The former ‘GH’ (Garden Hotel) and its eventful life until it became today’s
‘PHWIN’ (Park Hotel Winterthur).
On 11 April 1957, Switzerland and the neighbouring countries looked to Winterthur: the opening of the ‘modern and feudal’ Garden Hotel caused a sensation. Many years have passed since then...so it's time to take a look back.
personally thanked the fathers of the Garten Hotel and said: ‘What has been created enriches our city in the most valuable way and closes a painful gap in Winterthur.’ Dr Franz Seiler, President of the Swiss Hoteliers' Association, was also extremely impressed, describing the hotel as an “ornament to the Swiss hotel industry”.
the founding fathers could be proud. They, well-known personalities from Winterthur's leading industrial and service companies, had long been convinced that the economically flourishing city urgently needed a first-class hotel. In their search for a suitable location, they came across the city's ‘Platanengut’. Georg Sulzer, later President of Garten Hotel AG, and Georg Schöllhorn, Board Delegate, were immediately enthusiastic and gave the green light to the great Winterthur architect Franz Scheibler and his then employee and later very successful independent architect Jakob Tabacznik.
The construction work in the centre of the park progressed rapidly. As always, the devil was in the detail: What should the new ‘establishment’ be called? The search for a name turned out to be a stumbling block. Hotel Platanengut? Not acceptable to the majority. Hotel St. Georgen, in reference to the neighbouring district? Sounded like a dragon slayer - and it was also sarcastically noted that Georg was the first name of both the president and the board delegate. Garden Hotel emerged as the winner, ‘as an unoffensive compromise of exuberant fantasies’, as Georg Sulzer explained in his opening speech. However, the choice of name led to another problem: the architect did an exemplary job and proudly announced that the hotel could be opened at Christmas 1956. However, the founding fathers stoically refused to inaugurate a building with the name ‘Garden Hotel’ at a time of year when not a single flower was in bloom! They preferred to ‘work late - do as if’, as the president called it, and accepted the additional costs caused by the delay. On 11 April 1957, the time had come: the new hotel was opened with glamour and splendour - and a blooming garden. It offered 50 rooms, 20 car parking spaces and a quiet lounge. The leaseholders, Mr and Mrs Sommer, did a great job and served the illustrious guests in the ‘Stadtrestaurant’, the ‘Restaurant Français’ and the bar.
An overnight stay in the stylish hotel rooms cost CHF 18 at the time. If the guest wanted breakfast, the price was increased by CHF 2.50. Incidentally, the very first guest was none other than the Board of Directors delegate himself. Dr Georg Schöllhorn moved into a room as a trial guest one day before the opening. He slept miserably, as he confided to the ‘Neue Winterthurer Zeitung’ at the time. Not because of the quality of the bed, but out of sheer anxiety about the upcoming opening ceremony. He could have saved himself a sleepless night: The Garten Hotel Winterthur started its existence with the highest praise.
In the middle of the park and in the centre of life - the Park Hotel Winterthur is still THE address in Winterthur. To keep it that way, the hotel has been given a gentle facelift in time for its anniversary and the restaurant and bar have received an architectural vitamin injection. And we gave the hotel two resounding new names. In June 2005, the remodelling and extension of the traditional establishment began. Why? Quite simply, because we are as attached to our cosy hotel as we are to the town in which it is located. We are investing with conviction in the future of the former Garten Hotel and in Winterthur as a location. You can find out more about the Bloom restaurant and bar lounge on its own website www.bloom.ch. It is definitely a place where people like to linger and enjoy themselves, where they meet other people and feel at home. The hotel business has become increasingly successful in recent years. In 2004 alone, overnight stays increased by 15%. This is why the hotel has been remodelled with 11 new ground-floor rooms with a pleasant living atmosphere. The Schöllhorn and Rosensaal halls had to make way for the Garden Hall, which was remodelled into a real conference gem.
Turning points in life should be marked. We think so too. That's why the Garten Hotel Winterthur started into the future with two new names in November 2005: the hotel was renamed ‘Park Hotel Winterthur’ - simply because the green area in which the building stands is not a simple garden, but a magnificent park with graceful plants and imposing old trees. The Ellipse restaurant no longer lived up to its name after the remodelling, as it moved out of the Ellipse to make way for the bar. The restaurant is now called Bloom and enchants its guests with the freshness and vitality of a blossoming flower.
Park Hotel Winterthur
Stadthausstrasse 4
8400 Winterthur
Switzerland
Tel: +41 52 265 02 65
welcome@phwin.ch