McDonald’s Opens First Hotel

U.S. fast-food giant McDonald’s will open its first hotel on Sunday, 18 March 2001, near the Zurich airport in Switzerland. The Golden Arch Hotel hopes to attract business travelers on weekdays and families on weekends

The Golden Arch Hotels idea was launched by Urs Hammer, Chairman and CEO of McDonald’s Suisse Holding SA, the Swiss partner of the McDonald’s Corporation. Before joining the McDonald’s organization Hammer was himself a hotel manager with international experience in Asia and Europe. "Golden Arch opens a new business field for us and is a new stand-alone brand. At the same time we will be able to use synergies with our restaurant business regarding the customers, logistics and human resources. And of course we can build on the unmatchable expertise of McDonald’s in serving customers and making them feel at home", says the innovative 53 year old Chairman of McDonald’s Switzerland.

The first two Golden Arch hotels will open next spring in the Zurich-Airport region and on a new stretch of highway in the French speaking part of Switzerland, connecting Germany and Austria with France. The two hotels will have 211 and 80 rooms respectively. They are in the range of four-star hotels, targeted at business travelers during the week and at families and young adults on the weekends.

Among the various attractions of the Golden Arch hotels Is a special 4000-Dollar-bed. "sit’n’sleep" can be turned from a couch into a top of the line comfort bed. The Golden Arch hotels will offer high speed Internet access, a state-of-the –art online booking system, revolutionary easy check-in and check-out and special Internet rates for those who book the rooms over the www.goldenarchhotel.com homepage.