Switzerland has built its reputation and business on training the next generation of hoteliers. The École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), perched on a hill above the city of Lausanne, is one school that does just that.
The stakes are high for a Michelin-starred restaurant, and they’re even higher when delivering impeccable service costs a college degree.
“The most nervous part is always the flambée, because everyone is afraid of making mistakes,” says the 20-year-old waiter at tonight’s Le Berceau des Sens. The restaurant is operated by Swiss hotel and management school EHL and became the world’s first student training restaurant to receive a Michelin star in 2021. .
The student waiter lights the rhubarb while looking nervously at his boss. He breathed a sigh of relief as the restaurant fell silent and the customers watched. The flambée was a success.
“Professional chefs actually prepare and season the food, but students help with the preparation and service,” confesses Lucrese Rakio, 31, the restaurant’s first female head chef. “I don’t believe in yelling in the kitchen. It can be stressful, but the students are here to learn,” Racchio says.
A 130-year-old school
Founded in 1893 by hotelier Jacques Tschumi, EHL is the world’s first hospitality management school. The first class took place at the 5-star Hotel d’Angleterre, located on the shores of Lake Geneva in Lausanne.
Today, the school sits on a hill overlooking the city, with a campus that resembles a cross between a fancy California university and an upscale airport terminal. The site covers an area of 80,000 square meters and the final renovation cost CHF 250 million. With seven restaurants on-site, locals can enjoy top-notch cuisine at discounted prices.
Netflix enters entertainment business
The campus may be brand new, but Switzerland’s great service arts don’t stop there. Switzerland’s luxurious palaces rose to fame from the mid-19th century onwards, becoming popular retreats for British aristocrats. One of the world’s most famous hotel entrepreneurs, Cesar Ritz, owner of the Ritz and Carlton chain, is also from Switzerland.
The story of Swiss hotel management has also caught the attention of Netflix in recent years, with an eight-part historical drama set to air later this year. The series tells the fictional story of the birth of luxury tourism in Switzerland and is the first co-production between Netflix and Swiss national broadcaster RTS.
children of the rich and famous
Similar to traditional classes, EHL students undergo “training” throughout the year, rotating through the school’s restaurants and kitchens. The goal is to take classes in wine tasting, mixology, and chocolate making to understand what’s behind the great things in life.
Of the 56 professional chefs who teach our students, six are winners of the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France Award, which recognizes France’s most talented chefs.
But not every semester is full of glitz and glamor, for example, students also take a housekeeping module. “Many students have parents who are famous or wealthy, for example, with a lot of money, so it can be a shock to find out that you have to change dirty sheets or use a toilet brush.” , the first-year student confessed, pointing to a classmate’s Louis Vuitton handbag.
switzerland reputation
At EHL, 72% of students are international students, who pay CHF 180,000 for the four-year course, while Swiss students pay CHF 85,000. With 400 scholarships in 4,000 locations, these schools are not an option for many families.
While this school’s reputation may be appealing, other top Swiss hospitality schools, such as Les Roches University and César Ritz University, also have many international students. Swiss boarding schools have long been famous for attracting children of royalty, politicians and even the ultra-wealthy. For many students, a degree from one of Switzerland’s top hospitality schools is a stepping stone into the world of finance and luxury goods.
When hospitality is in your DNA
For some, hospitality is part of their DNA. 20-year-old Héloïse Aguerre’s parents are farmers, but she always wanted to hang up her boots and join her uncle and aunt at their boutique hotel.
“Investing in a school is something not everyone can afford, but I always knew it was something I wanted to do,” she says with enthusiasm.
For student Nikita Novel, who comes from a family of wine producers, coming to EHL was about learning how to run a business.
“My dream is to take over a vineyard. I know about wine, I know how to physically run a vineyard operation, but I’m at a school that understands the industry that I’m about to enter. , you need to learn about organizing things.”
It’s all about the human experience
At EHL, enhancing the ‘human experience’ is at the heart of everything our students learn, explains Dean Achim Schmidt. You may wonder why you need such an expensive degree to learn how to engage professionally. But Julien, who has been with the company for 20 years, says the interpersonal skills he gained during a recent internship at a luxury five-star hotel in Paris were “essential.”
“At a palace in Paris, you have to deal with very demanding and sometimes rude customers. I’m happy to use my interpersonal skills to defuse the situation and negotiate so people leave with a smile on their faces. It is.”
But if you want your customers to feel like kings, you need to instill some hierarchy as well. You won’t find trendy baggy jeans or dirty sweatshirts on the EHL campus. Students must adhere to a formal dress code.
While it may sound like a nightmare to many 20-year-olds fresh out of school, many students here are enjoying the glitz. Julia, 23, is one of them. “Even when I’m not on campus, I don’t wear jeans or T-shirts anymore. I like tradition and order, things that are clear and have rules.”