About us
CSU Group belongs to the Scotoni family of entrepreneurs – a Swiss family with roots in construction that has, over generations, grown into cinema, film, real estate, aviation and hospitality.
“We operate and invest in hotel, restaurant and bar businesses in Switzerland and Europe.”
As an independent operating and investment company, we are active in hotel, restaurant and bar businesses in Switzerland and Europe – both as operator and as investor, on our own account or on behalf of third parties.
We have been a family business for more than 20 years – shaped by trust, long-term thinking and personal responsibility. Founder Christian Scotoni (✶ 1980) comes from the Zurich entrepreneurial family Scotoni, whose business roots go back to 1893 – with ventures in construction, film, aviation, real estate and hospitality.
Since 1893
From construction to cinema, film and aviation, to hospitality, restaurants and real estate – three generations of entrepreneurship in Zurich.
1893
Eugen Scotoni-Gassmann, son of a Viennese family of building craftsmen, founds the construction company Eugen Scotoni-Gassmann in Zurich. Numerous building projects shape the cityscape of Zurich and Switzerland – among them the country’s first high-rise, the Bel-Air Métropole in Lausanne.
1928
A new chapter begins with the construction of the Apollo Cinerama in Zurich, at the time the largest cinema in Switzerland. Many more cinemas in Zurich and Lausanne follow, run by the Metropole cinema group.
1931–1935
The family acquires Berlin-based Terra Film AG, then the largest film production company in Europe, and expands into the film business.
1947–1968
As one of the first Swiss pilots, Dr Anton-Eric Scotoni expands the company as general agent of the Cessna Aircraft Company for Europe and founds several air taxi and aviation companies.
from 1950
Anton-Eric Scotoni builds up the hotel and restaurant division – with the Hotel Ascot and other businesses in Zurich.
1961
After the founder’s death, Dr Anton-Eric Scotoni takes over overall management. He brings the business units together under today’s Scotoni-Holding AG, founds the Ascot Elite film distribution company and dedicates part of his legacy to the City of Zurich: the Eugen Scotoni-Gassmann Foundation, with around 250 apartments in Zurich-Oerlikon for senior citizens and large families.
from 1980
Renate Scotoni takes over operational management and focuses the company on real estate, hotels and restaurants. The Hotel Wellenberg joins in 1990.
2000s
Christian Scotoni joins the family business and takes over management of the hotel and restaurant division. With the founding of CSU GmbH, he continues this business on his own account, repositions the hotels as boutique hotels and founds Vertigo Gastro AG in 2007.
Today
Following the sale of the Hotel Ascot to FIFA, CSU concentrates consistently on managing and developing its own projects in hospitality, restaurants and real estate.
People
✶ 1873 – † 1961 · Founder
Swiss entrepreneur in construction and film
Born in Vienna on 29 July 1873, he founded the construction company Eugen Scotoni-Gassmann in Zurich in 1893. He ran the company together with his wife Angela Gassmann-Grieder (✶ 1877, † 1953) from Wollerau; the couple had nine children.
His sons Edwin, Ralph and Anton-Eric joined the family business early on. Edwin Scotoni (✶ 1899, † 1999) managed parts of the construction business and made a name for himself in the 1940s with railway projects in South America; Ralph Scotoni (✶ 1901, † 1955) was responsible for the film business in Berlin. Eugen Scotoni-Gassmann died in Zurich on 29 May 1961.
Sources: «Ein Buch vom Bauen» (Fretz & Wasmuth Verlag, Zurich 1943); Historical Dictionary of Switzerland HDS (2012).
✶ 1916 – † 2011 · Second generation
Swiss entrepreneur in construction, film and aviation, and politician
After his father’s death in 1961, the youngest son took over overall management. He brought the business units together under today’s Scotoni-Holding AG, founded the Ascot Elite film distribution company and was general agent of the Cessna Aircraft Company for Europe from 1947 to 1968. From the 1950s onwards he built up the hotel and restaurant division.
With his wife Renate Scotoni-Kayser (✶ 1951) he had two sons, Antonio (✶ 1985) and Christian (✶ 1980). Through the Eugen Scotoni-Gassmann Foundation he created around 250 apartments in Zurich-Oerlikon for senior citizens and large families.
Source: «Anton-Eric Scotoni und seine 70 Jahre» (1986).
✶ 1980 · Founder of CSU
Swiss entrepreneur in hospitality, restaurants and real estate
In the early 2000s, Christian Scotoni joined the family business and took over management of the hotel and restaurant division and the related holdings, including Commercio Cantina AG. With the founding of CSU GmbH, he continued to run and develop this business on his own account.
He repositioned the hotels as boutique hotels and in 2007 founded Vertigo Gastro AG, which set new standards with one of the largest restaurant investments in the city. Following the sale of the Hotel Ascot to FIFA, he has focused consistently on his own projects in hospitality and restaurants.
Publications: «Die 200 prominentesten Zürcher», Tages-Anzeiger (2008); «Leben wie James Bond», Forbes (2023).
Our values
01
We take guests, partners and employees seriously – always. Reliability and openness are the foundation of every good partnership.
02
We think in generations rather than quarters. Our aim: a good product at a fair price – today and tomorrow.
03
Solution-oriented, fast and concrete. We act with integrity, accuracy and courtesy – for the benefit of our guests and our team.
CSU GmbH
Christian Scotoni Unternehmungen GmbH (CSU GmbH) bears the name of its founder and stands for entrepreneurial clarity and personal responsibility. Deliberately lean and clearly organised, it combines the flexibility of an owner-managed company with the financial strength and solidity of a public limited company.
Its structure allows fast, creative and market-oriented decisions – adapted to changing economic conditions. CSU GmbH pursues a realistic, sustainable and at the same time profit-oriented approach to management.
Its clear organisation creates short decision-making paths, entrepreneurial agility and responsible conduct in the market.
From the archive
Bel-Air Métropole, Lausanne
Boutique Hotel Wellenberg, Zurich
Ascot Elite – Sophia Loren & Anton-Eric Scotoni
Restaurant Vertigo (2007), Zurich
Press
FAQ
The Scotoni family is a Swiss family of entrepreneurs with roots in construction, whose activities date back to 1893. Over generations, the family has been active in construction, cinema, film, real estate, aviation and hospitality, and has left its mark on developments in Zurich and beyond.
Key figures include Eugen Scotoni-Gassmann, Anton-Eric Scotoni, Renate Scotoni-Kayser, Christian Scotoni and Antonio Scotoni. Each represents a different phase – from construction and the film industry to hospitality, restaurants and real estate.
Eugen Scotoni-Gassmann was a Swiss entrepreneur who founded a construction company at the end of the 19th century and later also became involved in the European film industry. His work laid the foundation for the Scotoni family’s entrepreneurial development.
Anton-Eric Scotoni was a well-known Zurich entrepreneur, politician and cinema pioneer who shaped the city’s cinema and real estate landscape. Alongside his activities in film and real estate, he was also active in aviation, including the aircraft trade.
Renate Scotoni-Kayser was married to Anton-Eric Scotoni and is part of the Scotoni family of entrepreneurs. For many years she accompanied the family’s business activities in cinema, hospitality and society.
Christian Scotoni is a Swiss entrepreneur and owner of CSU Group, focusing on hospitality, restaurants and real estate in Zurich. He continues the entrepreneurial tradition of the Scotoni family.