Insider Stories

Jörg Arnold is assuming leadership of The Chedi Andermatt as General Manager on 1 October 2023; he simultaneously becomes Cluster Director of Hotels Andermatt for Orascom Hotels Management. In this role, he will be continuing to manage the growth of the hotels as well as the development into a prime alpine destination. Jörg Arnold (born 1960) was most recently General Manager of the 5* Hotels Storchen and Widder in Zurich as well as Alex in Thalwil. Originating from the canton of Uri, Jörg Arnold has more than 35 years of experience in international tourism and hotel business, both in strategic and operational management. For the last 22 years, Arnold worked in the hotel Storchen in Zurich, as General Manager since 2006 and also as General Manager of the 5* Widder (Zurich) and Alex (Thalwil) hotels since 2020. Jörg Arnold is a member of the board of management of the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) and has been a member of the HotellerieSuisse association management for many years, as well as Vice President of Zürich Tourismus. He has also been on the executive board of Schweiz Tourismus. Jörg Arnold will be directly managing The Chedi Andermatt as General Manager at the Andermatt Swiss Alps Group. As a Cluster Director of the Andermatt hotels, on behalf of Orascom Hotels Management, he will also be managing the business area with the hotels The Chedi Andermatt, Radisson Blu Reussen and the holiday apartments Andermatt Alpine Apartments. The initial work on the third hotel, which is also part of the Group, started in 2023. The opening is planned for 2027/28. The collaboration of the hotels will also provide the Andermatt Swiss Alps Group with additional growth opportunities on the international market as well as synergies from reinforced cooperation. “We are delighted that Jörg Arnold is taking on the management of The Chedi Andermatt. His wide-ranging experience will further develop the success story of the Andermatt beacon,” says Samih Sawiris, President of the Board of Directors of the Andermatt Swiss Alps AG. “His network in training and further development as well as in tourism are a huge opportunity for the whole hospitality sector of the Group to push our high expectations forward, developing it further into a year-round destination,” Samih Sawiris continues.

“Ichi-go ichi-e” is the Japanese four character idiom – or “yojijukugo” – that celebrates the art of living every moment. It is this concept that is embodied by an exhilarating new menu created by the new Executive Chef twin duo, Dominik Sato and Fabio Toffolon, for The Japanese Restaurant (1 Michelin star, 17 GaultMillau points) and The Japanese by The Chedi Andermatt (1 Michelin star, 15 GaultMillau points). Since May of this year, the twins have been showcasing elite culinary skills and creativity at The Chedi Andermatt, elevating the Japanese statement cuisine of the five-star deluxe hotel to a whole new level. Painstaking preparation techniques, excellent ingredients and a pinch of creativity are hallmarks of their first omakase menu. Whether they are serving Balfego Tuna, Royal Dove, Wagyu or their signature dish of Black Cod and Yuzu Miso Sauce, the twins bring a modern twist and culinary lightness to Andermatt tables. The new dream team is complemented by native Japanese Yoshiko Sato, who is married to Dominik Sato and is responsible for the restaurant’s delectable patisserie. Commencing their role in May 2023, this appointment marks the first time that the Schaffhausen-born twins have run a restaurant together. Born in 1989, they not only represent the new generation of culinary excellence and ingenuity but also embody The Chedi philosophy of Alpine and Asian culture. Thanks to their well-seasoned expertise in authentic Japanese cuisine, which is underpinned by fierce passion and creativity, the culinary concept remains unchanged in both of the fine-dining restaurants. Prior to this position, both Sato and Toffolon worked in leading positions with the best chefs in Switzerland and Europe, setting them up perfectly to make their joint mark on the cuisine of Andermatt’s finest hotell.   Taste the difference: Modern interpretations of Fine Japanese dining ‘Balfego Tuna with Daikon, Mioga and Shishito Pepper’, ‘King Crab with Finger Limes, Dashi and Peas’ and ‘Shiitake Essence with Enoki and Edamame’ are among the twins’ first creations. “We tweaked, tasted, experimented, discussed, perfected and then threw out entire flavour combinations, until we could 100 per cent stand behind our joint premiere menu,” says Dominik Sato. “We’re all the prouder of our first complete culinary work of art,” adds Fabio Toffolon. Highlights include the ‘Shidashi-Bento Lunch’ and the Omakase Menu at The Japanese by The Chedi Andermatt (located at 2300 metres amongst the mountain peaks), and the four- to six-course Modern Omakase Menu at The Japanese Restaurant. ‘Omakase’ means “trust the cook,” which diners most certainly can, as they experience the exquisite care with which the components are placed on dishes, and the love of detail that goes into the presentation. The flavours embody the perfected passion for unusual dishes and first-class product quality, which is championed by the twins when sourcing ingredients. The twins are currently intending to lead both fine-dining restaurants jointly, complementing and enriching each other, whilst enjoying the unique style each takes to their work. Every quarter, guests can look forward to new, seasonal menus, the natural exception to this being when the twins have a new spur-of-the-moment umami idea.  A family affair: Yoshiko Sato in charge of patisserie The Chedi Andermatt has achieved another coup in patisserie. Dominik Sato’s wife Yoshiko Sato is from Japan and is the person responsible for the twins’ passion for Japanese culture and cuisine that has influenced their dishes for many years now. A talented and successful patissière in her own right, Yoshiko Sato has now followed her husband and brother-in-law to The Chedi Andermatt. She takes her place in the new dream-team, and is responsible for patisserie in The Japanese Restaurant and The Japanese by The Chedi Andermatt. With her deep-rooted experience in high-end gastronomy – including time spent at The Dolder Grand Hotel and Victor's Fine Dining by Christian Bau – she gives the sweet creations of this five-star deluxe hotel a touch more Japanese authenticity.

On 15th May 2023 Ulrich Schwer took over the management of Rocco Forte’s Hotel de Rome in Berlin. He succeeds Gordon Debus, who has successfully managed the hotel since August 2017 and who has made the decision to leave in order to pursue new professional challenges. In taking up this role as General Manager of the Hotel de Rome, Ulrich Schwer returns to the city where he began his distinguished career in hospitality more than 20 years ago, as an apprentice at the Hotel Adlon. Various positions abroad working for Fairmont Hotels – first at The Savoy in London, then at The Plaza in New York and the Scottsdale Princess in Arizona, with a stopover at Belmond’s La Samanna hotel on the Caribbean island of St. Martin – paved his way for an international career in the hotel industry. In 2013 Ulrich Schwer returned to his home country of Germany, where he first worked at the Althoff Seehotel Überfahrt and then moved to the Althoff Hotel am Schlossgarten in Stuttgart as Managing Director. He managed the Stuttgart hotel for almost 10 years before it closed for extensive renovations in 2022. Since then he has worked as a consultant, and in February of this year he became Interim General Manager of the new Hotel Telegraphenamt in Berlin. With the appointment of Ulrich Schwer as the new General Manager of Hotel de Rome, Rocco Forte is placing the future direction of the Berlin hotel in the hands of a manager with international experience in the luxury hotel industry, who for two years in a row – 2021 and 2022 – has been recognised as one of the top 50 hoteliers in Germany by the Aral Schlemmer Atlas. On the subject of his new role in Berlin Ulrich Schwer says: "I am hugely delighted to be able to work once again for a 5* luxury hotel group like Rocco Forte, whose hotels are characterised by their individual charm and their particularly relaxed atmosphere. It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be able to use my experience and expertise, in the city where it all began, to manage such a wonderful hotel in such a prominent location as the Hotel de Rome on Bebelplatz, and to keep working with the team here to ensure its future success.”

Lydia Forte, group director of food & beverage at Rocco Forte Hotels, has joined the Gold Service Scholarship board of trustees. In her role, Forte will support existing trustees to help shape and direct the future of the industry’s only dedicated scholarship for front-of-house professionals. Forte joins founding chairman, Alastair Storey, alongside trustee and chair of judges, Edward Griffiths, and other trustees, Silvano Giraldin, Sergio Rebecchi, Thomas Kochs, Knut Wylde, Alessandro Fasoli, and Secretariat, David Battersby. All board members and trustees voluntarily support the competition judging process, help mentor entrants through the competition, as well as offer ongoing career support and guidance. The Gold Service Scholarship is open to individuals aged 22-28 who work full-time in front of house food and beverage service in the UK hospitality industry. Over the last decade, candidates have come from a range of hotels and restaurants across the UK, as well as event and foodservice companies, Royal Palaces, and private clubs. Lydia, daughter of Sir Rocco Forte, who himself is an ambassador and sponsor of the scholarship, is responsible for the performance of Rocco Forte Hotels’ food and beverage portfolio. Her career to date has seen her receive widespread industry recognition. Rocco Forte Nourish, a healthy eating programme created by Lydia and her sister Irene across the group’s hotels, won a Catey Award in 2017; she also won Top Family Business Rising Star at the European Families in Business Awards in 2018; and she was also selected to be an investor in the first season of the BBC Two television series Million Pound Menu. After graduating from the University of Oxford, where she read Modern History, Forte worked as a waitress at Hix in London’s Soho, and then as assistant manager of the Markham Inn in Chelsea. After studying for an MBA at INSEAD in 2013, she returned to the company in 2014 to work on further restaurant projects. She is also on the development board for her local charity West London Zone, which supports children at risk. The news follows the recent announcement of the latest Gold Service Scholar, Jupiter Humphrey-Bishop, a footman at the Royal Household. Forte said: “I’ve always been passionate about restaurants, particularly delivering fantastic service and interacting with guests. I look forward to working with my fellow trustees on how we can inspire the next generation of service professionals and show young people the opportunities a career in hospitality can offer, as well as support and develop them to reach their full potential.” Storey added: “On behalf of the entire board, we warmly welcome Lydia Forte as our newest trustee. As a scholarship, we have had a longstanding relationship with the Forte family and their support of the scholarship together with that of the Lord Forte Foundation, has been incredible. We look forward to the expertise Lydia will bring to the board as we look to continue to build on the successes of the last 10 years.”

Laurent Gardinier has been named successor to current president Philippe Gombert. He will take over the role on January 1, 2023 following a six-week handover. Laurent Gardinier, a co-owner, along with his brothers, of Relais & Châteaux Domaine Les Crayères in Champagne, and of Parisian restaurant Le Taillevent, currently represents the association as National Delegate for France and has served as a member of the board of directors for 17 years. As President, as well as honoring the commitments of his predecessor, he will be dedicated to serving our member properties and enhancing the solidarity of the Relais & Châteaux association and the fundamental values it embodies. Assisted by an experienced, complementary management team that shares his ambitions, he will ensure the democratic vitality of the Association while giving teams clear, balanced and ambitious development and performance objectives.

St. James’s Hotel & Club Mayfair in London, part of Althoff Collection, named Francesco Sardelli as general manager. Originally from Puglia, Sardelli moved to London in I989 where he started out as a room service waiter at Grosvenor House. With 30 years’ experience in the luxury hospitality industry, he worked his way up to general manager, most recently at The Kensington Hotel-Doyle Collection. He has also held management roles at other top London hotels including The Baglioni, Brown’s Hotel and The Stafford. “I am delighted to be joining St. James’s Hotel & Club, a hotel steeped in history and with so much potential for further evolution,” Sardelli said. “There is exceptional dining at Michelin starred Seven Park Place by William Drabble, elegant design and spacious rooms and suites. The location too is exceptional, being in a quiet cul-de-sac but so close to Green Park and the glamour of Mayfair.’