Rural Areas are hit hard by the high Exchange rate, while places like Zürich, Geneva, Lausanne, Basel, Luzern and Schaffhausen profited


Switzerland may have been on top in the 1920ies

I think some of the problem is that the hotels haven't been updated since then. The menus certainly haven't changed.

much of the methods and mentalities have indeed stagnated

But to be fair, some of the hotels are lovely the way they are (in decor at least). The Waldhaus in Flims and the Hotel Bellevue des Alpes in Kleine Scheidegg for example.

Maybe chose a better class of hotel, they usually empty the ashtrays more often too, so benefits all around

It's "The Local", what did you expect?

Tom

No, you just go to the wrong establishments.

Tom

Yes I guess I should have stayed in the North like you do

There are many lovely nice Hotels well kept and up-to-date. It is those who do not Keep up who give the Hotel industry a bad Name. Who not only Count beds instead of rooms but heavily did and do oppose Smoking bans and structural modernisations. It however is the Hotel industry who finances the fireworks at Seenachtsfest and Züri-Fest and NewYears Eve, And it was Hotel Managers who fairly early pointed to outdated structures and ideas and lacking Standards. BUT it takes years to correct mistakes committed over decades


Interesting examples
A) Dolder = luxury plus
the owner became alarmed when the place started to make losses.. He then booked star architect Foster who
- moved the entrance to the sun-side lake-side
- modernized everything
- erected two new building wings
and the owner invested millions in the overdue indoors modernisations and Claims that the place is enroute
B) Hyatt = super luxury
when planning the new place they had a Problem. Their Hotel was to cover a City owned parking lot. They found a solution. The Hyatt parking lot has the Prices of the Urania Parkhaus and its cafe the Prices of the Urania cafe

Depends how one defines North.

For my wife, anything south of Melegnano is 'Sud'.

However, we will be going down to Modena this weekend (and then to Trieste).

Tom

Back in the day the cafes, bars and restaurants would be packed with smokers and so non-smokers would escape outside and enjoy a smoke free meal. The smoking ban has made the cafes, bars and restaurants a smoke free paradise where you can enjoy your meal. The smokers now escape outside to enjoy a smoke.

The national statistics are pretty staggering for Switzerland - http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/e...02/key/03.html
- and will go someway to define attitudes.

Don't get me wrong a smoker near when I am eating is not something I enjoy - and I'll pick and choose tables accordingly - but I also know that the tide of change will slowly push the smokers out of restaurant terraces and into "public areas".

__________________
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet" Abraham Lincoln

Modena's still the North. I was there a few weeks ago.

South is south of Rome.

I often don't want to dine al fresco even traveling if it means sitting among smokers. I don't need more of it.

On the way back from the gym this morning I saw a young girl not older than 16 who looked like she was sneaking in a cig before school. I just thought how sad it is... people wouldn't want to smoke if they didn't make themselves addicted to it.

Not for my mate from Como it isn't. He counts Milan as the south and anything south of the Po as Africa.

in short he n needs a new ATLAS

In CH history Milano is the DEEP SOUTH

Hopefully one day Europe, too, shall achieve a percentage this low.

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/...ry_154420.html

An all too common misconception, and one which serves only to discourage some people from giving up.

What many non smokers fail to recognise is that smoking a cigarette is something that for many people, regular smokers and not, is an enjoyable experience in and of itself.

(Not that this in any way justifies inflicting your smoke on others).

Are you describing yourself?

What many non smokers fail to recognise is that they are completely addicted to nicotine.

I've hardly met any smokers who haven't said that they wish they could give up.

I've known smokers who have used nictotine-gum in long meetings. Is that a pleasure response or addiction response?

You're talking about a really small minority you aren't addicted and smoke for pleasure.
If smoking is just a pleasure for so many and not an addiction-relieving tool then why are so many ex-smokers using vaping-cigarettes instead?

You do understand what an addiction is, don't you?

it would be quite new IF the Italians took any laws seriously at all