Les Roches International School of Hotel Management

Les Roches International School of Hotel Management
Name	Les Roches International School of Hotel Management
Established	1954
Type	Private
City	Crans-Montana
Country	Switzerland
Campus	Mountain resort campus
Affiliations	Laureate Education; University of Nevada, Las Vegas affiliation (historical)

Les Roches International School of Hotel Management is a private hospitality institution located in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, offering professional training in hotel management and luxury hospitality. Founded in 1954, the school has connections with international organizations and institutions such as Hotel de Paris (Monte-Carlo), Swissôtel, Accor, Hilton Worldwide and The Leading Hotels of the World. It operates within the context of global hospitality networks including World Tourism Organization, International Hotel & Restaurant Association, Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, and European Association of Hotel Managers.

History

The school was founded in 1954 and its development involved figures and institutions like École hôtelière de Lausanne, Glion Institute of Higher Education, Institut de Management Hôtelier International, César Ritz Colleges, and alumni who worked at Ritz Paris, Savoy Hotel, The Dorchester (hotel), Claridge's, and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Les Roches expanded amid shifts in hospitality influenced by actors such as Jacques Saout, executives from InterContinental Hotels Group, managers from Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and consultants from McKinsey & Company. The 1990s and 2000s saw partnerships and acquisitions involving Laureate Education, collaborations with University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and exchanges with campuses like Les Roches Jin Jiang and links to corporations including Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, AccorHotels, Marriott International, and Best Western International. Recent decades included alumni leadership at Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Kempinski Hotels, and Accor Live Limitless.

Campus and Facilities

The campus in Crans-Montana features alpine facilities near landmarks such as Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Lake Geneva, Verbier, and infrastructure connected to transport hubs like Geneva Airport, Zurich Airport, and Sion Airport. Campus facilities emulate operational environments seen at Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari Hotels and Resorts, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Aman Resorts, and include training kitchens modeled after setups at Le Cordon Bleu, wine labs akin to those at Institut Paul Bocuse, front office suites comparable to The Peninsula Hotels, and F&B outlets styled like Nobu Restaurants, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, and Hakkasan. Accommodation and student life spaces reference hospitality standards from Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, and event venues suitable for conventions like those hosted at Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes.

Academic Programs

Programs combine practical training and management theory influenced by curricula used at École hôtelière de Lausanne, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Glion Institute of Higher Education, Oxford Brookes University, and University of Surrey. Offerings include undergraduate degrees, postgraduate diplomas, and MBA-equivalent programs with modules reflecting competencies found at INSEAD, HEC Paris, IMD, SDA Bocconi School of Management, and ESSEC Business School. Specializations cover luxury management, revenue management, digital marketing, and sustainability practices mirrored in initiatives by Green Key International, GLOBALG.A.P., Rainforest Alliance, and corporate partners like Accor, Marriott International, and Hilton Worldwide. Practical internships are arranged with employers including Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, InterContinental Hotels Group, Rosewood Hotel Group, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, and Jumeirah Group.

Admissions and Accreditation

Admissions procedures benchmark against standards from institutions such as École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, University of Geneva, University of Zurich, and professional criteria from Institute of Hospitality, ACCA, CFA Institute (for financial modules), and quality frameworks like Swiss Agency of Accreditation and Quality Assurance (AAQ). The school has pursued recognition consistent with accreditation bodies and educational partners comparable to New England Commission of Higher Education, British Accreditation Council, and collaborations with universities like University of Derby and Sunway University. Admissions consider profiles aligned with pathways to careers at AccorHotels, Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, and hospitality recruiters such as Huntington Ingall Industries-level executive search firms and global headhunters.

Student Life and Alumni

Student life features clubs and activities comparable to organizations like International Hospitality Association, Rotaract, AIESEC, Model United Nations, and sports aligned with local alpine culture including skiing in Verbier, mountaineering near Matterhorn, and events similar to Davos World Economic Forum-adjacent conferences. Alumni occupy leadership roles across brands such as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Accor, Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Kempinski, Rosewood Hotel Group, Jumeirah Group, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, and independent luxury operators including Belmond Ltd., Aman Resorts, and Badrutt's Palace Hotel. Notable career pathways include executive positions at Ritz Paris, The Savoy, Claridge's, The Dorchester (hotel), and ownership or entrepreneurship connected to hospitality startups incubated with partners like Seedcamp, Techstars, and Plug and Play Tech Center.

Research and Industry Partnerships

Research areas emphasize hospitality operations, revenue management, sustainability, and digital transformation with collaborative projects tied to institutions like ETH Zurich, EPFL, University of Oxford, Harvard Business School, London School of Economics, and corporate partners including Accor, Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, Amadeus IT Group, Oracle Hospitality, and SAP SE. Industry partnerships enable applied studies and consultancy projects carried out with organizations such as World Tourism Organization, International Labour Organization, European Travel Commission, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, and McKinsey & Company.

Category:Hospitality schools in Switzerland