According to the publication, Androsov has been looking for a buyer for some time. The sale is being handled by Benno Hafner, chairman of the board of directors of the hotel’s management company, in collaboration with the consulting firm Barnes Suisse.
The main obstacle remains the price. According to the Luzerner Zeitung, the property’s price has even deterred German billionaire Klaus-Michael Kühne. One of the newspaper’s sources called the asking price “absolutely unrealistic.”
Androsov acquired Château Gütsch in the summer of 2021. Since then, according to the newspaper, he has invested about 24 million Swiss francs (approximately $30 million) in the hotel’s development and now has no intention of selling the asset at a loss.
Following the purchase, the investor announced a large-scale but careful renovation of the complex. The project called for increasing the number of guest rooms, renovating the restaurant, positioning the hotel as a premium boutique property, and restoring the historic funicular that connects the hotel to the center of Lucerne.
Built in 1888, Château Gütsch is considered one of Lucerne’s most famous landmarks. After being closed for many years, the hotel reopened in 2014 following its renovation. Prior to Androsov, the hotel was owned by Russian entrepreneur Alexander Lebedev.
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