1876/77Built by the architects Heinrich Honegger-Näf and Julius Bosshard as the Hotel National. Consisting of two buildings located at Bahnhofstrasse 93 and the Bahnhofplatz 7.
1877 Opening of the Hotel National. Just shortly before, this elegant business location was a sheep pasture on the lower edge of town. Bahnhofplatz was the entrance to the parade boulevard of “Fröschengrabenallee” now known as Bahnhofstrasse.
1877/78 The first General Manager, Werdenberg-Steinmann from Basel.
1878The second General Manager, Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand Michel, buys the National in 1880 along with the building at Bahnhofstrasse 91, which he then integrated into the hotel. The Moorish hall is created at the same time, Lintheschergasse 24 was integrated in 1893. Thus, the Hotel National and the Grand Hotel National consisted of four buildings in 1893.
1883 Third General Manager is a direct descendant, Ferdinand Michel-Pauli. Name change to Grand Hotel National.
1884 130 comfortable rooms with 200 beds, 5 family suites, 4 reception rooms, 5 bathrooms, lift, ladies salon and café-restaurant with three pool tables. The fountain at Bahnofplatz was replaced by a monument dedicated to Alfred Escher in 1889.
1896/1906 Owner, Achilles Mislin.
1908Renovation of the hotel, classic arches are replaced by the Art Nouveau style.
1896 Georges Wild from Alsace is the fourth General Manager. He bought the hotel together with his brother in 1907. Georges Wild died in 1916.
1918 The fifth General Manager is his son, Georges Wild junior. The hotel changes its name to Hotel Schweizerhof-National.
1930s Leased by Ernst Manz.
1930 Installation of a mezzanine floor and the arches on Bahnhofplatz and Lintheschergasse are replaced by rectilinear architecture.
1947The acclaimed architect and patron of culture from Zurich, Otto Streicher, acquires the Schweizerhof. He is the grandfather of the current owners of the property, Silvia Pestalozzi and Sonja Hitroff-Pestalozzi and acquires the Schweizerhof from Swiss Volksbank.
1961 Restoration of the interior, some rooms get baths. Bar conversion. Destruction of the sandstone facade on Lintheschergasse, replaced by metal and marble slabs.
1966/76 Management: Rudolph and Judith MühlbergIten, opening of the restaurant “Bel Etage” on the first floor.
197119Silvia Pestalozzi and Sonja Hitroff – Pestalozzi become owners of the property and the hotel operations. Foundation of Schweizerhof Verwaltungs AG.
1978/1979 Complete renovation for a period of 14 months by the architectural firm Schoch und Müller AG and interior designers Georges and Markus Schlegel. Investment: CHF 15 million. Careful renovation of the precious facade.
1986 Incorporation of the “Gourmet Café”.
June 1991 Entry of General Manager, Jörg Rudolf von Rohr.
1992/95 First careful renovation of the hotel rooms for CHF 2 million
1993 New heating system; investment: around CHF 1 million.
1997 CHF 4.5 million for a new lobby, reception, smoke alarms, new salon, new offices, a business centre, modern kitchen and an additional CHF 1.1 million for the air conditioning system.
2000/01 CHF 14 million was invested in renovating all the rooms and bathrooms.
2007Total renovation of the facade cost 1.6 million francs. Ongoing technical and environmental updates behind the scenes.
2011 The popular Schweizerhof Bar is renovated. Foyer and lobby are given a face-lift. The entire entrance area is modernised.
2013Consolidation and modernisation of the rooms on the 4th floor for CHF 2.2 million.
Mai 2014Entry of General Manager, Andreas Stöckli.
2015Completion of the renewal of the entire 4th floor with the new design.
2016Completion of some rooms with the new design and inhouse-gym for CHF 2.3 million
