Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, who is the Fairest of them all?
We love hotels! That’s why we have spent roughly 100 nights in them last year. And, we love telling you about (some of) them even more. Our passion for fine accommodation, rather than being limited to luxury hotels, extends to owner-operated boutique hotels, because infrastructure is only one of our rating criteria. We give equal weighting to each of the aspects of ambience, authenticity, location, room quality, culinary culture, and service. Here is our Top 10 list of unique Swiss alpine hotels – that have made a lasting impression on us. These are venues that positively define Swiss hospitality, that fill us with pride for our native country, and that we warmly recommend to you:
1st Place: The Alpina, Gstaad
Those who love the mountains and the town of Gstaad but gladly do without red-and-white chequered cloth will love The Alpina, created by Marcel Bach and Jean-Claude Mimran. The Alpina combines traditional alpine architecture with fresh modern design and a discrete type of luxury. It is actually our favourite place for shaping up.
2nd Place: Cervo Mountain Boutique Resort, Zermatt
Cervo – the top dog among the array of exceptional hotels at the foot of the Matterhorn. The hotel's location on the edge of the ski slope is unique. A perfectly located "ski in - ski out" resort for ambitious ski enthusiasts and those who wish to make full use of their 7-day ticket without missing out on the pleasures of après-ski.
3rd Place: Giardino Mountain, St. Moritz Champfèr
"Un po' die più" reads the claim of Giardino Group, and this hotel of theirs certainly goes the extra mile in terms of ambience, service, cosiness, and love of detail. The Giardino Mountain well deserves its reputation as the new overachiever in Engadin hospitality.
4th Place: Le Grand Bellevue, Gstaad
Dating back to 1912, this "grande dame" has been smartly upgraded to face the future, a particularly fine example of turning a musty vintage venue into a state-of-the-art fairy tale palace. Le Grand Bellevue is an easygoing hotel that will simply make you feel good! The lobby proves once and for all that colourful design and tradition can go together very well indeed.
5th Place: The Chedi, Andermatt
Each room has its own fireplace! Out of altogether 196 fireplaces at The Chedi Andermatt, eight are located by the indoor pool alone. A stylish retreat for hedonists and those who believe they've seen it all.
6th Place: Guarda Val, Lenzerheide
The Guarda Val is a romantic hideaway featuring the luxury amenities that probably matter most to us these days: authenticity instead of artifice, environmentally friendly rather than exploitative tourism, outdoor experience rather than glitzy jet-set extravaganzas.
7th Place: Kulm Hotel, St. Moritz
Service marked by quiet perfection! Once you have stayed here, they will always remember you. After a few visits, you will be considered a regular client at the Kulm Hotel, and bed your weary head on a pillow embroidered with your first name.
8th Place: Tschuggen Grand Hotel, Arosa
We love the futuristic rack railway "Tschuggen Express" that the Tschuggen operates to ferry patrons comfortably from the hotel to the ski slopes in 2.5 minutes. It makes you feel like you're in a James Bond flick!
9th Place: The Omnia, Zermatt
Nature and architecture merge into a harmonious entity at The Omnia. The view of the Matterhorn from the whirlpool as well as from most rooms is simply overwhelming.
10th Place: Villa Honegg, Ennetbürgen
Watching the sunset from the infinity pool of Villa Honegg is an unforgettable experience. From the pool, you overlook Lake Lucerne and mountains all the way to the horizon. A great place to catch your breath and find back to yourself.
Ready for more? We have compiled 272 hotel and restaurant recommendations across Europe for you – each one of them tested in person, on location.
We wish you much excitement planning your next trip and yet more pleasure on the road!