Ruth Guler (8 November 1930 – 10 February 2015) was a Swiss skier and hotelier, who ran the

Hotel Wynegg A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

in the skiing resort of

Klosters Klosters is a Swiss village in the Prättigau, politically part of the municipality of Klosters-Serneus, which belongs to the political district Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden. In 2021, the municipality shortened its name to Klo ...

, Switzerland. Her hotel was regularly visited by members of the British Royal Family.

Biography

Guler was born and grew up in Klosters, and her parents owned the Wynegg. She learned English at a British language school and found work as an

au pair An au pair (; plural: au pairs) is a helper from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a mon ...

before inheriting management of the hotel after her father's death. She was the only female member at the local ski school in the early 1950s and regularly participated with secret upper-class events, and enjoyed watching the racing at

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races a ...

. She was friends with royalty; particularly

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

and

Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her a ...

who enjoyed staying at the Wynegg, and taught Charles how to ski. Guler was known for her no-nonsense approach to hotel management. The playwright

Robert L. Joseph Robert L. Joseph (March 10, 1923, in Bronx, New York – April 27, 2002, in East Chatham, New York) was an American theatre producer, playwright, and screenwriter. Joseph's Broadway credits included revivals of ''King Lear'', ''Major Barbara'', ...

described her as "diva-like". She kept basic facilities at the Wynegg and ensured a rigid discipline. Guests arriving with snow on their boots would be reprimanded and told to brush it off outside. On several occasions, she threw drunk guests out into the street, and on another, she refused to give a newlywed couple a double bed, saying "You are not here to sleep; you are here to ski". Journalist and socialite

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson Tara Claire Palmer-Tomkinson (23 December 1971 – 8 February 2017), also known as T P-T, was an English socialite and television personality. She appeared in several television shows, including the reality programme '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me ...

said Guler ran the hotel like a boarding school, throwing guests out of bed at 8am and saying "Come on, get up!" Though royalty stayed at the Wynegg regularly, she treated them no different from any other guest, saying that "otherwise, they'd tear the place down". She loved the British sense of humour, particularly its eccentricity, and despite her stern demands she was popular with regular guests including the royals. In 2013, due to ill health, Guler retired from managing the Wynegg, leaving the running to three locals, a popular choice in Klosters. She died on 10 February 2015, having never married and without children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guler, Ruth 1930 births 2015 deaths Swiss hoteliers People from Prättigau/Davos District 20th-century Swiss businesswomen 20th-century Swiss businesspeople Swiss female skiers Women hoteliers 21st-century Swiss businesswomen 21st-century Swiss businesspeople