Hotels and Leisure
Practice Group
Tourism is a major sector in Switzerland. As a Swiss law firm covering all regions, we advise hotel chains and investors on all legal matters in the hospitality industry including acquisitions, disposals, developments, construction, leasing, management and operation of hotels. Our client base comprises corporate owners and high net worth individuals among others. We are dedicated providing result-driven legal representation in the complex legal and regulatory hotel industry.
Expertise
Experience
- Acquisition and sale of hotels
- Hotel management contracts
- Franchise agreements, hotel lease agreements and all related agreements
- Financing of hotel acquisitions or refurbishments / renovations
- Hotel developments as well as land use and zoning law
- Total contractor, general work contracts for the construction of hotels as well as architect agreements
- Hotel joint venture agreements
- All aspects of the travel industry, such as agency and marketing agreements, aviation law, food law, employment law, data protection, advertising, and all applicable COVID legislation or ordinance
- We regularly advise SV Group AG on the conclusion of long-term lease agreements for hotel projects with the franchisor Marriott
- Advice to foreign clients for the legal and tax due diligence for the acquisition and the sale of two different five-star hotels in Geneva as well as the negotiation and the signing of a hotel management contract
- Advice to a foreign client in the Middle East for the acquisition of the Hôtel Beaulac, the sole four-star business hotel of Neuchâtel, the financing of the transaction and a major refurbishment of the building. Our partner Yves Jeanrenaud is a member of the board of directors of the company holding the hotel
- Advice to a foreign client involving the legal and tax due diligence for the acquisition of a three-star hotel in Geneva near the main railway station
- Advice to a foreign client for the legal and tax due diligence for the acquisition of a two-star hotel, the negotiation and the signing of a franchise agreement with the ACCOR group
- Advice to a Chinese investor for the acquisition of a five-star resort hotel in the Canton of Vaud through the transfer of a business agreement concerning all assets and liabilities
- Advice to a foreign investor for the acquisition of a well-located Japanese restaurant in Geneva situated on the ground-floor of a condominium property
- Advice to investors from Saudi Arabia for the termination of a hotel management agreement and for a technical and pre-opening services agreement concerning a five-star hotel in Jeddah
- Advice to the owner of a five-star hotel in Geneva for the negotiation, drafting and signing of various leases for the creation of a retail luxury shop and of a restaurant in the hotel premises
- Advice to H.I.G. Capital Group in the acquisition of the 238-room hotel property at the Congress Center and Messe Basel
Contact
Partners
Full Team
Highlights
Schellenberg Wittmer: Top tier Ranking in Chambers & Partners 2023 Global Guide
16.02.2023
Chambers & Partners has again ranked Schellenberg Wittmer as a leading firm in the 2023 edition of Chambers Global. The Chambers Global Guide ranks the top lawyers and …
Schellenberg Wittmer wins "Law Firm of the Year – Switzerland" at The Lawyer European Awards 2022
05.12.2022
Schellenberg Wittmer has been recognized as "Law firm of the year - Switzerland", at The Lawyer European Awards 2022 for the third year in a row. We are …
Effects of the Energy Crisis on Commercial Contracts
17.08.2022
On 5 August 2022, to increase the EU's security of energy supply, the European Council adopted COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) 2022/1369 on coordinated demand reduction measures, aimed at reducing …
Awards & Recognitions
The group and leading practitioners are highly recognized for their work in hotels and leisure amongst leading law firms across international directories and publications:
- Chambers Europe in Real Estate
- Chambers Global and Europe in Arbitration
- Legal 500 in Real Estate & Construction
- WWL Switzerland and across WWL Construction international guides