For most of us, a hotel is somewhere we stay between trips. For 27-year-old entrepreneur Jonas Nagel, the Mandarin Oriental Palace Luzern has become something much closer to home. He has reportedly lived at the five-star property for more than a year and even lists the hotel as his official residence. His Swiss residence certificate carries the property’s address on Haldenstrasse 10, while he receives mail there and has no apartment elsewhere.
In an interview with Zentralplus, Nagel offered a glimpse into how unconventional his arrangement really is. He was interviewed in Room 336, overlooking Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus, but the room was not permanently his. Instead, the hotel moves him between rooms and suites depending on availability, meaning even his temporary surroundings can change from one stay to the next.
A hotel room that works like home
Nagel reportedly pays a mid-five-figure amount per month, although the exact figure and what it covers have not been disclosed. More importantly, he says he pays only for the days he is physically staying at the hotel. He normally spends around five to seven days in Lucerne before traveling again and has reportedly traveled for six to nine months every year since he was 18.
When he leaves, his four or five suitcases and personal belongings remain safely stored in the hotel’s basement. Staff then places everything in his newly assigned room before he returns. Nagel unpacks every time, even if he is staying for only one night, and says arranging his clothes, photographs, souvenirs and decorative objects takes about an hour. The hotel has even embroidered his initials, “J.N.,” onto his towels and bathrobe.
His current agreement is renewed annually and runs until January 2027. A permanent room was initially offered, but Nagel said the price was so high that he could “buy a house every year” for the same amount. His actual annual spending therefore depends on how often he is in Lucerne and which rooms or suites he occupies.
The entrepreneur behind the hotel lifestyle
Nagel founded Mainment GmbH in 2018, an agency that manages social-media accounts, develops content and personal brands, runs performance-marketing campaigns and manages advertising budgets for VIP clients, including internationally known artists, celebrities and influencers.
His lifestyle is expensive, but Nagel approaches it with an almost obsessive eye for efficiency. He reportedly tracks every expense down to the last cent using an app he programmed himself. He is also a self-described travel hacker who uses airline miles, hotel points and negotiated long-stay rates rather than routinely paying published prices. He has even secured heavily reduced hotel rates, including a stay of more than a month at a Conrad property in Bali.
The minimalist side of his lifestyle is just as striking. Nagel says he owns around 50 identical white T-shirts and buys identical jeans, trousers and shoes in multiples. Most of his personal possessions fit into his four or five suitcases. His Rolex and collection of watches are among the exceptions to his otherwise simple wardrobe, while his aviation memorabilia, including airline trolleys and a desk made from an aircraft wing flap, remains at his offices.
He reportedly works from around 8:30 AM until 3 AM and says helicopter flying is his only real hobby. Despite making one of Switzerland’s grand hotels his legal home, he still checks property websites and eventually hopes to own a house with a garden. For now, however, the Mandarin Oriental gives Nagel something that suits his constantly moving life: a home that can change rooms without ever requiring him to pack.
