Hotel director Chris Franzen How the state guests behaved on the Bürgenstock

Last weekend, global leaders met for the Ukraine conference at the Bürgenstock Resort in Lucerne. Hotel manager Chris Franzen reports on what happened away from the limelight.

Last weekend he hosted the world's elite. Looking back, the director of the Bürgenstock Resort, Chris Franzen, can say: everything went according to plan, nothing was forgotten, everything was in its place - Kleenex, ice cubes and adapters in the rooms, and only Swiss wines were served from aperitif to dinner.

In the last thirty years as hotel manager, he has never had any problems with politicians, says Franzen in an interview with "20 Minuten". "No one was arrogant, everyone was very nice - without exception."

However, he does have a few anecdotes to tell about the participants at the Ukraine peace conference last weekend. US Vice President Kamala Harris was there, as was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.

"Some stopped the limousine for a photo of cows"

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, for example, entered the entrance hall of the Bürgenstock Resort, stepped up to the window front and said with a view of Lake Lucerne: "This is Switzerland!"

And the Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa wanted to take selfies with some of his employees after noticing the Portuguese names on the lapel badges.

Ukraine summit on the BürgenstockMacron, Scholz and Selenskyj sleep here

Franzen has particularly fond memories of one incident: "The state guests landed by helicopter near the hotel. They were driven a short distance by limousine - some stopped during the short journey because they saw cows and wanted to take a photo."

Down-to-earth Swiss cuisine was served: char with green asparagus, veal cheeks in puff pastry, merengues with vanilla heavy cream. "There was no caviar," says Franzen. Those days are long gone.

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