Renovation of two hotels in the Lugano area, about 140 staff affected

The business plan of Dot Life SA includes investments of tens of millions of francs in the two hotels in the Lugano area, Villa Principe Leopoldo and Villa Sassa. The impact on employment is a collective dismissal affecting about 140 employees.

The works will require a closure of about four months, from the end of December 2026 to the end of April 2027. Investments exceed 40 million francs for Villa Sassa and 12 million francs for Villa Principe Leopoldo. According to the company, concentrating the works in such a short period limits the operational and human impact compared with a longer shutdown.

Almost 70 staff members at Villa Sassa and more than 70 at Villa Principe Leopoldo are affected, mainly in food service, kitchen, housekeeping and reception.

The consultation procedure for employees ends on 9 October. A meeting with the labour section is scheduled for 6 October. The company intends to prepare a package of support measures for staff.

Return after the works

The key issue is the future of employees after the works. The company says it wants to rehire staff and stresses its ties with its employees. For now, however, it cannot guarantee that everyone will return. It also says it intends to manage the transition directly with the respective teams. The timing and the staff who will resume work in the different phases of the reopening have not yet been set.

The goal is to welcome guests again in May 2027, barring delays in the works. The reopening will be gradual: at Villa Sassa, the main areas will reopen first, while other spaces will be completed later. This schedule makes it hard to say now when individual employees can be called back.

The renovation is the company's initiative, while for staff the question remains open. It is not yet clear what protections will be in place for those who cannot return, or what support they will receive in the meantime. For the people involved, the decisive issue is their job after the works.