Luxury Guide to the Swiss Alps
Escape to the mountains with these sumptuous winter breaks …
If you’re looking for somewhere special to go this winter, why not escape to the stunning Swiss Alps and enjoy a dreamy break with your nearest and dearest. Whether it’s serious indulgence and romance with your other half or high end family fun with the kids, you’ll find what you’re looking for among these plush hotels in the Swiss Alps.
This week, I’ve been checking out the most luxurious hotels and resorts where you can lap up first class hospitality and live like royalty among snow-covered mountains in your very own alpine paradise. I love mountains and I love snowy, wintry scenes so the Swiss Alps are a dream destination for me – picture perfect chocolate box villages that look like something straight out of a story book.
Funnily enough, for all the lovely alpine places I’ve been to, I’ve never been ski-ing. I wouldn’t have the first clue as to how to even put skis on let alone let them guide me down a mountain at break-neck speed. I might try one day but for now I just love the magic of these places. I could gaze out at mountain views and pretty lakes all day long. There’s also something special about places like this when it’s snowing. I can’t help myself, fairy-tale locations and snowy mountain peaks get me every time. As do swish hotels.
So, if you have any fantasies or notions of living like a real-life snow queen (or king), living it up in an enchanting mountain hideaway, here’s where you should go. In no order… (they’re all divine!)
Badrutt’s Palace, St. Moritz
The last word in luxury, this grand dame of Swiss hospitality has been entertaining guests since it first opened its doors in 1896. This distinguished landmark hotel has nine on-site restaurants and three bars so you won’t go hungry or thirsty here – and you’ll be spoilt for choice. The hotel’s deluxe spa is sure to impress with its indoor infinity pool.
There’s also an outdoor heated pool, fitness facilities, saunas and steam rooms and a full range of massage and beauty treatments. Sounds bliss. I can just see myself sipping a glass of Champagne, dreamily watching the snow fall on the magical scene outside.
The service and hospitality at Badrutt’s is legendary and you’ll feel like royalty from the minute you walk through the door
Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski, St Moritz.
In a spectacular mountain setting, the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski will tick a lot of boxes for discerning guests looking for everything at their fingertips in the Swiss Alps. Contemporary and elegant in design, this beautiful hotel is the perfect place to stay if you want to experience a bit of everything. You can do as much or as little as you fancy but it’s all here. You can indulge yourself with a relaxing spa or beauty treatment or get moving and take part in the sports on offer; the choice is yours. If you have kids with you, they can join in the fun at the hotel’s kids’ club which offers supervised indoor and outdoor activities. Think of all the fun they will have in this fabulous place. You know what they say – happy kids, happy parent? Or is it the other way around? Either way, I think you and your family will love it here.
Le Grand Bellevue
Another opulent bolthole in the Swiss Alps is Gstaad landmark, Le Grand Bellevue. This super stylish hotel sits against a breath-taking mountain backdrop and is sure to be a big hit with lovers of good food. You can lap up Michelin starred fine dining at Leonard’s restaurant within this elegant alpine retreat.
You can also savour the delicious flavours of Swiss specialities in Le Petit Chalet, an intimate wooden cabin in the hotel grounds. Here you’ll find mouth-watering dishes such as Raclette and Fondue on the menu. (These rich, bubbling cheese dishes are big favourites of mine so you know where I’m likely to be hiding out!) Wine lovers will also be impressed by the hotel’s vast selection. The cellar boasts around 10,000 bottles! The wine cellar is also available for private dining or tastings.
Sounds like staying here will be a feast for the senses.
Gstaad Palace, Gstaad
The five-star superior Gstaad Palace effortlessly combines glamour with alpine cosiness – the perfect mix, in my opinion! This truly special place has also seen many famous faces pass through its doors. Celebrities and royalty alike have all lapped up the superstar service and luxury surrounds at the Gstaad Palace. Sounds like you’ll enjoy VIP treatment all the way. Glitz and glamour aside, this beautiful hotel has everything you could wish for on your mountain getaway – from top-end dining in five restaurants to magical spa experiences, it’s got the lot. One of the many highlights in the 1800m2 Palace Spa is the two-hour Hammam Experience for the ultimate in relaxation.
Stay here and leave all your worries behind for a few days – you can pick them up at the airport on your way home.
Valsana Hotel & Apartments, Arosa
This resort is so well thought out in terms of décor and design. The overall look and feel of the place is an interpretation of the forest and natural surroundings. The designer had a vision for an ‘open house’ style and he got it spot on.
In addition to the 40 hotel rooms, there are also nine family apartments, ideal if you like the freedom to come and go as you please or if you fancy a spot of self-catering, dining in the privacy of your own space.
The Valsana also has a cool spa with a relax pool facing the mountains, a gym, a studio for yoga and fitness classes, a steam bath and saunas. Like most Swiss Alps hotels, well-being seems to be at the forefront of your experience in this delightful resort. Also high on their agenda is the environment – Valsana takes a very eco-conscious approach to running their resort. Thanks to an ‘ice battery’ in the cellar, they can heat the entire complex without using fossil fuels.
Are the mountains calling you? I can’t wait to book my Swiss adventure and writing about all these gorgeous digs have got me pricing flights already. Travel writing is the loveliest job in the world but it doesn’t half unsettle you…Occupational hazard.
See you soon for some apres ski!
I love travel. I’ve been fascinated by other countries and cultures since my first foreign trip in 1985 and I’ve had serious wanderlust ever since.I also love to write about where I’ve been and tripsology lets me indulge that passion. I’m thrilled to be a regular contributor and editor. When I’m not writing I also run my own PR and publicity company.