Munich/Lugano/Muralto, December 19, 2024: Arabella Hospitality SE announces its collaboration with Art Family Office SA to give the historic prestigious Grand Hotel Locarno in Italian-speaking Switzerland a new lease of life.

The listed building is owned by Art Family Office SA, the family office of the Artioli family, which has taken it over with the aim of breathing new life into it. The Swiss real estate development company Artisa Group, headed by Alain Artioli, was commissioned with the renovation.

The traditional 19th century hotel, once one of the most striking grand hotels in Ticino, will reopen as a five-star hotel under the Marriott Luxury Collection brand with Arabella Hospitality SE as operator following extensive renovation by the Swiss Artisa Group AG. A corresponding lease agreement was signed by both companies in Zurich on December 13, 2024. Construction began in August 2024 and the reopening is planned for the first quarter of 2027. With this cooperation, Arabella Hospitality is strengthening its commitment to the Swiss hotel industry and its position in the luxury segment, while at the same time reviving a piece of European hotel history.

Once the splendor of the Belle Époque, now new splendor for the future

Opened in 1876 as the first luxury hotel in Ticino, the Grand Hotel Locarno stood for elegance and exclusivity for decades. It was the venue for the Locarno Peace Conference in 1925 and played a central role in the social and cultural life of the region, not least as the birthplace of the legendary Locarno Film Festival in 1946. Until 1970, the hotel’s own park served as an open-air stage for the festival, where film stars such as Marlene Dietrich shaped the glamorous atmosphere. Until its closure in 2005, the hotel remained a meeting place for anyone who wanted to be in the spotlight of the stars.

Now Arabella Hospitality, together with the Art Family Office, is taking on the task of giving the Grand Hotel Locarno a new lease of life and re-establishing the hotel as a top destination in the region.

“Arabella Hospitality sees Switzerland as a growth market with potential. With the Grand Hotel, we are confirming our growth strategy in the DACH region and in the upscale hotel segment. The redesign of the Grand Hotel Locarno as a symbol of the cultural richness of the Belle Époque and as another extraordinary hotel is therefore not only a tribute to history for us, but also a strong commitment to the future of tourism in Ticino,” says Karl-Heinz Pawlizki, CEO of Arabella Hospitality SE.

“The Grand Hotel Locarno is one of the few hotels in Switzerland that has been preserved in its original structure. Our vision is to preserve this uniqueness and restore it professionally. At the same time, we want to revive the spirit and history of the hotel. This is our commitment to the history, the guests and the region. Our aim is to further enhance the project through management by Arabella Hospitality SE, one of the leading operators in the industry. With the Marriott Luxury Collection brand, we are creating the ideal basis to optimally position this property of the highest value,” adds Stefano Artioli, promoter of the initiative and President of the Art Family Office.

A project with vision and great responsibility

The project includes the careful restoration of listed elements such as the original stucco work, the famous Murano glass chandelier and the ornate wall paintings. In addition, the 110 rooms and suites as well as the public areas will be redesigned in the style of a palace as a reminder of the hotel’s illustrious history in order to bring the unique flair of Ticino to life. The offer is complemented by two restaurants, a bar, a spacious 4,000 square meter garden and a high-quality wellness and spa area. The Grand Hotel Locarno will also have first-class event and conference facilities, in particular an impressive conference and ballroom ensemble that extends over the entire first floor and has its own access to the spacious terrace that opens out onto the garden. An ideal location for glamorous events that will lend the luxury hotel a unique ambience.

Under the management of Artisa Group AG, the renovation work is not only being carried out in a cost-effective manner, but also with the greatest possible consideration for listed buildings and environmental protection.

“The renovation of the Grand Hotel Locarno is a key project for Artisa Group AG. It is a listed building dating back to 1800 that needs to be adapted to modern hotel standards through careful and precise work, with the active collaboration of the institutions and companies involved adding further value to the project. Our goal is to create a quality product that will be a flagship for the entire Locarno region and the Canton of Ticino, recognized throughout Switzerland and beyond. For this reason, Artisa Group AG is analyzing and implementing all the details that will enable the building to offer its guests the best comfort while being economically sustainable and respecting the historical substance,” says Flavio Petraglio, CEO of Artisa Group AG.

With the operation of the Grand Hotel Locarno, Arabella Hospitality is strengthening its commitment in the luxury segment. Alongside the Neue Schloss Privat Hotel Zürich, Autograph Collection, which is already established in Switzerland, and as the second hotel in the Luxury Collection alongside the Castillo Hotel Son Vida on Mallorca, the hotel will fit perfectly into the Arabella Hospitality portfolio.