Jetsetters have descended upon Swiss cities for centuries. Whether the visit is for personal or professional reasons (or something altogether more nefarious), there’s never a shortage of opulent places to lay your head.
As we approach fall and winter (this is the best time to go), here are four well appointed places to consider.
This iconic spot has been catering to the world’s elite, from heads of state to royalty and the celeb set since 1896. With 120 years of service to their name, Badrutt’s is pretty much synonymous with St. Moritz itself. You don’t even have to like skiing, their parties are legendary.
The Palace has 157 rooms and 37 suites facing the Swiss Alps and Lake St. Moritz. For the active global gourmand, head to Chesa Veglia, their historic farmhouse, après-ski or trek. For evening eats and a view of the Engadine mountains, it’s Le Relais. After hours, it’s all about the King’s Club—it’s long been St. Moritz’s hottest spot for famous faces and a fair amount of mischief.
The Bellevue Palace is the only grand hotel in the Swiss capital of Bern. Global politicos the likes of Queen Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela and Castro, together with Johnny Cash and a few John Le Carre characters are but a few that have taken in the view of the Bernese Alps and the River Aare for the past 150 years.
This Leading Hotel of the World is also a member of the Swiss Deluxe Hotels. It was roaring in the ‘20s and continues to wow with its stunning Art Nouveau architecture and luxe amenities. If checking in to one of the 128 suites or rooms, be sure to wine and dine at Bellevue Bar and the Restaurant Vue, or simply watch the glitterati go by in Le Lobby.
Located on the waterfront of Lake Geneva, Beau-Rivage has quite a storied past of murders, mayhem and money (case in point: in 1898 Sissi, the Empress Elisabeth of Austria, was punched by an anarchist nearby and taken to the hotel to die). Founded by the Mayer family in 1865, the Leading Hotel of the World and Swiss Deluxe Hotel remains a fifth generation family-run business today.
Be sure to tip back on classic or contemporary cocktails in L’ Atrium Bar under Pompeii-styled frescoes. For food enthusiasts, The Chef’s Table inside the kitchen of Le Chat-Botte Restaurant, complete with some of the world’s best wine selections, won’t disappoint.
For the spoiled set, call on The Clefs D’Or of the Beau Rivage. They are several steps ahead of a concierge—they act as personal assistants, shoppers and travel consultants and can summon the in house limo if necessary.
Start your visit at the famed Victoria Jungfrau in Interlaken with a lazy afternoon, at a highly coveted spot outside on the Victoria Terrace. Day into night, paragliders swirl like birds until their graceful landing, at the front of the hotel.
If you look beyond the gliders, you have the best view of the iconic Jungfrau Massif, which seems to sparkle at night when the light is right.
Once a private home and guesthouse, Victoria Jungfrau has since remained the premier and the only luxury hotel in town for over 150 years. If a slumber is in order, snag one of the 224 rooms (over half are suites), and be sure to prolong your leisure with a luxurious session at their ESPA spa or in the world’s only Sensai Select Spa.
Or perhaps you’re more for a round of tennis indoors, before your dip into their cigar bar Salon Davidoff. If the appetite is taking center stage, take a table at Quaranto Uno for an unimaginable amount of wine options and small Italian plates. Dinner at La Terrasse is the pitch perfect nightcap.
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