History

Over 100 years of Hotel Paladina in Ticino!

The history of the Paladina, our main Florentine house, is very interesting and has a common thread running through its more than one hundred years of history: hospitality! A few years after it was built (1912), the house, which was used as a private residence, was sold and continued as Pensione Conradin.

It was the first hotel in Malcantone with central heating!

In 1920, an overnight stay with breakfast cost around CHF 5!
In those days, it was a popular golf hotel: the oldest golf course in southern Switzerland is still maintained today in our neighboring village of Magliaso.

Since then, thousands of people seeking relaxation for body, mind and soul as well as sun-seeking vacationers have passed through its gates and gladly returned.

Various owners took turns until the entire Paladina Hotel site and the houses on it were acquired by the “Gott hilft” foundation in 1969.

A private residence becomes a vacation center

Villa Paladina, built in the Florentine style, was designed at the beginning of the 20th century as the summer residence of a noble family from Milan, based on drawings by Graubünden architect Conradin Wipf (1877-1966).

This wealthy family was determined to build their residence high above Lake Lugano and named the spacious house Villa Paladina after the name of the Paladin hill on which it was built.
Just a few years later, however, the private residence was sold and the new owner converted it into a luxury guesthouse: Villa Paladina became Pension Conradin.

God Helps Foundation

During the Second World War, the socio-educational foundation Gott hilft*(based in Graubünden) ran a children’s home (now the Casa di Famiglia) on the adjoining site.
The children’s home, which was closed in 1959, became a guest house, which was run by Emmi Küffer as matron for 20 years with great personal commitment and unshakeable trust in God’s help.

Emmi Küffer described the new beginning from a children’s home to a guest house in a newsletter like this (from the book “Gott Hilft, eine gelebte Vision”, Scesaplana-Verlag, Heinz Zindel):

“I can always see the beautiful house on the small hill overlooking Lake Lugano … with the two annexes, the large fig trees in front of it, full of sweet fruit …

“When I happily arrived in Pura at the end of 1959 with several guest bookings for the spring, I soon realized that the houses here were by no means ready to receive vacation guests. There were a number of children’s beds, but only three beds for adults. Tables and chairs, windows, doors and walls bore witness to the temperament of the children in the home.”

With a great deal of commitment, the help of many people and trust in God, Casa Dio Aiuta (today’s Casa Famiglia) was prepared for its new purpose and, as a result, more and more new guests came to spend their vacations in Ticino every year: Individuals, couples, families, but especially groups from Switzerland and abroad.

In 1969, a significant turning point occurred: the owners of the neighboring small hotel Paladina (by then a renowned construction company that also owned almost all the leased land of Casa Dio Aiuta) had plans to build over the area surrounding the guest house. This would have been the end of the vacation offer “for mind, soul and body”!

The foundation management therefore immediately contacted the owner of the property, and lo and behold: she was willing to sell! After internal discussions between employees and foundation managers and after much resistance, including financial resistance, a clear decision was made by vote: Paladina House would be bought! The inauguration took place on March 14, 1970.

In 1994, the two building complexes were merged.
Between 1998 and 1999, the Hotel Paladina was completely renovated and extended to meet the requirements of today’s guests.

Since then, repair, maintenance and modernization work has been carried out every year in order to maintain or even increase the level of comfort throughout the vacation center.

The Hotel Paladina is a member of the VCH

We belong to the oldest hotel association in Europe, the VCH (Verband Christliche Hotels Schweiz), and have a history stretching back over 100 years.

The VCH is a non-profit organization of Christian hotels in Switzerland, in which the members retain their independence and autonomy.

The VCH was founded in Berne in 1895 and, after a successful and eventful history, is one of the oldest hotel cooperations in the world.
For over 100 years, the VCH has stood for hospitality with heart!

Around fifty hotels in Switzerland and over 400 hotels in Europe are linked together in the VCH.

The hotels affiliated to the VCH offer you professional and contemporary services. Comfort, friendliness and good service as well as the high quality standard characterize the VCH.

The variety of hotels is a particular plus point for guests: from 4-star hotels to top-quality backpackers’ villas, all areas and categories are well represented.
The VCH includes family hotels, vacation hotels, wellness hotels, seminar hotels and city hotels.

Cordiality and individual, friendly service, which is immediately noticeable to the guest, have priority.