Swiss hotel schools keep their edge

Montreux, Switzerland

IT feels like a luxury restaurant, with starched-uniformed waiters pouring pricey wine and explaining the intricate details of a gourmet menu as diners gaze out at a spectacular mountain view.

But all the servers, the impeccably dressed guests and even the kitchen staff sending out elaborately decorated plates are in fact students at one of Switzerland's famous hotel management schools. "This is part of the student's learning experience," said Stephane Bernard, a service instructor at the Glion school, overlooking the picturesque town of Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva.