We visited Switzerland for our anniversary and stayed at Hotel Belvedere in Grindelwald. Grindelwald is a magical village in the Alps which looks as if it is off the front of a Christmas Card and Hotel Belvedere is truly the perfect place to stay to experience this wonderful part of the world. The hotel is a beautiful, family run hotel where you are treated like family by the staff. Every window of the hotel offers the most breathtaking views over the Alps and we fell in love immediately from the moment we arrived.
We arrived in Grindelwald just after lunch, having driven down from Basel. Grindelwald was blanketed in a light sheet of snow which was a lot more than we had expected and the lovely receptionist told us that the snow had only started that morning! We easily spotted Hotel Belvedere as we drove through Grindelwald and pulled into one of the parking spaces (parking is included for guests) and were immediately impressed by the stunning grounds and gorgeous Christmas decorations!
We were very warmly greeted by the friendly reception staff and offered a welcome drink. We settled into the lounge with our sparkling wine and marvelled at the breathtaking views from the floor to ceiling glass windows. As we were enjoying our wine it began to snow again and we truly knew that we were in absolute paradise!
Hotel Belvedere is located in central Grindelwald and is only a few minute walk from the train station, supermarkets, shops and town. There is also a number of restaurants and bars within a short walk. Thanks to its very central location, we didn’t have to take our car out at all during our stay. The hotel also provides vouchers to guests which offer free transport on buses in Grindelwald which is a lovely little bonus.
Once we finished our sparkling wine, we headed up to the 5th and top floor of the hotel to our Executive Room. The hotel has a variety of rooms ranging from suites to twin and family rooms, with all rooms either offering stunning views of the famous Eiger or Wetterhorn. We were speechless from the moment we stepped inside our front door. Our Executive Room was incredibly spacious, beautifully furnished and offered the most breathtaking panoramic views over the Eiger and Alps.
Our beds were extremely comfortable with soft, luxurious bedding and the pillow menu was the most impressive I’ve seen from my travels! It was very evident the importance the hotel places on the health and well being of their guests. I opted for a spelt grain pillow whilst Dan chose a Arven wood pillow. Both were very different to any pillow we’ve ever used but we loved them and slept very soundly!
We were provided with tea and coffee making facilities, and there was a desk, flat screen television, mini bar and lounge chairs in the room. Our room was fitted with in room temperature control which ensured our room was toasty warm whilst it was freezing outside! There was also plenty of wardrobe space and storage in the room if you are planning on staying for a while! Everything we could have possibly want or needed was provided for us.
We loved our wraparound, panoramic balcony which provided us the most stunning views. Despite the very cold weather and almost constant snow we spent a lot of time on the balcony simply enjoying our surroundings and the breathtaking views!
Our bathroom was very spacious and modern and featured a separate Jacuzzi bathtub and shower, as well as a separate toilet. Soft, fluffy bathrobes, slippers and towels were also provided. I loved the hotel’s environmentally friendly and well being policies. Soap, shampoo and conditioner are provided in dispensers in the bath, shower and at the basin, and if you required any other toiletries you can just collect them from reception or order them to your room (free of charge). This came about as a result of huge wastage of hotel toiletries over the years. They are truly committed to sustainability and it is something that I hope to see more hotels implementing in the future!
A large wellness area is available for all guests to use with a sauna, steam bath, indoor whirlpool, outdoor salt water Jacuzzi and large, heated indooor swimming pool.
It has been a dream of mine for a long time to experience an outdoor pool or spa in the snow! I am very glad to say this dream of mine came true at Hotel Belvedere as we were lucky enough to be snowed on whilst whilst relaxing in the hot tub, which is an experience we will never forget!
The hotel also has a brand new Finnish Sauna and glacier steam bath in addition to their heat mine gallery which are all excellent health boosting experiences and all contribute to your well-being. The wellness areas all have a beautiful appearance, were all spotlessly clean and there was additional towels provided for use.
The hotel also has a number of other facilities for its guests including a Piano Bar and Smoker’s Lounge in addition to their lounge and panoramic terrace. Wi-Fi is included and it worked perfectly throughout our whole stay. We were treated wonderfully by every member of staff we met throughout our stay and they could not have been more helpful! Even after we had checked out and we found our car to be a giant ice block a member of staff came out to assist us with scraping off the ice without us even having to ask.
The hotel has one of the top restaurants in Grindelwald, Restaurant Français, which is open during the summer and winter. We visited during off season and so the restaurant was closed for dinner but the hotel recommends their sister hotel’s Italian restaurant and even provided us with vouchers for a free drink on arrival! We took a peek at the menu for Restaurant Français which looked wonderful with a wide variety of meals on offer and not only classic Swiss specialities, but also food with a Mediterranean and Asian influence. The dishes are all inventive and creative and focus on using fresh and locally grown produce and ingredients.
The Restaurant is lovely, bright and has a very stylish decor and is open for breakfast for guests each morning. The breakfast buffet was fresh and very varied with a large amount of options available ranging from fresh fruit, cereals, breads, pastries, yoghurt, eggs, sausages, cheeses and meats just to name a few, in addition to fresh juice, tea and coffee. The restaurant overlooks the Eiger and stunning mountainside and we were lucky enough to have a window table where we could soak up the view whilst enjoying our delicious breakfast each morning.
We absolutely loved our stay in Grindelwald at Hotel Belvedere so much that we have actually decided to change our travel plans for next year and rather than travel through the south of France we are going to head back to Switzerland in Spring! We left feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and excited that we had found a place we both loved so much. We truly received 5 Star treatment throughout our stay and cannot wait to come back to visit both Hotel Belvedere and Grindelwald. I highly recommend the hotel to anyone visiting Switzerland and guarantee you will fall in love with its charm just as we did.
Hotel Belvedere
Dorfstrasse 53
3818 Grindelwald
Switzerland
+41 33 888 99 99http://www.belvedere-grindelwald.ch/
The Aussie Flashpacker was hosted at Hotel Belvedere as a guest.
