

Tips for outings and cultural events

CULTURE

FilmpodiumDo winter sports leave you cold? On a cold winter’s day, when it is foggy, raining or snowing outside, my tip is to lose yourself in another world. The Filmpodium at Nüschelerstrasse 11 in Zurich is the former “Studio4” from 1948/49. Designed by Roman Clemens, it is one of Switzerland’s most important architectural examples of classic post-war modernism and has been a listed building since 1993. The Filmpodium complements the commercial cinema programme available in Zurich. It chooses an area of focus, whether that be films featuring selected directors, actors, countries, themes or genres – everything that is not mainstream. By the way, most films in Zurich are shown in their original language, with German and French subtitles.

Michael Zürcher has been a concierge at the Dolder Grand since November 2008. He specialises in restaurants and cultural topics.

THE CONCIERGE RECOMMENDS

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© F

ilmpo

dium

Zur

ich

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DECEMBER

Musical reading at the Dolder GrandLoriot’s “Kleiner Opernführer” with music by various composers 7 December 2014

Kaiser BallTraditional ball at the Kongresshaus Zurich 13 December 2014

Salto Natale The circus with a difference in Zurich-Kloten to 4 January 2015

JANUARY

Mercedes-Benz CSIInternational show jumping tournament at Hallenstadion Zurich 23 – 25 January 2015

FEBRUARY

Art on Ice Ice gala featuring international stars at the Hallenstadion in Zurich 5 – 8 February 2015

Shrek the MusicalTheater 11 18 February – 1 March 2015

Queen & Adam LambertConcert at Hallenstadion Zurich 19 February 2015

Monet, Gauguin, van Gogh … Inspiration JapanExhibition at Kunsthaus Zürich 20 February – 10 May 2015

MARCH

UsherConcert at Hallenstadion Zurich 6 March 2015

GiardinaGarden and Lifestyle Exhibition 11 – 15 March 2015

“Eros am Abgrund”. Arthur Schnitzler and the music of his timeMusical reading at the Dolder Grand in collaboration with Tonhalle Zurich 22 March 2015

Lionel RichieConcert at Hallenstadion Zurich 23 March 2015

Paul Simon & StingConcert at Hallenstadion Zurich 27 March 2015

APRIL

Sechseläuten FestivalZurich spring festival with parade and burning of the “Böögg” 13 April 2015

Zürich MarathonThe unique running experience through Zurich 19 April 2015

MAY

Circus KnieSwiss National Circus at Sechseläutenplatz 8 May – 7 June 2015

CALENDAR

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WHAT’S GOING ON

CLASSICAL

LUCERNE FESTIVAL

at EasterMarking the beginning of Festival Season 2015, the nine-day LUCERNE FESTIVAL at Easter is a feast of musical moments with an emphasis on sacred music. John Eliot Gardiner, the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists will perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s monumental Mass in B minor, and Teodor Currentzis and his Musica Aeterna ensemble have also selected works by Bach for their debut at the LUCERNE FESTIVAL. They will combine these works with music by Frenchman Jean-Philippe Rameau. The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir will begin their Easter residence under chief conductor Mariss Jansons with Dvo ák’s Stabat Mater, and will round off the festival with Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto and Bruckner’s Sixth Symphony, performed together with Radu Lupu. 21 to 29 March 2015

www.lucernefestival.ch

CLASSICAL

Alphorn concert at Tonhalle ZurichTonhalle Zurich presents one of the year’s highlights under the direction of maestro Kent Nagano. The concept of a work for four alphorns and orchestra is a sensation in itself. Georg Friedrich Haas composed the piece in 2013, jointly commissioned by four highly respected institutions: the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Wien Modern, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich. This concerto grosso by the master of blurred sound is guaranteed to be a revelation.22 and 23 April 2015

www.tonhalle-orchester.ch

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WHAT’S GOING ON

CULTURE

Art on IceArt on Ice presents a unique, colourful interplay be- tween the best figure skaters in the world and inter- national music stars, live on stage. The stars for 2015 were gold medal winners at the European or World Championships or the Olympic Games: Russians Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, Canadian ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Carolina Kostner, Sarah Meier and Florent Amodio and, last but not least, two- time world champion from Switzerland, Stéphane Lambiel. The musical guest star is Nelly Furtado. Zurich: 5 to 8 February 2015 at the HallenstadionLausanne: 10 and 11 February 2015Davos: 13 and 14 February 2015

www.artonice.com

ART

Monet, Gauguin, van Gogh …

Inspiration JapanAlmost all of the great artists have drawn inspiration from Japanese imagery and stylistic devices. Artists such as Monet, Gauguin, van Gogh, Bonnard and Degas represented imported art and everyday objects in their own works and used Japanese pictorial sub- jects. For the first time in over 25 years, a comprehen-sive exhibition with more than 300 high-quality pieces has been dedicated to the phenomenon known as Japonism. Kunsthaus Zürich: 20 February to 10 May 2015

www.kunsthaus.ch

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WHAT’S GOING ON

EXCURSIONS

Winter regionWinter tourism in Switzerland is celebrating its 150th anniversary this season. The foundation stone was laid in St. Moritz. Only 60 to 90 min- utes away from Zurich you can enjoy winter sports or hiking at the ski resorts of Engelberg- Titlis, Hoch-Ybrig, Flumserberg, Andermatt and many more.

SPORT

Ski World Cup in WengenThe Lauberhorn downhill ski race in Wengen in the Bernese Oberland is one of the most demanding races in alpine skiing, along with the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbühel, Austria. At around 4.5 kilometres, it is the longest downhill course on the World Cup circuit. Competitors reach speeds of 160 kilometres per hour to complete the course in around 2:30 minutes. The race is the largest annual winter sports event and takes place amid the beautiful mountain scenery of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains. With a tradition stretching back over 80 years, the event in Wengen is one of the highlights of alpine ski racing. 16 to 18 January 2015

www.lauberhorn.ch

SPORT

White TurfOnly in Engadin will you regularly see thoroughbred racing horses without riders, but with skiers in tow – in the exclusive, international skijoring race. Each year, the unique setting of the White Turf attracts 30,000 people to St. Moritz, providing a wonderful meeting place for high society, owners, trainers and jockeys from all over the world. Flat and harness races alternate with the crowd-pulling skijoring on race Sundays. 8, 15 and 22 February 2015

www.whiteturf.ch

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WHAT’S GOING ON

CHRISTMAS IN ZURICH

Christmas market and Singing Christmas Tree

Wrapped in the scent of cinnamon and festively bedecked, Zurich is simply magical at Christmas time. The showpiece of the “Christkindli” Christmas market in the hall of Zurich’s main railway station is the 15-metre Christmas tree, adorned with Swarovski crystals. The Singing Christmas Tree near Bahnhofstrasse is also not to be missed. A variety of children’s choirs offer the best of their Christmas repertoire each evening – on a huge stand looking just like a Christmas tree. 20 November to 24 December 2014

SPORT

Snow Polo World Cup in St. Moritz

It began 30 years ago in St. Moritz, and has become an international trend – snow polo is now played from Aspen, USA to Cortina, Italy and Tianjin, China. The original event in St. Moritz is still the most prestigious and richest winter polo tournament on snow. The lo- cation at 1,800 metres above sea level in chic St. Moritz ensures the tournament is a unique experience. 29 January to 1 February 2015

www.snowpolo-stmoritz.com

CLASSICAL

Zurich Opera HouseThe Zurich Opera House is among the best in the world. In 2014 it was awarded the title of Opera Company of the Year at the Interna-tional Opera Awards. International stars take to the stage in its 250 performances per season. Premieres in the 2014/2015 season include “Lohengrin”, “Die Gänsemagd”, “Robin Hood”, “The Turn of the Screw” and “Anna Karenina”.

www.opernhaus.ch

FROM THE GUEST BOOK

Nigel Kennedy

FROM THE GUEST BOOK

David Garrett

FROM THE GUEST BOOK

Peter Lindbergh

FROM THE GUEST BOOK

Veronica Ferres

FROM THE GUEST BOOK

Kylie Minogue

FROM THE GUEST BOOK

Lenny Kravitz

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DOLDER MOMENTS

18 – 21 SEPTEMBER 2014

THE EPICURE

Four days of exceptional culinary expe- riences – the list of guest chefs at THE EPICURE, the new gourmet festival at the Dolder Grand, reads like a “who’s who” from Europe’s top restaurants. Heiko Nieder is joined by Johannes King, Tim Raue, Arnaud Bignon, Esben Holmboe Bang, Hans Neuner, Dieter Koschina, Jean Sulpice, Gianluca Fusto, Rolf Fliegauf and three-star master chefs Benoît Violier, Massimo Bottu-ra and Joachim Wissler. As they say at the opera: Bravissimo!

An evening with Heiko Nieder and maestro Massimo Bottura (right), who delighted the guests with his avant-garde cooking techniques.

Waiting in anticipation before the premiere – Benoît Violier in the kitchen with Heiko Nieder.

Group photo of the master chefs and organisers – with an excellent atmosphere among the team.

Precision work – Joachim Wissler organised an evening at The Restaurant and was part of the grand finale.

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DOLDER MOMENTS

Managing Director Mark Jacob welcomes Queen Silvia of Sweden in the Steinhalle (left).

Resident Manager Markus Granelli was joined by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. The royal visit in October 2014 marked the occasion of the 68th Baden-Powell Fellowship Event in Switzerland, held by the World Scout Foundation.

Wonderful new venue – the Dolder Grand invited customers, patrons, Spa members and friends to its Open House Summer Party to celebrate the official opening of the Gallery Lounge and the new Terrazza Suite (390 square metres!) in July 2014.

Chairman Karl Spoerri with US producer Michael Shamberg at the hotel entrance. The ZURICH SUMMIT, a meeting place for entrepreneurs, executives and creatives in the film, entertainment and media industry, took place in September 2014.

With celebrity support, Volkswagen presented the new Golf GTE plug-in hybrid at the Dolder Grand in September 2014. German actors Anna Maria Mühe, Max von Thun and Markus Kavka, along with Boris Blank of the legendary duo Yello, took a tour around Lake Zurich with journalists by their side.

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MY EXPERIENCE

Always the same and always

getting better by Vir Sanghvi

Vir Sanghvi is a well-known Indian print and television journalist, columnist, author and talk show host. He has won many awards during his career for both TV and print. In 1993, he was declared a Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum at Davos.

Vevey, I would watch the full moon reflected on the lake, its silvery, shimmering image completing the picture of slightly unreal beauty that I had formed in my head.

And then there were all the other things. Chocolates for in-stance. Now chocolates are a global business but when I was a child, a visit to a chocolate shop was mandatory. (My parents would go and check out the watches; again a global business in this era but one of the high-lights of any trip to Switzerland in the ’60s.) Like all children,

I have a confession to make. For much of my early life, I thought of Switzerland not as a real place but as a state of mind. And what a state of mind it was: a

magic kingdom for a child with an overactive imagination. For a start, everything was story book-clean, perfect and well organised. Then, there were snow-capped mountains, and lakes and more lakes. ( One of my earliest memo-ries is of me staring intently at the fountain in Lake Geneva.) Some-times, from atop the hills of

I looked for castles in this magic kingdom. And I found them in the grand hotels, places like the old Dolder and the other hotels up in the mountains. And the best part of it was that these were cas-tles that let non-royals like us stay and every child was treated like a prince.

As I grew older, reality sunk in. I came to terms with Switzerland as a real place. But nothing less-ened my affection for the sights of my childhood. I remember taking the double-decker trains (which continue to fascinate me) to far- away locations, marvelling at the Swiss obsession with time (this was the land of watches, after all!) and being astonished by the dis-tress a delay of even two minutes to the arrival of a train would cause the railway authorities!And now, in comfortable middle age, I see how modern Switzer-land and the magic kingdom of my dreams have merged. There are still watches and chocolates

Now I see how modern Switzerland and the

magic kingdom of my dreams have merged.

and everything still runs on time. But there are great restaurants that I never got taken to as a child. (I ate the same meal every day: Rosti potatoes with Veal Zu-richoise!) And the castles of my childhood have begun to reshape themselves for the 21st century. The last time I was in Zurich I stayed at the funky new rooms at the Dolder. And as I gazed down at the forests around us from the plate glass windows, I came to a slightly terrifying conclusion: I actually preferred the new wings to the grand old rooms of my childhood.

Ah, Switzerland! Always the same! And always getting better – in the best possible ways!

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