Gstaad in Switzerland
 

This is ( from what I read, feel free to correct me ), one of the best and most popular mountain resort town in Switzerland with spectacular views. Does seems to make for a relaxing holiday.

There are, as I understand, three luxury resorts,

1) The Grand Hotel Park
2) The Gstaad Palace
3) The Alpina Gstaad

Anyone have any experience staying at the above? Which one is recommended?

P/S : Would it be a wrong time to visit during end July/early August where it is summer in Switzerland?

I think there is also the Bellevue. I have only stayed at the Palace, which struck me as the same type of hotel as Badrutts - you are paying for ambiance, good (occasionally great) service, and the room quality is highly variable. Having said that, the public areas of the hotel were an amusing scene, and Gstaad is a very pleasant place winter or summer.

The Alpina, I think, is the new game in town and seems more contemporary than the traditional competitors.

The Alpina Gstaad is in a different league from the other two and is a terrific place to stay in the summer - great outdoor pool.

I think Summer would be a great time to visit Switzerland.

I visited Switzerland in January this year, after about 6 days I got sick of the snow.

Plus I slipped over in Zermatt and fractured my wrist. It put me off Switzerland in winter TBH, if I visit Switzerland again it will definitely be in the summer.

Thanks guys for your inputs.


Hope you are better now. Gstaad seems to be famous for their winter scenary. But I agree, Switzerland in Summer is beautiful as well. ^ Here's a picture of Mt Pilatus when I went there last Summer.


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8298/7...ede43e_b_d.jpg

Have they fixed the startup kinks?

Yes, I think they have. It works very well now.

I lived in Gstaad. The Palace Hotel is where I would stay.

Has anyone stayed at the Ultima in Gstaad?

re summer in switzerland, great if one likes outdoors
also things like music/etc festivals (at least for classical)

something different in gstaad >
palace.ch/en/suites-rooms/walig-hut/

interesting
17 rooms (up to 4BRs)
pool (open to spa guests)

I did and liked it a lot. Small - looks like a chalet from the outside - easy to miss - a beautiful underground pool. Very rich decor. Hermes pillows and things like that. Very plush, but a merger of super modern and chalet that I liked. I could see some people thinking it is a bit bling.

It's open year round, and be careful about top floor rooms - the hotel has no AC per I was told Swiss law - and under those gables it gets warm when the sun is beating down. Restaurant was good. One night at dinner, we were the only people in the place. The next night there was one other couple.

The Alpina is the only other hotel in Gstaad I stayed at - however, the staff at Ultima told me they are the only ski-in, ski-out hotel in Gstaad.

They have indeed.

I'd definitely go for the Alpina. Summer is actually the best season to stay there as Gstaad is one of the lowest-altitude ski resorts in Switzerland and often suffers from a lack of snow.