Inside the luxury Swiss resort where Iran and the US are set to meet

A momentous occasion – and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the US after months of needless war certainly is that – calls for a grand location steeped in history.

Fitting then, that Donald Trump signed the document at Versailles.

It hits the mark on both counts: There’s enough gold to rival the US president’s own interior design choices at the White House, and it’s the very same spot where Germany agreed to pay reparations to the winning side following defeat in WWI in 1919. Make of that parallel what you will…

The agreement had been slated to be signed in Switzerland this Friday 19 June, but the two countries, alongside mediators Pakistan and Qatar, will now meet here instead for initial negotiations on its implementation.

Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne will be the venue for talks, and trust us when we say this is no Four Seasons Total Landscaping.

Having first opened in 1873, the property has previously hosted plenty of famous guests from Jimmy Carter and Indira Gandhi to Aubrey Hepburn and Brigette Bardot.

It’s also been the venue for several peace talks, most recently hosting the two-day Ukraine Peace Summit back in 2024.

Inside the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne

Perched on a 500-metre high ledge above Lake Lucerne, Bürgenstock Resort is a secure choice for talks as the area can be locked down with comparative ease.

Guests typically reach the resort via a 25-minute ride on the MS Bürgenstock Catamaran followed by a journey up the mountain on the Bürgenstock Funicular, but the property also has helicopter landing pads or you can land at the private airstrip at nearby Buochs.

The 360-key property is split across the Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa, Waldhotel by Bürgenstock and Taverne 1879, and is also home to several Bürgenstock Residence Suites.

The Memorandum of Understanding states that the two sides must reach a final deal within a maximum of 60 days, so we imagine talks are set to be pretty intense.

Thankfully, there are myriad ways to relax after the pens are put down for the day.

At 10,000 square metres in size, the Bürgenstock Alpine Spa is Europe’s largest hotel spa. Inside, negotiators will find five pools, including an outdoor infinity option with spectacular views, an indoor lap pool, plus hot and cold plunge pools, as well as four saunas and treatment rooms.

Plenty of discussions are said to take place on the golf course rather than in the boardroom, and the resort is also home to the nine-hole Bürgenstock Alpine Golf club.

Should either side prefer rackets to clubs, there are also Davis Cup-standard tennis courts as well as pickleball courts.

On the food front, guests can try local fare at the Swiss Taverne, or enjoy the views from the Lakeview Bar & Cigar Lounge. For a taste of home for the Iranian delegation, Parisa serves up Persian cuisine.

Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne is owned by Katara Hospitality, which is part of the Qatar Investment Authority, and the concept actually originated in Doha where it has three locations including Souq Waqif.

Other highlights at the resort include the cliff walk and the Hammetschwand Lift, the highest outdoor lift in Europe.

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