Do you dream of a cozy eagle's nest with a huge sun-bathed balcony and a panoramic view of the mountains of the Saanen-Gstaad region? The Solsana Sun & Soul Panorama pop-up hotel may well become your new destination! This majestic building which, at the beginning of the last century, welcomed patients from all over the world in search of pure mountain air has retained its former majesty, with a few grains of artistic madness in addition and above all an atmosphere where one feels so well ... Meeting with Vanessa Schwenter, passionate and fascinating hotel manager. She tells us about a luxury of a different kind. Welcome to his world of freedom and positive vibes!

THE JOURNEY

Was becoming a hotelier a childhood dream?

Yes, I have always been drawn to the hotel industry and tourism! As a child, I used to play "at the hotel" at home. I lived in a chalet in Schönried where I put room numbers on the doors and created a reception. There were also several hoteliers among the friends of the family, which certainly influenced me a bit as well. I kept all the hotel articles and brochures in a box. And I still have this box!

What was your professional career up to the management of Hotel Solsana?

I was also interested in interior design, but I quickly understood that for this job it took more than an apprenticeship ... So I did an internship in 3 hotels including the Hermitage in Schönried after my apprenticeship. The manager impressed me! It made me want to be a hotel manager too one day.

I left for 6 months in New Zealand and Australia, to travel and also to have professional experience there. I discovered catering and really liked this aspect of the hotel business. Back in Switzerland, I worked during the summer as a clerk at the Wasserngrat altitude restaurant, then 2 years in Bern at the Bellevue Palace. It was difficult because there was a lot of pressure to welcome the VIPs, it took a lot of discipline. But I have learned so much! I wanted to go back abroad and I chose London. I got the email address of Mr. Fasel from Freiburg, then director of the Dorchester. I emailed him and the week after I was there at the front office. I progressed and took on other roles. I told myself again that I wanted to be a hotel manager! After 2 and a half years, I returned because I wanted to complete my practical knowledge in a school. I took courses at the Lucerne University of Tourism, in its new branch which had just opened in Thun.

In addition to my studies, I worked at Gstaad Palace as an event manager during the summer. At the end of September, brothers Nik and Simon Buchs, owners of 16 Art-Bar-Restaurant as well as managers of Wasserngrat Bergrestaurant offered to work for them. They hired me by telling me that one day they would find me a hotel! In March 2018, the Solsana hotel was sold. We came to see it with Nik and Simon and 5 weeks later we opened! Nik and Simon are artists, everything is done by feeling with them, there is a common thread and then we follow the flow. Everything is decided quickly. The 5 weeks leading up to the opening have been the best of my life, although I love every day here. It was so cool to create that atmosphere. My passion is "think out of the box" and make this place more than a hotel. Everything is progressing here, there is a workshop where customers can do crafts, an artist’s workshop. Everything must live!

From the start, we knew it would be a pop-up until the day the owners of the walls started the renovations. But it's a pop-up that lasts because we can stay here until 2022. I like the pop-up concept because everything is always on the move!

What do you like the most about your job?

I love the contact with customers, the interaction with people. I have the "virus of hospitality"!

We are a team of 8 people for 50 rooms and 150 clients. When we are full, it’s unique! As our service is low key, the management is going well. In the 5-star hotel where I come from, there were 5 of us per guest!

Being a hotel manager is a 200% job! How do you recharge your batteries?

I never woke up in the morning saying to myself "I don't want to work"! I resource myself in nature, especially early in the morning. It’s a moment that I take for myself, it’s not always easy to find the time, but it’s important for my balance. I do a lot of sports, skiing, hiking, snowshoeing. When I go for a run it frees my head, this is where I have the best ideas! As a child, before I wanted to become a hotelier, I dreamed of becoming a skier!

THE POP-UP SUN & SOUL HOTEL IN SAANEN

The concept of the Sun & Soul Panorama Pop-up Hotel is very quirky and it may surprise you in the Saanen -Gstaad region, whose style is rather traditional, it is very different from other hotels! Can you explain it to us?

Our goal was really to be different in the region, we didn't want to do something that already existed. Beige cushions with deer heads are already everywhere! The Sun & Soul is a blend of the 80s and street style. The decoration is always evolving. When the hotel opened in 2018, the decoration was not finished, we want it to be always evolving. Everything can be changed and we never say to ourselves “it can't be done”!

The concept of the Sun & Soul Hotel is to make everything possible

VANESSA & TEA

What is your favorite tea?

Hunan Green, I love it! But I like all teas. I drink more tea than coffee.

What time of the day do you prefer tea?

All day, from morning to night!

With sugar?

No, that changes the taste too much and it's a shame for the tea.

With what sweets to accompany a tea?

Sushi with green tea is great! Our sushi master Yuki, who makes the sushi sold at the hotel, drinks tea as soon as she starts working in the morning. I also love drinking tea with a dark chocolate brownie.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Your favorite slope in Saanen-Gstaad?

The “Tiger Run” at the Wasserngrat.

And in Switzerland?

I like the ski areas of Zermatt and the Portes du Soleil.

What do you have to nibble in your pockets for a day of skiing?

Nothing ! Instead, I take a thermos of hot tea when I go up to see the sunrise. Otherwise on the slopes, I stop at a good restaurant. Restaurants are also my passion, even if it is difficult to fully enjoy the moment because I observe everything and I am very critical!

The best terrace to regain strength during a day of skiing?

That of the Wasserngrat, the view is spectacular, it is the best combination of excellent food and a warm atmosphere with sun loungers, blankets, everything is in the detail. My favorite food there and the meringues with double cream!

If you hadn't been a hotelier, you would have been ...?

Skier? Nothing is impossible !

What are your 3 “insider tips” in the Saanen - Gstaad region?

1. The sunrise from the top of Rellerli.

2. The "Tiger Run" (Turbachtal)

3. Sit on the terrace of the Refuge au Glacier 3000 (Les Diablerets).