Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne ( EHL)

Services & Facilities

Many different kinds of support services are available to students: general help and guidance in all matters concerning life on campus and administrative procedures, psychological and health care and prevention, peer counselling from a dedicated student group, academic support and career guidance.

Student services

Student services are located in the Student Affairs department. They act as a kind of "information desk" on campus, a one-stop shop that helps students to find out what they need to know, where to go and who to see.

Health support

The school provides services for physical and psychological health care and for general well-being.

Academic help

Academic orientation and guidance is given by Semester Coordinators (i.e. members of faculty in charge of the different academic terms).

Career guidance

The Career Centre offers on-going support in career development, providing opportunities for testing, discussions and useful contacts with the industry throughout the programmes of study.

IT Helpdesk

Because EHL has such an advanced and complex IT environment, EHL provides an IT Helpdesk to help students and staff troubleshoot and resolve hard and software problems, and to provide system updates.

The idyllic setting of Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne at le Chalet-à-Gobet offers a wide variety of sporting opportunities, and EHL provides an extensive sports programme available to both students and staff.

• Student sports activities

Within walking distance of the School are golf courses and riding stables, fitness courses, cross-country skiing trails, and forest hiking trails. The School itself features a gymnasium, playing fields, tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts and a fully equipped Nautilus fitness centre.

Lausanne is the capital and headquarters of the Olympic Committee and many other international sporting federations. It constitutes an unparalleled sporting venue within easy driving distance of renowned winter and summer sports facilities.

From Lake Geneva, homebase of America's Cup winner Alinghi, to the Vaudoises Alpes, homebase of Bertrand Piccard's Breitling Navigator, there are unlimited possibilities for watersports of all kinds, hiking, skiing and snowboarding.

• Custom fitness programme

The school's sports facilities are comprised of:

• A fully equiped fitness centre
• A gymnasium with sports equipment
• 3 tennis courts
• A playing field

The school offers:

• An extensive sports programme with aerobics and other classes and opportunities for golf and other sports off campus
• A variety of team sports with teams that compete in local leagues. Football, volleyball, basketball, cricket and rugby teams represent EHL in regional tournaments.

Student Life

EHL offers more than 20 student-run committees - each with a special focus - from helping those in need, to promoting school to organizing events. There is something for everyone - outdoor enthusiasts, art and wine connaisseurs, writers, photographers, dancers, and much more.

You’ll find that EHL students mostly just want to be on their feet doing something! Campus life gives them the opportunity to test-drive what they learn in class; and in return, student activities feed back into their hospitality management courses. Through these events and activities, you can develop your own management style and try out your leadership skills.

EHL’s calendar is punctuated by various student-run events – from low key weeknight get-togethers in the school’s student social space to a large-scale graduation ball for more than 1000 guests. Events make student life more entertaining and also provide fascinating opportunities for students to get involved in their school and gain valuable experience in event management .

Fête finale: Some projects are major events with significant budgets and responsibilities. The eagerly-awaited Fête finale, or end-of-year Gala, is the largest student event at EHL. It welcomes about 650 guests for dinner and over 1,400 for the following gala celebration. It is a major organizational challenge, and the organizational committee is entirely responsible for managing the event, which involves budgeting, fundraising, revenue management and profitability, communication and conflict management, legal questions related to event management, and prevention and awareness activities: a whole curriculum in itself.

Thursday night parties: The Fête Finale Committee organizes weekly events at various locations in Lausanne on Thursday nights to help raise fund for the gala event. These evenings provide a much enjoyed break from the daily work routine to enjoy the local club scene and see friends.

Fête universelle: EHL's cultural diversity comes alive at this event. Each year, roughly 20 of EHL’s 90-odd nationalities are selected to be showcased during the Fête Universelle. On the big night, each culture is celebrated with food, drinks and an elaborate show. This is an EHL tradition not to be missed.

Culinary challenge: This EHL event brings members of the community together into two teams to prepare a menu based around a common food basket and theme. The teams are formed in different ways (staff vs. students, men vs. women, etc), but the goal remains the same - to create the winning four-course menu. The judges are the 70 restaurant guests who alternately enjoy courses from each team – without knowing who has cooked what! At the end of each course, they cast their votes – for the most creative, most appetizing and most well-presented courses - and the winning team is announced.

D-bar events at the Student Social Space

Twice a month, student volunteers hold a theme night at the student-run bar, known as the “D-bar”, located in one of EHL’s residential buildings. The D-bar is one of the Student Social Spaces on campus - areas where students can relax, enjoy themselves and exchange ideas, play billiards or watch a movie. The spaces, which include a bar and a recreational room, are managed entirely by students and provides valuable professional experience. The committee for the Student Social Space is made up of volunteer students from different semesters. It aims to promote cultural diversity at EHL while emphasizing the unique spirit that unites students into one community.

Accreditation

EHL’s double accreditation

The Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne is accredited at university level both nationally and internationally.

EHL is recognized by the Swiss government as part of Switzerland’s University of Applied Sciences. Internationally, it is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

• National accreditation

The University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland is a professional university which includes schools of management, engineering, industrial design, and the health professions. EHL is officially recognized as part of the university, known in Switzerland as the HES-SO or Haute Ecole Spécialisée de Suisse Occidentale

• International accreditation

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges is one of the six regional accrediting boards in the United States. It is empowered to accredit universities both in the United States and overseas. EHL is accredited by NEASC’s Higher Education Commission, which evaluates universities in the eastern United States ranging from small liberal arts colleges to universities such as Harvard, Yale or MIT.