A corporate’s guide to: Switzerland’s coolest MICE destinations

 

 

For unparalleled lake views and exceptional Swiss hospitality, the newly reopened Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort (which underwent a whopping £440m refurb last year) has to be our top pick. Whether you’re after a bed, meeting rooms, teambuilding activities or fine dining, you will find it all under one roof – well, several roofs. Perched 500m above Lake Lucerne – and accessed by boat and funicular – the high-end resort encompasses 10 private residence suites, four hotels, nine restaurants and bars, two spas, a wellness centre, tennis courts, a golf course and over 30 event rooms, with a capacity for conferences for over 600 guests. If you prefer city life, check out the Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa in Lausanne and Hotel Schweizerhof in Bern. Both have excellent meeting spaces, fine dining, rooftop bars and well-appointed rooms and suites. We particularly liked the Royal Savoy’s SkyLounge, with its 360-degree views and morning yoga sessions, and Hotel Schweizerhof’s grand ballroom which can accommodate up to 450 delegates.

 

 

In addition to the dedicated meeting and event spaces at the aforementioned hotels and resorts, two other venues that stole the show for us are the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne and Kursaal in Bern. Both are futuristic-looking, imposing structures featuring top AV and conference facilities fit for large events, congresses and gala dinners (3,000 capacity for SwissTech, 1,500 for Kursaal). For added culture, and an insight into the country’s sporting history, the Olympic Museum in Lausanne makes for a fun alternative venue, with a scenic location on the shore of Lake Geneva (and competitively priced packages to boot). It can host small and large events including receptions for up to 1,000 guests, while packages can incorporate visits of the museum and Olympic Park, as well as outdoor teambuilding activities like archery and 100m races.

 

 

If you stay at any of the hotels mentioned above, you won’t need to go far to eat well. At the Bürgenstock, we would especially recommend RitzCoffier’s French fine dining, Oak Grill’s farm-to-table cuisine and Spices Kitchen’s pan-Asian fare. Over in Bern, meanwhile, Kornhauskeller is a fine spot to try traditional Bernese and Swiss specialities in characterful surrounds – check out the high baroque architecture and Münger frescos inside this popular cellar restaurant. No matter where you eat, though, make sure to taste some Swiss wine. Little known outside of Switzerland – less than 5% of its production is exported – Swiss wine is seriously underrated and impressively good. A chasselas would be our top pick. If you can spare a few hours, take your group to the Unesco-listed wine region of Lavaux for a tour and a tasting at one of the terraced vineyards overlooking Lake Geneva. As well as running tours, family-owned Domaine Bovy can also host small-scale drinks receptions and private events. 

 

 

Switzerland is known the world over for its gorgeous scenery and fresh air, so no trip would be complete without an outdoor activity. Hiking, mountain biking and golfing are all available at the Bürgenstock resort. But if that sounds like too much effort, you can admire the views from the comfort of the Alpine Spa’s indoor pool or, better still, from its impressive infinity pool. Back in town, a guided tour is a great way of taking in the rich history, culture and architecture of Switzerland’s cities. Bern’s famous Bear Park and Unesco-listed old town (once home to the capital’s most illustrious resident: Albert Einstein), for example, are best explored on a walking or scooter tour. And for the sweet-toothed, another quintessential experience is a chocolate tasting. Max Chocolatier in Lucerne is a small atelier that produces all its chocolate by hand, including bespoke branded chocolate.

 

The Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau offers free advice and a venue-finding service for event organisers. Local advice is also available from the Lausanne Tourism & Convention Bureau, Bern Meeting & Events and Lucerne Convention Bureau. 

 

SWISS operates daily flights from several cities in the UK to Zurich and Geneva, from where it’s easy to travel by train to any destination in Switzerland. Rooms at the Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa in Lausanne, Hotel Schweizerhof in Bern and Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort on Lake Lucerne start from CHF300 (£235), CHF439 (£345) and CHF380 (£298) per room per night, respectively.