HIM Business School (formerly Hotel Institute Montreux) is a private business school located in

Montreux Montreux (, ; ; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, Swiss municipality and List of towns in Switzerland, town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Swiss Alps, Alps. It belongs to the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut (district), Riviera-Pays ...

, in the French-speaking region of

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. Established in 1984, the school is part of Swiss Education Group. The school offers a 3-years Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree, with various specializations allowing students to tailor their degree to a specific focus in global industries. The campus spans three central Montreux builgings—Hotel Europe, Leman Residence, Hotel Miramonte, and The Freddie Mercury.

History

Originally founded in 1984 as École Hôtelière de Montreux, the institution began as a traditional hospitality management school. In 2002, it was acquired by the Swiss Education Group (SEG), a prominent network of hospitality and business schools in Switzerland. In 2018, SEG became part of Summer Capital, a Hong Kong-based investment management firm, marking a new chapter in the school's international development and growth. In recent years, the school transitioned from a hospitality-focused curriculum to a broader business education model, reflecting a shift in academic orientation and global market demands. As part of this evolution, it was rebranded as HIM Business School.

Programs

HIM Business School offers a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in partnership with

Northwood University Northwood University (NU) is a private university focused on business education with its main campus in Midland, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1959, more than 33,000 people have graduated from the institution. History Northwood Universit ...

(USA). The program offers a choice of specialization in: * Luxury Brand Management * Advanced Strategies in Finance * Talent Management (HR) Students also choose a pathway in general business management or hospitality management.

Educational Approach

There are two differentiating elements in the educational approach of HIM compared to other business schools: The business curriculum at HIM includes elements traditionally associated with Swiss hospitality education, such as service orientation, intercultural communication, and soft skills. This approach emphasizes: * Soft skills development, including cultural awareness, empathy, active listening and communication * Customer-centric business perspectives drawn from hospitality traditions and service-based training These elements enhance students’ professional adaptability and interpersonal competencies across various sectors. Vocational Training The other differentiating factor is the inclusion of internships as a requirement for program completion. The Swiss education system follows a dual education model that combines practical and vocational education with academics and theory, and HIM Business School follows the same structure. To support students in this aspect of their studies, the school offers: * Personalized career coaching * Masterclasses and events with participating partners offering insights and connections into the industry * Access to international recruitment fairs for professional networking and job placement The inclusion of practical education prepares students for the professional world and speeds up their process of finding a job upon graduation.

Industry Collaboration

HIM has formed strategic partnerships with key corporations that support and contribute to the curriculum in line with its mission to bridge academia and the professional world and be always industry-relevant. At the date of this most recent update, the partners endorsing and contributing to the curriculum are: * Michael Page International: supporting of the Talent Management Specialization * Banque Privée Edmond de Rothschild: supporting the Financial Analysis and Wealth Management specialization * Swissquote: supporting the Financial Analysis and Wealth Management specialization * Swiss Sustainable Finance: endorsing the Financial Analysis and Wealth Management specialization * Tourbillon Boutique: endorsing the Luxury Brand Management specialization * AccorInvest Group: supporting the Hospitality Management pathway Through this collaboration, students benefit from: * Expert-led workshops * Current industry-relevant curriculum * Real industry projects and case studies

Rankings

In the 2025 ranking of the British higher education consultant Quacquarelli Symonds (QS World University Rankings), the institute was designated as number six for employer reputation and academic reputation in the world in its subject category.

References