Hotel Baur au Lac, Zurich, Switzerland

Year of Foundation: 1844 Built in 1844 by Johannes Bauer, the hotel has been owned by the family of the founders of Baur Kraht for six generations. And each of the hoteliers sought to raise their business to a new level, encouraging bright ideas and attracting extraordinary guests. In 1892 it was here that Bertha von Suttner convinced the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel of the need to establish an international Nobel peace prize. Here one of the world's first hotel telegraphs was put into operation, electric lighting and hydraulic lifts were installed. Today, the hotel is actively developing IT-technology: each room offers SuitePad with information about current events in Zurich and world news.