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The construction of the Beach Hotel & Restaurant Belvédère began in 1907, and the establishment was opened one year later. Room and board cost CHF 5.00 a day, which was a lot of money at the time. Guests were pampered in the Salon Rouge, which has maintained its Belle Époque ambience. The premises were eventually taken over by an international hospitality school, but without the desired success. The Belvédère did not escape unscathed the ravages of two world wars and the great depression, but was saved by the Association of Swiss Master Butchers which purchased the building in 1947 and installed the country's first technical college of any kind. It opened its doors in 1949. This marked a turning point for the Beach Hotel & Restaurant Belvédère. The hotel's excellent reputation under the leadership of Jean Urben and his wife became known far and wide. It was also the first 4-star hotel on Lake Thun to boast an electric lift.
  
In the boom years of the 1960s and 70s, the Belvédère became the in-place in the region, praised for its exceptional cuisine and unsurpassed lakeside location. Swiss and German industrialists often spent up to 2 months in summer here, attracted by the fabled setting. The technical college of the Association of Swiss Master Butchers was moved to new premises beside the hotel in 1992. This also marked a period of decline for Swiss hotels, and the Belvédère was no exception. Following several management changes, the butchers' association was finally able to find a buyer for the hotel in 1997 - Walter Hauenstein.
Mr Hauenstein devoted much of his time, energy and finances to make the hotel complex what it is today - an oasis of well-being. Since 1999, managers Rosmarie Seiler-Bigler and Markus Schneider along with their dedicated staff have put the hotel Belvédère back on the road to success.
The hotel with the personal touch
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