Atlantis by Giardino has promoted 44-year-old Kai Spehr from deputy manager to general manager, replacing Martin Vossen who has moved on to be chief executive of a group of hotels in the Maldives.

A Swiss native, Spehr has been deputy manager at Atlantis by Giardino since it opened in December 2015.

His primary focus during this time has been the food and beverage offering at the hotel.

A graduate of the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne who completed his MBA at the Swiss University of St Gallen with distinction, Spehr has previously worked at a number of five-star properties in Zurich including the Park Hyatt and The Dolder Grand.

Spehr said: “I am delighted to accept my first position as general manager at Atlantis by Giardino.

“I have worked at the property from the beginning and am looking forward to building on its existing success, with a team that I know well.”

Styled as an urban retreat, the 95-room Atlantis by Giardino offers a unique alternative to staying in the heart of the city.

Situated in the western part of Zurich, Atlantis by Giardino is just a 15-minute drive from the city’s famous Bahnhofstrasse and within a stone’s throw of the countryside, thanks to its location on the edge of a forest at the foot of the Üetliberg mountains.