ARCHIVE LWSY The Alpina Gstaad > Close To Heaven, Down To Earth
You get the castle view of Gstaad from The Alpina hotel. Located on top of Oberbort with panoramic views of the surrounding Alps, and just a 5-7 minute walk into the famous village.
The Alpina Hotel is one of the most elegantly designed hotels in Gstaad, gloriously dusted in daily snowfall during the winter months. If you’re looking for an insanely beautiful, quiet, romantic hotel with all the mod cons and a spa you’ll never want to leave, this is your place.
With 56 Rooms and Suites with balconies – 25 Rooms, 30 Junior & 1 Bed Suites & 1 Panorama Suite. The restaurants are beautiful, Megu, Japanese, and Sommet which serves an magnificent Michelin starred international menu. The hotel also has an authentic Swiss Stübli. The exposed Wine Room has a tasting table for 8, and you’re welcome to view their collection anytime.
An amazing feature of the hotel that you can’t fail to miss. The 32 piece ceiling above the main staircase was bought from a Swiss dealer of antique wood pieces. Unfortunately, neither the dealer nor the restoration experts could exactly trace back the origin of the ceiling. According to the experts, it most likely origins from Southern Europe, and it dates back from the late baroque period around 1780. It’s magnificent.
Comfort is king in the Alpina Lounge & Bar. Large armchairs and traditional Swiss embroidered fabrics are combined with leather-clad columns and antique wood. The warm colours are livened up with splashes of bright notes, reflecting the palette of the natural surroundings. The bar features enormous floor-to-ceiling windows connecting the interior with the bar’s outdoor terrace, letting you feel that you are at the very heart of the mountains while still close to the fireplace and the bar.
Megu designed by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance
Art at The Alpina Hotel plays a huge role in the ambience of the place. Their private art collection features works by Tracey Emin, Terence Koh, Michel Comte and Barbara Kruger. In the Cigar Room at the hotel is one of my favourite pieces by Roy Nachum. Above you can see one of his works, sculpted Braille poetry onto the canvas to create art that can be experienced by all, even those without the gift of sight.
Sommet, with its Michelin star was one of the most beautiful meals I had last year, and the jewel in The Alpina Gstaad’s crown. 18/20 Gault Millau points pay testament to the restaurant’s exceptional cuisine, and the night we visited, the renowned chef Marcus G. Lindner, created and presented our 10 course tasting menu paired with wines hand picked by the head sommelier on our last night in the resort.
From the cuisine to the impeccably tasteful interior design, the restaurant is the very essence of sophistication and promises an outstanding experience in every respect to anyone who visits.
Another example of the artworks at The Alpina, above Ann Carrington’s work is all about materials, detail and impact. For her artworks she utilises recycled items. The sculptures specially commissioned for The Alpina Gstaad feature Swiss cow and mountain goat horns mounted on the wall like trophies from a hunt. The horns themselves are shaped from hundreds of old bone and horn handled knives and forks.
“What is a knife, if it isn’t a manmade implement for stabbing, cutting and spearing? Likewise, what is a horn if it isn’t a goat’s (or cow’s) tool for puncturing wounding and lancing?”.
The four smaller pairs of horns depicted in the dining room are inspired by the mountain goats synonymous with this region: Alpine, Saanen, Toggenburg and Oberhasli. The larger pair of horns features Simmental cattle horns.
One of my favourite suites, and the only one of its kind, the Panorama Suite sets the bar for a new idea of Alpine luxury. The 400 m² duplex apartment has three bedrooms over two floors, and offers superb views both to the north and the south. The rooms flow naturally into one other, and centre around a huge main living room adorned with a grand fireplace and floor-to-ceiling chimney piece.
The lounge opens out onto a large, private terrace. On the other side, hidden from view, is a kitchen that allows guests to prepare their own meals in the suite.
The master bedroom has its own balcony, fireplace, walk-in dressing room, and bathroom equipped with a large, free-standing bath, oversized shower heads, and a television screen built into the mirror. The Onyx wall sconces glow dramatically against the marble-clad walls.
A grand staircase leads up to the top floor of the suite, where the skylights frame the mountain peaks perfectly. Here guests will find their own private spa, jacuzzi, fitness and massage area, another fireplace, and a bedroom with classic timber latticework and its own veranda.
The kids club
The Six Senses Spa
A beautiful view of the outdoor pool
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Design notes >> Architect, Jaggi & Partner AG. Chaletbau Matti AG (Construction and Carpentry) Hirsch Bedner & Associates London (Lobby, Ballroom & Boardrooms, Bar, Lounge, Restaurant Sommet, Wine Room, Rooms & Suites) Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance (MEGU) P49 Bangkok (Six Senses Spa) Jean Mus et Cie (Landscape).
Alpinastrasse 23, 3780 Gstaad, Switzerland
+41 33 888 98 88 F. +41 33 888 98 89
Our visit was arranged courtesy of PRCo London in January 2016
LWSY