Entertainment

#Astronaut #Space #Country #Disappeared #Earth #Life #Style
2024-04-18 03:29:41

2024-04-18 02:57:52

18. April 2024

Since 1844, the Baur au Lac has been one of the flagships in Zurich. As one of very few five-star hotels in the world, it is still in family hands. Marguita Kracht, Andrea Kracht’s seventh generation daughter, is now taking the helm – and is turning the restaurant concept on its head. Not everyone likes this break with norms, but it is not for nothing that the owner family can look back on 180 years of success.

Anyone who knows the city of Zurich also knows Baur au Lac (“Baur am See”). Located directly on the lakeshore, the hotel has been one of the top addresses in Zurich, Switzerland and Europe since it opened 180 years ago. The hotel has been run by the founding family since 1844 – making it one of the very few five-star hotels in the world that are still family-owned. Behind the house is the Kracht family, which no longer bears the name of the hotel founder Johannes Baur, but is a direct successor to him. “We have seven generations of history,” says owner Andrea Kracht in an interview with Forbes. This is also necessary, because with room prices ranging from 650 CHF to 6,500 CHF per night and person, the expectations of the guests are not low either. Overall, the hotel generates an annual turnover of around CHF 75 million, of which around CHF 50 million comes from hotel operations and around CHF 25 million from the wine trade.

With up to 350 employees – the number varies depending on the occasion, many employees are only used for banquets or events – the Baur au Lac recently achieved an occupancy rate of 94% of the available rooms, which was also a record for the Kracht family. “People really wanted to travel once more following Covid,” said Kracht. “We feel a little less pressure in this regard for 2024, but the year is also developing well.”

And although these are certainly presentable facts, big changes are coming to the house. On the one hand, Andrea Kracht’s daughter Marguita is already the seventh generation involved in the management; The 31-year-old will gradually take over the management of the house from her father. The hotel is also adapting to the new circumstances by undergoing the largest renovation in recent history, during which the Pavillon restaurant is being completely redesigned. After the reopening, which is planned for summer 2024, Mediterranean cuisine at the highest level will be offered there under the appropriate name “Marguita”. The restaurant not only bears the name of Andrea Kracht’s daughter – but also that of his mother. This overall project is called “Baur au Lac Reloading”, which also includes a completely new look for the brand, for which Marguita Kracht is responsible.

“We have to adapt and bring regarding changes,” says Andrea Kracht regarding the innovations. “We always want to be top.”

In March 2020, the global hotel industry experienced a shock that was unparalleled before (and since): the Covid pandemic led to travel stops, lockdowns, and the world came to a standstill. Hotels had to close – some temporarily, some permanently. And travel habits changed: guests booked at shorter notice and for shorter periods of time, which made planning more difficult for hotel operators.

The Baur au Lac was also affected, although differently than other houses. “We were always open even during Covid,” says Andrea Kracht, not without pride. But the pandemic meant that the Kracht family also had to react: the renovation of the Pavillon restaurant – which was definitely a flagship for the hotel with two Michelin stars and a top rating of 18 points from Gault-Millau – had to be postponed. “2024 finally seemed like a good time for us,” said Father Kracht.

We must adapt and create change. We always want to be top.

The desire, The idea of ​​rethinking the in-house restaurant was once once more fueled by Covid, as the average length of stay of guests at Baur au Lac has become longer once more in recent years, which also means that visitors eat in the restaurant one or more times. And: The character of global star gastronomy, in which the ambience and mood often fade into the background in order to sharpen the focus on the food, seemed to the entrepreneurial family to be out of date in a certain way. “Young guests want relaxed and light-hearted gastronomy,” says Marguita Kracht. “Devotive visits to restaurants with a focus on the menu no longer fit the spirit of the times.”

The aim is to have shorter menus and a relaxed atmosphere – in return, the hotel will forego stars and Gault-Millau points in the future. This radical step not only received positive feedback: gastro critics were surprised and also annoyed. The media also shook their heads, figuratively speaking: “How can it be that the hotel just gives up stars and points like that?” wrote the free newspaper 20 Minutes, and the tabloid Blick asked: “Why does such a renowned hotel do without a kitchen that has been successful for years?”

But the owners did not take this decision lightly. Although Andrea Kracht does not want to give any specific figures, he says that the renovation involves “high investments”. He then argues relatively emotionlessly: “Our hotel guest knows the world’s star cuisines – he doesn’t come to the Baur au Lac to eat in the pavilion. Our guests tend to go to restaurants where there is a good atmosphere.”

This is one of the reasons why Martin Brudnizki was once once more entrusted with the interior design. The Swede had previously not only developed the in-house brasserie Baur’s, but also Annabel’s in London and The Beekman in New York. “It’s not just regarding the aesthetics, but also regarding the layout of the restaurant, the light and much more,” says Kracht. It is essential that the quality is right – “our customers can see that immediately”.

Marguita Kracht is the Swiss cover of issue 2-24 on the topic
“Tourism”

As a native Austrian When Johannes Baur opened a hotel on the shores of Lake Zurich in 1844, it was a sensation. He had already made a name for himself six years earlier with the Hotel Baur, but added another exclamation mark with the Baur au Lac. It was the first of its kind in such a location and set very high standards from the start. The hotel served as a refuge for wealthy people; almost as a villa where they might spend the night undisturbed and unseen. It was the first such house on Lake Zurich and also attracted international attention – not least because of its size. The international press reported widely on the new “giant inn”, as the Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung described the house.

The Hotel Baur au Lac relied on the highest quality right from the start, but also benefited from clever moves by the founder. Johannes Baur campaigned not only to build Bahnhofstrasse, but also to extend it to the lake – conveniently directly to his hotel. Early on, the guests included numerous monarchs from Europe and the world, including the Austrian Empress Elisabeth (“Sisi”). Much later, celebrities such as Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot also came to the Hotel Baurau Lac. The legends surrounding the house include the anecdote that Bertha von Suttner in Baur au Lac convinced the Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel to establish the Nobel Peace Prize.

Even today the house has a very prominent clientele, and the owner family has also remained the same. Although Johannes Baur’s granddaughter, Emmy, took the name of her husband Karl Kracht following her wedding, the hotel is still in the hands of the founder’s family to this day. From the 1950s onwards, large-scale investments were made in the hotel, and there was also a focus on wine sales, which today accounts for around a third of sales (two thirds come from hotel operations). The fact that the house will continue to be in family hands for the next generation is also due to the fact that Marguita Kracht “never really thought regarding” not joining the family business.

“Our hotel has had a big impact on me since I was a child,” says the young hotelier. “Luckily, I then had the opportunity to gain my own experience in other companies.” Kracht studied economics in Boston and got to know the working world at Moët Hennessy in the USA and London. “The wine and spirits sector is of course very close to the hotel industry, but cannot be compared to the operations of a hotel,” says Marguita Kracht.

In order to learn the craft from scratch, she then gained professional experience at the Lanesborough Hotel and the Aman hotel chain before becoming part of the pre-opening team at the Peninsula Hotel in London – helping to reopen the prestigious hotel. In 2021 he joined the family business. “At some point I had so many ideas that I was getting on my father’s nerves,” says Marguita Kracht with a wink. Because the daughter wanted to know from her father why certain things in the house were done that way and not the way she had seen it done in other hotels – that meant she was completely caught up in the business.

“It’s all been very fluid so far,” says Kracht junior when asked when she would finally replace her father – and with a view to her father, who was also chairman of the Leading Hotels of the World, an alliance of luxury hotels, for many years , of which Baur au Lac is also a member: “It’s nice to have a passion that you can pursue throughout your life.”

Although so much change can be seen in the house, certain things will not change – because the Baur au Lac wants to constantly change, but without losing its own path. When asked regarding expansion plans, Andrea Kracht waves it off: “We had a lot of inquiries. However, if we wanted to maintain our standards of service, quality and location, we would have to take over a hotel like the Ritz in Paris, the Beau-Rivage in Geneva or the Sacher in Vienna. And that can actually no longer be paid for today, because the purchase price would be so high that the return simply no longer corresponds to the purchase price. We would want to do this in the long term and not sell it once more in the short term.”

And his daughter adds another aspect as to why expansion to several locations would not be compatible with the family philosophy: “As a family, we are very present in the house. If we had a second house in another city, we would no longer be able to show this presence. Then you simply cannot spend the time in the house that is needed to make these long-term strategic decisions.” So it has not yet been decided when the baton will finally be handed over.

All those who are waiting for Andrea Kracht to get out of the business – and perhaps just look following his vegetable garden, like hotel founder Johannes Baur did – will have to be patient. In any case, the future of the luxury hotel on Lake Zurich is secured by the arrival of Marguita Kracht and the fact that the new restaurant will bear her name. And: The eighth generation of the hotelier family has already seen the light of day.

The Hotel Baur au Lac was founded in Zurich in 1844 by the Austrian Johannes Baur. Today Marguita Kracht runs the house with her father Andrea Kracht in the seventh generation.

Klaus Fiala,
Editor-in-Chief

1713410678
#open

2024-04-18 00:30:44
Shu Qi’s birthday, Feng Delun posted a “black picture” to show off!From friends of 20 years to husband and wife, Shu Qi: The abacus is ready

Shu Qi’s birthday, as her husband, Feng Delun, inevitably came to show off, but unexpectedly Director Feng actually released an “old black picture” of the goddess-like wife, and even more humorously said, “Anyone seen my wife? It’s her birthday today” (Has anyone seen my wife? Today is her birthday)” Shu Qi herself even came up to leave a message, “The abacus is ready…” The alternative flirting with each other is so cute! No matter what, I still want to say happy birthday to goddess Shu Qi🎂

【View now】Yahoo Style page to keep up with the latest trends and discount information

（IG@stephenfungible）

（IG@stephenfungible）

The entertainment industry is a circle where people come and go. Many people hit it off immediately. Some people have to wait many years before they realize that the person they have known for a long time is the one in their life. Shu Qi and Feng Delun were friends who had known each other for more than ten years, but they became a couple following four years of dating. The relationship between friends and partners was uneventful, and the process of growing gray hair together was also joyful and sweet.

（IG@stephenfungible）

After Feng Delun and Shu Qi dated for four years, the two went to Europe to shoot the movie “Rogue Alliance”. The two people, with their casual personalities, decided to take a day off from work to get married. Instead of wearing a gorgeous dress and wedding dress, Shu Qi put on a simple dress given by H&M, a veil randomly selected locally, and a pair of white flat shoes, while Feng Delun bought a suit on the roadside. Simple, impromptu, not caring regarding the red tape of the public, as long as two people are together, they can make a commitment. After all, marriage is a matter of two people in the end. At that time, Feng Delun shared this relationship with friendship and time as the strong foundation: “Our wedding was so simple, and our dresses were so casual. We have known each other for twenty years and been in love for four years. I have no objection at all.” Gu married her, yes, we decided to stay with each other for the rest of our lives.”

（IG@stephenfungible）

There are always two sayings regarding love: “Meet the wrong person at the right time” or “Meet the right person at the wrong time.” In the love story between Feng Delun and Shu Qi, perhaps a supplement is added to these two sentences: Even if we can’t be together at the moment, it doesn’t mean we have to miss it. The right person will always become the right person. Regarding this relationship, Shu Qi looks back and thinks that the seeds of fate may have been planted when they first met. Unlike the seeds in nature, the seeds of love may take several years or even ten years to sprout: “Love starts from the first meeting. At that glance, a seed is planted in my heart, and hope for the future is planted. It is planted with a desire for life, hoping to be irrigated by the person in my eyes, and longing for it. Being able to stay with the right person.”

（Getty Images）

The two keep a low profile both in real life and online. Apart from work, they mostly share photos of their beloved cats, and they only see each other occasionally. It was once said that there was a divorce agreement between the two, but neither Feng Delun nor Shu Qi responded. If it was untrue, let him dilute it. It would be more practical to respond with actions and time. Feng Delun was once asked in the variety show “Sister Is So Hungry” why he always wears a wedding ring. He also responded lightly: “It doesn’t mean anything, I just feel happy when I see it.” On Shu Qi’s birthday, Feng Delun posted his wife’s wedding ring on his IG “Old black picture”, and even said, “Has anyone seen my wife? Today is her birthday🎂” Shu Qi mightn’t help but leave a message saying, “The abacus is ready…” Even Ah Sa left a message Said, “Sweeeeeet😍” The way this low-key model couple gets along is so interesting!

（Getty Images）

>>Click here to download<<全新Yahoo APP，睇盡衣、食、住、行，全方位最新網購情報，購物資訊盡掌握，立即下載！

How does Carina Lau age gracefully? The 58-year-old’s secret to skin care: drink a glass of lemon water following meals every day, and go hiking when you feel down.

To keep up with trends and shopping information, click on the link below to see more~

🎉📱Style Facebook：https://www.facebook.com/YahooStyleHK/

🎉📱Style Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/yahoostylehk/

🎉📱Latest discount code/online shopping guide:https://hk.news.yahoo.com/topic/hkshopping

Trendy hot words:

Mai Mingshi successfully proposed to her boyfriend Sheng Jinwei!A wise view of love: the ultimate goal of love is to learn to love

Liang Luoshi talks regarding the reasons for breaking up with Li Zekai for the first time and his persistence in love: When you love someone, you should devote yourself to love with all your heart.

Michelle Yeoh’s 7 golden sayings for girls express the glory of hardship and the philosophy of life and love: Don’t let anyone tell you that your golden age is over

1713410144
#Shu #Qis #birthday #Feng #Delun #posted #black #picture #show #offFrom #friends #years #husband #wife #Shu #abacus #ready

#Ananda #Omesh #loves #motorbikes #mightnt #afford