A Luxurious Stay at the Gstaad Palace Hotel
“Everything Is Going To Be Alright”
Gstaad’s First Luxury Hotel
The Gstaad Palace is a five star family run hotel in Gstaad which dates back to 1913 when it opened as Gstaad’s first luxury hotel. Set high above the town, this stunning building towers above the beautiful village of Gstaad and the majestic Swiss Alps, just like a castle.
Designed by Dutch architect Adrien van Dorsser, it was originally called the “Royal-Hôtel and Winter Palace” and when you stay there you really do appreciate the very special magic of this hotel, surrounded by the most beautiful Swiss countryside.
A Perfect Summer and Winter Destination
Gstaad Palace in Winter – Photo courtesy of Gstaad Palace
It is probably most well known as a Winter destination, but it also has lots to offer in Summer when we stayed too. On arrival we were warmly welcomed and taken upstairs to our beautiful and very spacious room. The service is very friendly, personal and attentive. The hotel is managed by General Manager, Andrea Scherz, a third generation member of the Scherz family which owns the hotel. In 2019 he was named “Swiss Hotelier of The Year”, so as you can imagine the whole hotel runs like clockwork, and is renowned for its personalised service and its high standards.
The hotel is grand and luxurious but has a friendly, family feel to it. The unique elegance of the hotel is evident in so many ways. As you stroll through the beautifully decorated main lounge and bar area portraits of famous guests line the walls and through the windows you can admire alpine views.
Over the years, this legendary hotel has welcomed royalty, film stars, celebrities, politicians and luxury lovers from all over the world. It appeared in in the 1975 film the Return of the Pink Panther with Peter Sellers and at one stage Michael Jackson even tried to buy it. It is surely one of the most famous and historic resort hotels in Switzerland.
The Rooms At Gstaad Palace
The Gstaad Palace has 90 stylish equipped rooms, Junior Suites and Suites and they are all designed to offer the utmost in pure luxury and relaxation. Our room epitomised Alpine chic, with the most comfortable bed, a bathroom with both bathtub and shower and lots of tasteful furnishings along with a mini bar and Nespresso coffee machine and everything you could wish for a carefree stay. In fact it was so lovely I hardly wanted to leave!
Added to all that, we had the most breathtaking views over the Swiss Alps from a beautiful little balcony.
Gastronomy
Food is a very important part of your stay at Gstaad Palace and the hotel boast 5 restaurants. In late Summer we were able to eat out on the beautiful garden terrace of Le Grill Restaurant which has15 Gault Millau points.
When the weather is good you can also enjoy all three meals there if you wish.
We dined inside in the evening and the food was superb.
The delicious menu offers great international and classic dishes, served by waiters all attired all in white.
If it’s cheese you’re after, the La Fromagerie Restaurant with its rustic Chalet feel offers typical Swiss specialties, like Raclette and cheese fondue. In fact, the Fromagerie has another claim to fame as it was here that during World War II, the Swiss government hid some of the country’s gold reserves in a bunker!
Spa and Wellness – The Palace Spa and Pools
The Palace Spa facilities are spread over an area of 1800 square metres. As well as an outdoor pool, there is an indoor pool with jacuzzi, saunas and steam baths, eight treatment rooms, a private spa suite, plentiful relaxation areas and a unique hammam with six rooms.
If you want to keep fit, the well equipped gym as well as a squash court and 4 outdoor tennis courts are at your disposal, weather permitting. The hotel also puts on a number of yoga and pilates classes and we really enjoyed the class we took with excellent and friendly tuition. In Summer the Olympic outdoor swimming pool is a great draw. The Spa offers a wide range of body massages, facials and all sorts of treatments to relax and reinvigorate. I had a wonderful and very relaxing “Organic Pharmacy” facial after which my skin felt throughly refreshed and energised. The Spa stocks a good range of top name spa brands and the therapy rooms are lovely and relaxing.
Spa Around The World Package
The hotel is currently offering you the opportunity to travel the world from the heart of the Palace Spa with their special packages based on particular destinations. Called Spa Around the World, you can choose your destination and the accompanying treatment offer – read all about the “Spa Around The World” packages here.
The Beautiful Gardens
The hotel’s extensive gardens offer you plenty of space to relax and take in the wonderful alpine views.
Outdoor lovers are in for a treat as there are plenty of places where you can sit back on a lounger and simply admire the beauty of nature.
Stroll Around Gstaad
If you fancy going to town it is only a short walk away.Gstaad is a beautiful little village with plenty of high end shopping possibilities and lots of lovely original wooden houses. You are surrounded by the beauty of the Bernese Alps. Whether you’re visiting in Summer or Winter, do pop into Charlies and try one of their legendary hot chocolates! Perfect ay time of year! Another place to visit is the local dairy, just 5 minutes by car from the hotel – you can read all about it here.
Visiting Gstaad Palace in Winter
If you’re a ski bunny then Winter is definitely a great time to visit! Gstaad offers 220 kilometres of slopes served by 53 cables cares with perfect snow for skiing and snowboarding adventure. In addition a network of sledging trails, snow parks and panoramic hiking trails will keep you amused. And of course what could be better than relaxing in the steam or sauna or enjoying a pampering massage afterwards?
Ski Pleasure – Ski At the Palace This Winter
The Palace has specially selected the Ski Pleasure range of packages which offer accommodation, ski passes and even one day with a private ski instruction. Read all about the Ski Packages here.
How To Get There
We drove to the Gstaad Palace from Zurich and it took approximately 3.5 hours and the journey is exceedingly scenic. Once you arrive you will find much of the village of Gstaad is pedestrianized but the hotel can give you exact directions to get there. If arriving by train, the hotel will arrange for you to be picked up from the station.
Conclusion
The Gstaad Palace offers something for everyone and a stay here is the perfect antidote to the stress of modern 21st Century life. The location set high in the mountains with stunning panoramic views, allows you to reconnect with nature whilst indulging in superb cuisine and choosing from a huge range of activities at your disposal. In fact the spa and wellness facilities alone are just perfect to enable you to unwind and recharge your batteries.
The hotel’s impeccable and extremely courteous service and attention to detail means you won’t be wanting for anything and the friendliness of this historic hotel, mean you will be rushing to come back. Elegant, comfortable and with all the modern facilities you could wish for, the Gstaad Palace offers an escape from the everyday that you certainly won’t want to leave!
Gstaad Palace Hotel
Address: Palacestrasse 28, 3780 Gstaad
Tel: +41 33 748 50 00
Email: info@palace.ch
Visit the Gstaad Palace website here – www.palace.ch
Ski Package:
Read all about the Ski Pleasure Package here.
Spa Package:
Read all about the Spa Around The World Package here.
Open for the Winter Season: 21st December 2020 to 8th March 2021
Open for the Summer Season: 19th June to 12th September 2021
Gstaad Palace is a member of the Swiss Deluxe Hotels group and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.
This winter you can see the remarkable art work (above) by British artist Martin Creed, entitled Work No. 3485 “EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT“ lighting up the façade of the Gstaad Palace. Creed was told by a friend: ‘No one can really tell you everything is going to be alright, but despite that, many times in my life I have been very comforted by people saying something like that to me.’ Creed’s words are seen as very fitting for the current situation in 2020 and 2021. Creed’s words will hopefully bring comfort, optimism and encouragement to everyone who see them.
We stayed as a guest but all views are entirely our own
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