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Key people at Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne.
Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, recently rebranded to EHL Hospitality Business School, is an educational institution providing undergraduate, graduate, and professional development programs in hospitality management based in Lausanne, Switzerland. The institution operates two campuses in Switzerland and a third in Singapore, serving a global network of over 30,000 alumni distributed across more than 150 countries. In 2022, the school completed a significant infrastructure expansion by inaugurating a newly constructed Lausanne campus funded by a CHF 250 million capital investment. Generating revenue through academic tuition, online certifications, and corporate consulting via EHL Advisory Services, the organization is managed by CEO Michel Rochat and Chief Academic Officer Juan-Francisco Perellon. Recognized as a top-tier hospitality management school in the QS rankings, the institution combines academic coursework with practical industry internships. Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne was founded in 1893 by Jacques Tschumi.
Key people at Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne.
École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), now officially EHL Hospitality Business School since 2022, is the world's oldest and top-ranked hotel management school, founded in 1893.[1][2][3] It trains over 3,900 students from 127 nationalities in hospitality management, offering programs like BSc in International Hospitality Management (launched 1994) and EMBA, with a focus on blending Swiss hospitality traditions with modern innovation.[1][2][3] Located in Le Chalet-à-Gobet near Lausanne, Switzerland, EHL has educated over 25,000 professionals, maintaining strong industry ties through partnerships, internships, and a Michelin-starred training restaurant, Berceau des Sens.[1][3][5]
While not a traditional company, EHL operates as part of the EHL Group (founded 2015), supporting hospitality startups via a 2012 Business Incubator and leading research in applied hospitality studies—the only such center in Switzerland.[1][2][3]
EHL was founded in 1893 by Jacques Tschumi during Switzerland's late-19th-century tourism boom, starting in a room at the Hôtel d'Angleterre overlooking Lake Geneva to meet demand for skilled hospitality personnel.[1][2][6] As the world's first hotel school, it began with 27 students and evolved into a global leader, launching key programs like the BSc in 1994 and EMBA in 2001 via partnerships with the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland.[1]
Pivotal moments include acquiring the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality in 2013, rebranding to EHL Hospitality Business School in 2022 for international appeal under CEO Markus Venzin and President Carole Ackermann, and expanding with a Singapore campus.[1][2][8] These steps reflect its shift from foundational training to a comprehensive group fostering global hospitality education.[2][9]
EHL rides the wave of hospitality tech (hoteltech) and digital transformation in a $4.5 trillion global industry, training leaders to integrate AI, sustainability, and data analytics into guest experiences.[3][4][7] Its timing aligns with post-pandemic recovery and tech-driven personalization, where market forces like overtourism and labor shortages demand skilled managers—EHL's 25,000+ alumni form the industry's backbone, influencing operations at top hotels.[3][5][6]
Through its incubator and research, EHL shapes the ecosystem by nurturing startups in proptech, foodtech, and guest analytics, while campuses in Lausanne and Singapore bridge Swiss precision with Asian growth markets.[1][8] This positions it as a talent pipeline amplifying tech adoption in hospitality.
EHL will likely expand its global footprint with more campuses and digital programs, capitalizing on hospitality's tech boom—think AI concierges and sustainable operations—while leveraging its unmatched alumni network.[4][7] Trends like experiential travel and Web3 loyalty programs will define its path, evolving its influence from educator to innovation hub in a sector projected to grow 5-7% annually. As the original force in hospitality excellence, EHL remains the gold standard, humanizing tech for tomorrow's leaders.[1][4]
