Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided from Monday to Friday, and brunch and dinner on week-ends, including during mid-term breaks, public holidays as well as revision week.
Students may decide to eat in either the self service buffet restaurant, or the classical “Swiss Room” restaurant.
Special diets (for religious or health reasons) are catered for. Students may use the students’ kitchen to prepare their own meals if they wish.
While studying at IMI, students are accommodated in single or twin rooms, with a breathtaking view of either Lake Lucerne, or the Alps.
All the rooms are equipped with TV and refrigerator and most with a direct phone line where students can be reached directly in their rooms. This line only receives external incoming calls but can also be used internally. Rooms without a phone share a one in the corridor.
Students can select among the following accommodation:
| Twin or Single Standard Room |
Twin or Single De Luxe Room |
|
| – Room with TV – Fridge – Wireless LAN – Telephone – Electric kettle – Shared bathroom |
– Room with TV – Fridge – Telephone – Wireless LAN – Electric kettle – Private bathroom |
Bed linen and towels are provided by the Housekeeper for students living on Campus (one large and one small towel, bed sheets, a pillow and blankets). Fresh linen is available once a week; students must change their own beds. Students living in private accommodation should check with their landlord.
A range of sports and leisure activities is available on the premises or in the surrounding area, including snow sports, sailing, swimming, tennis, volleyball, football, mountain-biking, ice-skating, roller-skating, gymnasium, tennis, volleyball and many more. A fitness room, student kitchen, TV lounge, table tennis facilities and a pool room are available as part of IMI's facilities.
The Student Council and IMI staff organise sporting, social and cultural events, most of which are funded by the school. Lucerne hosts a world famous music festival each year and its Carnival is not to be missed.
IMI has computer rooms which are available 24 hours a day and are equipped with an Internet link and individual e-mail facilities for students. Wireless computing with 24 hours internet access is also available in the school free of charge. IMI's own IT Services assist students every week day free of charge with all matters concerning their laptops. The use of the printer in each Computer room is free of charge; paper is available for sale at the Reception.
The school has demonstration and production kitchens, spacious and well-equipped classrooms, restaurants, self-service laundry facilities, a fitness room and lounge areas.
There is a well-stocked library with a constantly updated supply of books, professional magazines and CD-ROM reference material, and on-line access to publication databases including EBSCO. The EBSCO system gives access to thousands of professional journals. The IMI library is sponsored by publishers Butterworth Heinemann and is open according to the schedule below (subject to change without notice):
| Monday | 16:00 – 21:00 |
| Tuesday | 12:30 – 21:00 |
| Wednesday | 15:30 – 21:00 |
| Thursday | 12:30 – 20:00 |
| Friday | 12:30 – 18:30 |
| Saturday and Sunday | 13:00 – 17:00 |
A series of professional excursions is organized during the course so that students can experience the realities of the world of industry. Visits are made to hotels, both traditional and modern, in Lucerne and Zürich, to the Nestlé Alimentarium (museum of food) at Vevey, to trade fairs in Basel and Lucerne and to a variety of catering suppliers and outlets such as vineyards and wineries, chocolate and cheese factories, airport catering companies and tourist offices.
Student support services and counselling
IMI provides a highly personalised approach to its students who originate from more than 35 countries. Lecturers and management are at students’ disposal for coaching and counselling. A Student Counsellor is assisting students to overcome any type of difficulty they may encounter, personal or academic.
Location and Directions
IMI is located close to the entrancing city of Lucerne. Ten minutes bus ride from the center of town is the village of Kastanienbaum, where IMI has a compact lakeside residential campus.
Directions to reach IMI by car and map of Horw: please click here
Nearest Airport: Zürich International Airport is only 1 hour away.
Luzern city center: 15 minutes by public transportation, (bus line Nr. 21 runs every 20 min.)
Nearest supermarkets, pharmacy, medical doctor, bank, hairdresser: in Horw, 5 minutes by bus
We recommend students to purchase a general bus pass (CHF 46.- or /61.- per month) since it is much cheaper and more convenient then buying single tickets. This bus pass allows unlimited transport on all busses in the Lucerne area.
IMI has a strict no smoking policy in ALL public areas at ALL times (including corridors). Students and staff are only permitted to smoke in the designated smoking room adjacent to the Recreational area and outside the building.
Electricity
Electricity in Switzerland is 230 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second. If you travel to Switzerland with a device that does not accept 230 Volts at 50 Hertz, you will need a voltage converter. Our power outlets look like the image on the left. In order to be able to use your electical devices in our country you may have to puchase an international adaptor plug like the one on the right. These are available, for a little under CHF 40.- at i.e. the electronic devices supermarket at Lucerne main station.
IMI dress code
At IMI students may only wear casual clothing for leisure purposes and are required to dress in smart dark business clothes at all times from Monday – Friday 08.00 – 17.30, without exception, in all public areas during the teaching weeks. This includes theoretical classes, lunch on weekdays as well as educational excursions and at certain other times (special occasions). No jeans or casual attire are tolerated. Any article of school uniform that displays pictures, logos or designs is not allowed. Appearance must be immaculate and clothes must be absolutely clean.
Smart business dress is defined as:
Female Students: Dark grey, black or navy blue business suit (with or without thin pinstripe), plain white blouse only and the provided school scarf. Appropriate dark stockings or tights and dark plain shoes complete this outfit. Female students are not allowed to either wear mini skirts or ankle socks.
Male Students: Dark grey, black or navy blue business suit (with or without thin pinstripe), plain white shirt only and the provided school tie. Appropriate dark plain shoes and dark socks complete this outfit.
Miscellaneous
Switzerland’s time is +1 GMT.
The weather in Lucerne during summer (June to middle September) is between 25-30°C, but could also be rainy and cold during this time. During winter (beginning of November to end of March) is very cold and windy about –5 to 10° C.
CHF 500.- pocket money per month should be enough if you are living on Campus. Students living in private accommodation should consider rental, heating and food costs in addition to the above.
The school organizes cultural events, such as International Night, each semester. You may wish to bring traditional costumes for such occasions. Please contact the Student Representative Council if you wish to perform at an event.
Telephone cards can be bought at Reception for use in the public phones. Swiss mobile phones can be purchased in Lucerne City.
We suggest students open a bank account as soon as they arrive in Switzerland. The School invites staff from the Credit Suisse Bank to explain how to open a bank account during induction week. We encourage students not bring too much cash or leave a lot of money in their rooms since the school does not take any responsibility for money or expensive goods in the rooms.
Laundry facilities are available for students who live on Campus. Laundry cards have to be collected at Students Accounting against a CHF 20.- safety deposit. Each card can be re-charged at Reception with cash when needed.
A limited number of free parking spaces are available on Campus.