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No mobiles: Swiss luxury resort imposes partial ‘selfie ban’ at infinity pool

The Bürgenstock-Resort in central Switzerland is restricting the use of mobile phones in its infinity edge pool after complaints from some guests that they were being disturbed by people taking selfies.

No mobiles: Swiss luxury resort imposes partial 'selfie ban' at infinity pool
Guests will now only to be able to use mobile phones at the pool for several hours a day. Photo: Bürgenstock-Resort

The spectacular pool at the newly re-opened resort above Lake Lucerne has been a huge hit on the social media platform Instagram with people posting pictures of themselves looking out over the Swiss Alps.

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

Live for moments you cannot express in words ~ . . . Atop a forested reserve, 500 metres above Lake Lucerne, Bürgenstock Resort presides over vistas, cow-filled meadows and Alpine horizons.An architectural collage of four hotels melds 19th-century grandeur with ultra-modern design. The property has extensive bike paths, hiking trails, spa, bar, lounges and restaurants to explore. . . The real luxury here is the view. When you’re so high up, and soaking up the serene but spectacular Lake Lucerne. . . . Also highly recommend catching the sunset while enjoying a meal at the Spices kitchen and terraces. . . Fun fact – Audrey Hepburn married Mel Ferrer in the Bürgenstock chapel.

A post shared by krupakumar (@thepiedpiperess) on Feb 12, 2019 at 8:18pm PST

But the resort has now decided to curb the selfie frenzy at the pool by trying out so-called 'splash & flash hours'.

Under the system, children over the age of three and mobile phones are only allowed in the pool area at certain times of day.

“We ask guests and visitors to our spas to refrain from photography and keep their phones on silent to respect the privacy and quiet time of other guests,” Robert P. Herr, General Manager of the Bürgenstock Resort, told The Local.

“We do realise though that the spectacular views invite photos. For that reason we introduced 'splash and flash' hours in the Alpine Spa. They range from 7am to 12am and from 5pm to 7pm,” he added.

The move is a part of a general response to occasional tensions between hotel guests at the Bürgenstock-Resort and the thousands of people who visit the resort as day-trippers.

In a bid to maintain standards, the resort has also introduced a dress code, with “casual chic” – think smart jeans, t-shirt and sneakers – now the order of the day for entry into all of the resorts bars and restaurants.

“Our hotel guests don’t want see people in cycling gear in the Lake View Lounge,” Herr told regional news site Zentralplus.

The Bürgenstock-Resort is not the only location in Switzerland struggling to deal with Instagram-fuelled popularity.

The managers of the cliff-side Äscher Restaurant in the country’s northeast decided last year to move on after visitor numbers boomed in the wake of social media fame.