The Return of the Belle Époque to Room No. 221
One room, two eras:
from the founders to today's guests
From 1929 onwards, the newly married couple Alice Disler (1906–1990), daughter of the hotel’s founder, and her husband Otto Schmid ran the hotel during the seasons, which usually lasted from Easter until the beginning of November. Like many hoteliers, the couple lived in the hotel, partly in what is now the Belle Époque room.
In 2016, Roberto Schmid decided to restore the room and open it, with its original furnishings, to hotel guests.
Inspired by the decorative ornaments of Italian hotels, the ensemble – with its whitewashed wood, wickerwork, Polish-style canopy bed and marble – reflects the style of Louis XVI.
During the Belle Époque, private bathrooms replaced chamber pots and water jugs. This bathroom, with its mosaic, dates from the 1960s, when the Schmid family decided to modernize parts of the by-then hundred-year-old hotel.
The building at Via Nassa 68, before the transformation
From family home to hotel via the Apostolic Administration
Great-grandfather Anton Disler's hotel concept
"The hotel must be comfortable, without excessive luxury, in light colours
Offer and project by arch. Giuseppe Pagani
The architect and entrepreneur in tourism development and the birth of the hotel in record time
Origin of the name "International au Lac"
Accessibility and location: how they influence hotel names
All Roads lead to Ticino
There are many ways to discover breathtaking scenic routes, from glaciers to palm trees.
The Bel-Etage: the social heart of the hotel since 1906
The noble hall: an atmosphere of bygone times, tradition evolving with the needs of the guests
From the Chamber Pot to Today's Comfort
Initially, the rooms did not have a private bathroom: they were equipped with washbasins with running water
Underground garage in the heart of the historic centre
Courage and foresight: the birth of the hotel's underground garage
Ten years of commitment to air-conditioning 100 venues
The freshness that passes through walls
The Return of the Belle Époque to Room No. 221
One room, two eras: from the founders to today's guests
A new generation thermal system is born
47.5% reduction in CO emissions thanks to the technological leap
Triptych of room renovations
Investing in the future, preserving the past and building the new, safeguarding history
ICOMOS/ UNESCO and NZZ Recognitions
Awarded for the art of combining history and modern comfort by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Words from our customers
Based on hundreds of reviews from travellers around the world, we assure you that choosing to stay with us was the right decision.
The Hotel International au Lac Today and Tomorrow
A combination of unique services in an unbeatable location plus the fifth generation and pages yet to be written