Yunfeng Gao leaves Eberli Sarnen

As various media report with reference to an announcement by Eberli Sarnen, Yunfeng Gao, who has held a stake in the Eberli Group since 2012, is withdrawing from the board of directors and handing over his share package to the other owners. The background is that Gao, who owns various hotels in Switzerland, has restructured his companies in this country.

Gao and Eberli have realized three hotel projects together: Gao had acquired the Hotel Frutt Lodge & Spa built by Eberli on Melchsee Frutt and realized the Hotel Frutt Family Lodge there with the real estate company. Other joint projects included the Titlis Palace in Engelberg and the repositioning of the Palace in Lucerne. Eberli is now handing over this project, for which an approved construction project has been submitted, to Gao, which acquired the traditional house at the end of 2015 from the Credit Suisse fund CS REF Hospitality.

SRF quotes Alain Grossenbacher, the managing director of Eberli, as saying that the cooperation essentially had the goal of realizing the three hotel projects. Since all construction projects have been completed or approved in the meantime, it makes sense to dissolve the participation. Eberli now wants to concentrate on the construction of the Titlis Palace in Engelberg. In addition, other projects, such as the "Pilatus Arena" in Kriens, should be completed.

Eberli Sarnen AG is owned by Alain Grossenbacher, René Affentranger and Toni Eberli. Since the beginning of the year, CEO Alain Grossenbacher has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors. He took over from Toni Bucher as part of a succession plan.