During an academic trip, EPFL travellers can choose from a wide range of accommodation options. In order to benefit from professional advice and negotiated rates, it is recommended that all hotel bookings be made through the EPFL travel agency.
Travel booking and request
For any trip organised and/or paid for by the EPFL requiring at least one night’s accommodation, a travel request must be drawn up using the expense report tool.
Once the travel request has been validated, accommodation can be booked via the EPFL travel agency or any other purchasing channel, in accordance with the procedures described below.
Hotel reservation via Kuoni Business Travel
By making your hotel reservations through the EPFL’s central travel agency, Kuoni Business Travel, you can benefit from advantageous conditions and preferential prices in the following three hotel chains : Accor, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) et Best Western Hotel.
Kuoni Business Travel offers two payment options:
- The reservation is made by the travel agency, guaranteed by the traveler’s personal credit card, and the traveler pays the hotel on the spot.
The travel agency can book the hotel in prepayment with the Airplus card. In other words, the EPFL will be charged for the stay via the travel request, and the traveler will then hand in the reservation voucher on arrival at the hotel, along with his or her credit card for extras (mini-bar, telephone, meals, etc.).
You can benefit from a 5 to 12% discount on the various hotel brands belonging to the Accor group in terms of medium-class star hotels.
EPFL receives a 10% discount on all bookings with IHG Hotels Group.
A large number of hotels in the Best Western Hotel Group offer a 15% discount for EPFL members.
Other booking channels
Hotels can also be booked via other channels. Only ” mid-range ” category hotels are allowed.
For hotel reservations outside the EPFL central travel agency, only “mid-range” category hotels are authorized. Private telephone, minibar and film rental charges are not reimbursed.
Hotels will be booked on a prepaid basis according to the tariff conditions chosen. Travellers will receive a voucher to present at the hotel, which will facilitate the check-in and check-out procedure.
A maximum of CHF 80 will be reimbursed for private accommodation during business trips. Expenses must be justified.
For certain stays, it is possible to rent a flat (e.g. Airbnb) if the economic justification is proven.
The Airbnb platform was created for private individuals and not for the business travel industry. The EPFL’s central travel agency, Kuoni Business Travel, therefore has no special access, either to the booking platform or to a dedicated contact. The agency’s 24-hour service is also not available for this type of accommodation.
Hotels near the EPFL campus
There are two hotels close to the EPFL campus: the SwissTech Hotel and the Starling Hôtel Lausanne. The EPFL community benefits from preferential rates for these hotels.
The EPFL community can book a single or double room at the SwissTech Hotel at a reduced rate of CHF 110 and CHF 132 per night respectively (excluding breakfast and tourist tax).
The preferential rate is available for bookings made by email to [email protected] using an email address @epfl.ch.
Rates are fixed all year round and bookings can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours in advance.
The EPFL community can book a room at a preferential rate at the Starling Hotel Lausanne by writing to [email protected] with an e-mail address of “@epfl.ch”.
Online reservations can only be made on the hotel’s website using the discount code “EPFL1025“.
Reservations made with the promotional code can be cancelled up to 12 hours in advance.
Contact
KUONI BT CONTACT
Questions or hotel reservations via EPFL’s central travel agency, Kuoni Business Travel (DER Touristik Suisse)
– Mo-Fr: 8.30am – 6pm, non-stop
– Phone +41 58 702 64 00
– E-mail : [email protected]
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On the EPFL campus (BI A0 432) :
– Mo-Fr : 9.00am 1.00pm / 1.30pm – 5.00pm (except public holidays)
– Without appointment
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EPFL CONTACT
– Requests for exceptions to the Travel Directives : [email protected]
– Reservation procedures and problems : [email protected]
– Technical assistance with travel requests : [email protected]
– Reimbursement of expenses : [email protected]