Switzerland Hotel Tips by globetrott Top 5 Page for this destination

Hotel Garni Chesa Nick: in Celerina/Schlarigna

Hotel Garni Chesa Nick is a beautiful hotel in the very centre of Celerina/Schlarigna, next to the church Bel Taimpel. I did not stay there but had a look inside and I think it has a wonderful facade and a great interior - just see the photos of their webpage !

In summertime their hotel-prices are including
all means of transportation in the mountains
of the upper-Engadin !

Unique Qualities: Under these low arcades in my 3rd and 5th photo you can sit in a garden-restaurant, that is great on a hot summerday like in August 2009.
The guestrooms are equipped with all modern en-suite-comfort but the interior of the rooms dates back to the year 1647 with wooden ceilings or the walls covered by ancient wood.
b.t.w. Hotel Garni means they only serve breakfast and dont have their own restaurant.

Address: CH- 7505 Celerina Giassa da la Baselgia 3/5

Directions: This hotel is in a distance of about 500 meters from the trainstation of Celerina/Schlarigna.When you come by car, you better reserve a parking-space in advance, its free, but limited !

Other Contact: Fax: ++41 (0)81 / 834 89 92

Phone: ++41 (0)81 / 833 48 30

Theme: Hotel

Hotel Schweizerhaus: in Maloja

Hotel Schweizerhaus looks a bit oversized in the small village called Maloja, the highest point of the Maloja-passroad in a hight of 1815 meters. What I liked most about this hotel is the combination of an old traditional wooden house and all the modern amenities that you will expect in a good ****hotel nowadays.

Unique Qualities: I did not stay there as a hotelguest but spent some time admiring the building with its great inscriptions carved into the wooden facades. They have a great garden around the hotel and their own parking-spaces and maybe I will stay there the next time when I will pass by Maloja.

A special offer for Hotelguests there:
for all guests of the Hotel Schweizerhaus & Hotel Pöstli:
if you stay 2 nights or more, the public transport in the Upper Engadin in summer and winter are free of charge. Additionally free of charge during summer season are all mountain railways.

Comparison: about average

Directions: Maloja is about 15km west of St. Moritz, the hotel is built along the mainroad to Italy.

Theme: Hotel

Berghaus Maendlenen-Weberhuette: the only way to get there is to hike

This is a typical mountain-hotel at a place, where you will be able to get to only when taking a long hike eighter from Grindelwald-First or from Wilderswil/Schynigeplatte. Berghaus Maenndlenen-Weberhuette is the 2nd restaurant and quite simple "hotel" along the hiking-path between Schynigge Platte and First. See their webpage below, they offer 30 seats in the small restaurant and a lot more at the terrace and they provide a "Massenlager" for 50 people .
it is rather a row of matresses than beds, but who cares about that in such a lovely scenery !!

Make reservations for a matress as long time in advance as possible !!!
Berghaus Maendlenen-Weberhuette is open Mid June-mid October
a matress is 28 sfr, matress & breakfast is 36 sfr
a matress with halfpension it is 52sfr

Unique Qualities: I had a great goulaschsoup, a really big portion, a lot of bread and an excellent Rauchwurst (smoked sausage). The scenery is great and make sure, you will not miss that romantic place to powder your nose !!

Address: Ch-3818 Grindelwald

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Restaurant Maenndlenen-Weberhuette is about 3 hours from Schynigge Platte and 3,5 hours from First. You have to hike there !
The Coordinates are : 640.570 / 168.770

Phone: 0041 33 853 44 64

Theme: Hostel

Website: http://www.berghaus-maenndlenen.ch

Hotel Weisses Kreuz in Brienz: Goethe, Byron and Uhland stayed there

Hotel Weisses Kreuz in Brienz is a place that saw many celebrities over the last centuries. The hotel of nowadays consists of 2 main buildings : The one on the left is the old part of the hotel, dating back to 1688 and it saw plenty of important celebrities like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Lord Byron and Ludwig Uhland. The hotel is conveniently located opposite of the train-station in Brienz, and just a few steps from the station of the Brienzer Rothorn-Bahn.

Unique Qualities: When reserving a room in this hotel, you should be aware of the fact, that the railway - with all its noises - and also the main road through Brienz is just in front of the hotel. The steam-trains of Rothornbahn are just starting behind the hotel, but these trains run only during the day.

Address: CH-3855 Brienz - Hauptstrasse 143

Comparison: about average

Directions: Hotel Weisses Kreuz is next to the main trainstation of Brienz and next to the station of Rothornbahn. The ships of Brienzersee will land opposite of the hotel !

Other Contact: Fax (033) 952 2021

Theme: Hotel

Website: http://www.weisseskreuz-brienz.ch

Berghotel Faulhorn: is for HIKERS ONLY !

The Hotel on top of the Faulhorn in a height of 2681meters above sea-level is not only the highest alpine hotel, but also the oldest. It dates back to the year 1830 and the first tourists were taken there by horses or alpine-chairs, carried by locals. Today you are at least able to take the cable-car from Grindelwald to First and have to hike the rest, that is about 2 hours on a partly quite steep path) in order to be able to enjoy the 360 degree-panorama with Eiger - Moench - Jungfrau - Wetterhorn - Schreckhorn - Brienzer Rothorn and many more.
The Faulhorn-hotel might be a good place to stay, when taking one of the many full-day-hikes in Berner Alpen high above Grindelwald and Brienz, because besides Axalp there is only the Faulhorn Hotel and the one at Berghaus Maenndlenen-Weberhuette available.

The hotel and restaurant are open daily
between end of june and October 20th !!
for other dates, you better phone them in advance !!

Unique Qualities: In Faulhorn-hotel you are really off the beaten path - it is besides Weberhuette the only hotel and restaurant at the hiking-path between Schynigge Platte and First.

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: The distance from Axalp (that is above Giessbach and Brienz) to Faulhorn is about 3 hours, from Giessbach you can take the bus to Axalp, it will take about 40 minutes ! From Grindelwald take first the cablecar to FIRST, then hike about 2 hours !

Phone: 033 853 2713

Theme: Hostel

Website: http://www.berghotel-faulhorn.ch/

Hotel Roessli in Unterseen /Interlaken: its cosy & rather cheap

Hotel Roessli in Unterseen is a good place for you to stay outside of busy Interlaken and still in walking distance from the station Interlaken WEST. Unterseen is the oldest part of Interlaken and this part of town starts just across the river Aare, 30 meters from West-station.
Hotel Roessli in Unterseen / Interlaken is a perfect hotel for all families and tourists, who are not looking for a sophisticated hotel, but rather a cosy place to fit their budget.
Hotel Roessli is a rather small hotel, off the centre of Interlaken but within a walking distance of just 10 minutes from Interlaken-West-station and in a really quiet area without a lot of car-trafic. From some of the rooms you may even see the famous "Jungfrau-Blick".
This hotel is one of the places where I was working for 1 season many years ago and I would choose it again to stay for a vacation, because of the perfect combination of a simple and nice hotel, good food and everything within short walking-distance.

Unique Qualities: This small hotel is a good choice when you arrive by car, as they have their own parking, and when you arrive by train, it is just 10 minutes to walk from the station Interlaken West.

Address: CH-3800 Interlaken/Unterseen, Hauptstrasse 10, Box 262

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: From the train-station Interlaken West you cross the rail-track and the river Aare, at the next big crossing you go to the right, after 100 meters from the crossing you see the hotel. You may see a map under "Location" at their web-page !!

Phone: +41 (0) 33 822 78 16

Theme: Hotel

Website: http://www.roessli-interlaken.ch/

Hotel Rothorn Kulm: for a great view from Brienzer Rothorn

From Brienzer Rothorn you will have an excellent panoramaview of the famous mountains around the Jungfrau and you will also see all of Brienzersee. There is not only a great restaurant but they offer as well some hotelrooms and it might be an excellent idea to go uphill one day, spend the sundown on top of Rothorn, while all the daytourists are gone, spend the night in Hotel Rothorn Kulm and enjoy the sunset the next morning as well.
This great alpine hotel is in a hight of 2350 meters above sea-level, and you may get to this hotel by Brienzer Rothornbahn within 1 hour from the train-station in Brienz. The rooms in that hotel are simple, mostly just with running water, and they also have some large rooms for groups of hikers.

Reservation of rooms is advisable !!!
hotel-rothorn@brienz-rothorn-bahn.ch
In 2010 the hotel is open from june 5th till October 17th
the restaurant is open till October 24th

Unique Qualities: Just imagine the great atmosphere on a sunny evening in summer, after the last day-tourists have left the Rothorn and only a few people are left back.It might be a good idea to go up one day, spend the night there and walk down the mountain the other day. Various hiking-paths are at your choice to Brienz, in direction of Bruenig-Pass and Lucerne, to Meiringen & Haslistal.

Address: CH-3855 Brienz - Rothorn

Comparison: about average

Directions: The best way to get to Hotel Rothorn Kulm is by BRB Brienzer Rothornbahn or by cablecar from Soerenberg. Stepping up is another option for skilled and well trained hikers ONLY !!

Other Contact: Fax(033) 951 1251

Phone: (033) 951 1221

Theme: Hotel

Website: http://www.brienz-rothorn-bahn.ch/

Grandhotel Giessbach: it takes you back into the time of 1855

Grandhotel Giessbach close to Brienz is a very special place to spend a really quiet vacation far away from noisy cartrafic and it used to be one of the most elegant hotels of its time, when it was built in 1855 opposite of the village of Brienz, on top of a rock overlooking Brienzersee and next to a really scenic waterfall. The most glorious times for the hotel was between 1870 and 1914 but afterwards tourism changed a lot and it was hard to fill the rooms of such a remote hotel.
In 1985 it was restored and it looks really great again from inside !! In Grandhotel Giessbach you may still breath the good old times, that seem to have stood still for ages there... Click on my picture in order to see the great details of architecture - I also have a seperate page about Giessbach, the waterfalls,the cable-car, the hotel & surroundings!

Unique Qualities: Grandhotel Giessbach is a bit off the beaten path, a place to relax, and it is very helpful to get there by your own car.
You may get to Giessbach :
1)on the road from Brienz - BUT it is quite narrow and might be dangerous at certain times, because only at a few places it is possible to pass by other cars, and it might be good to avoid the times, when the public bus goes to Axalp.
2)By ship - the elegant, traditional way, most of the tourists came that way in the good old times of the hotel. Each and every ship on Brienzersee stops there !!
The hotel is only open in summertime and for a few festivities also around Christmas.

Address: CH-3855 Brienz - Grandhotel Giessbach

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Take the exit for Giessbach or Axalp, when you are driving on the highway between Brienz and Interlaken, or get there by the regular ship on Brienzersee!

Other Contact: Fax:+41(0)33 952 2530

Phone: +41 (0)33 9522525

Theme: Hotel

Website: http://www.giessbach.ch/

Alpengasthof at Axalp: not only for for sentimental reasons

For sentiment reasons but also for the great location at a remote place in the alps high above Brienz, I may recommend this place for a quiet vacation far away from the hectic life.
Alpengasthof is high above Brienz and Giessbach and might be a much cheaper place to stay than most of the other hotels in Berner Alpen. The hotel was built completely by wood, only at a few points of the foundations there are small concrete-blocks. Living in such a wooden building is really interesting, because it is a lot more cosy than a modern building. Alpengasthof is my favorite hotel and restaurant, simply because this hotel has a special meaning to me :It was called "Kurhaus Axalp" before,and there I started my carreer in the hotelbusiness plenty of years ago. I was a young austrian student looking for a well-payed job and it is a lot of fun for me today to think back of my first severe struggles with the terrible Swiss-german-dialect and hundreds of young skiers, driving me crazy with their orders....

Unique Qualities: Alpengasthof includes also a seperate part with rooms for school-classes and large groups of up to 50 persons, sleeping in large rooms with just a lot of matresses set one after the other.
Arvenstube is a cosy seperate room of the restaurant, you may smell the special kind of wood that was used to build the walls of this room : ARVE is some sort of a pine-tree that grows mainly in Switzerland.
To drive to Axalp by your own car is possible , but NOT advisable ! The road is mostly really narrow and has just a very few passing-places.

Address: CH-3855 Brienz Axalp

Comparison: less expensive than average

Other Contact: %B%CB%S4Fax:+41 (0) 33 951 42 2

Phone: +41 (0) 33 951 16 71

Theme: Hotel

Website: http://www.alpengasthof.ch/

Grand Hotel Viktoria Jungfrau: for those who may afford it

When you are able to afford such an exclusive place, Grand Hotel Jungfrau Victoria is THE place for you ! The Grandhotel is ment for people who care for a perfect room and excellent service, without having to care as well for the price....

They have an indoor-pool, a large wellness-area, garages, several restaurants, all set up perfectely with cloth-napkins and prices twice as high as usual, a pianist is playing....

Unique Qualities: All of the rooms face the famous Hoehematte, a meadow with the best "Jungfrau-blick" ,( the famous view on the Jungfrau).

This meadow was bought by the 1st owner of the hotel and given as a donation to the village of Interlaken in the 19th century , with the demand to leave it like it was for all times.

Address: CH-3800 Interlaken - Hoeheweg 41

Comparison: most expensive

Directions: Directely on Hoehematte, about halfway between the 2 trainstations Interlaken Ost and West...
...BUT I am sure you won't come by train, but will arrive with your Rolls Royce or Bentley ;-)

Other Contact: %B%CB%S4Fax+41(0)828 2880

Phone: +41(0)828 2828

Price: US$180 and up

Theme: Hotel

Website: http://www.victoria-jungfrau.ch/de/