This hotel was designed by the top Zurich architect Hermann Schneider in 1938, in the run-up to a Swiss national exhibition, as a total work of art of its time. He succeeded beautifully in blending traditional craftsmanship with creative contemporary art, down to the last detail. During the Second Wordl War the Chesa was a favourite among GIs, who returned later for holidays. It soon attracted writers and celebrities from the movie industry, and the Chesa became known affectionately as 'Hollywood on the rocks'.The long-standign tradition of warm hospitality continues in the hands of Barbara Guler and Marianne Hunziker.