The Best Luxury Hotels in Gstaad, Switzerland

Gstaad: Tiny Village, Towering Reputation

No cars run along Gstaad's Promenade. The street belongs to people on foot. For one Saturday each September, it also belongs to the cows, as flower decked herds walk down from the summer pastures with their bells ringing. Wooden chalets climb the slopes on either side, and the Saanenland valley opens out toward Schönried and Rougemont. Up on the hillsides, giant fondue pots wait to be sat in. Distances are short, but the hills are steep. That is why the seven hotels below are sorted by how guests get down to the Promenade, whether on foot, by hotel shuttle or on the valley train.

Gstaad in Winter, Gstaad in Summer

Winter. Roughly 200 kilometers of pistes run between about 1,000 and 3,000 meters, across Rinderberg, Wasserngrat, Eggli–La Videmanette and Glacier 3000. Up on the glacier. Skiing lasts from early November to the end of April, and the Peak Walk suspension bridge links two summits. Most of the big hotels open in early or mid-December and close in March, and their restaurants book up quickly in peak weeks, so reserve dinner along with the room.

Summer. The valley turns green and the calendar fills. The Gstaad Menuhin Festival plays from mid-July to early September, in its festival tent and in village churches around Saanen, Rougemont and Lauenen. The Swiss Open brings ATP tennis to Gstaad in July, and the Hublot Polo Gold Cup takes over Saanen airfield in August. On the hills, the giant pots of Fondueland can't be reserved, so order a fondue backpack from a local dairy the day before and claim one early. The hike to Lauenensee runs about 12 kilometers from Gstaad station, and a bus covers the return from late May to late October.

Getting there is half the pleasure. The GoldenPass Express runs between Montreux and Interlaken through Gstaad without a change of train. By car, Geneva airport is about two hours away and Zurich airport about three. Overnight guests receive the Gstaad Card, which covers local trains and buses across the region, and many hotels close entirely between seasons, in spring and again in autumn.

The 7 Best Luxury Hotels in Gstaad, Switzerland

🚶 A Walk to the Promenade

These three put the shops, cafés and lifts within minutes on foot, one of them up a short hill.

1. Le Grand Bellevue

Location: Untergstaadstrasse, at the entrance to the Promenade

The first to greet arriving guests is a tweed covered camel parked in the lobby. In the bar, pineapple-shaped lights glow above two grand Steinways, and someone is usually at the keys once evening comes. The Michelin Guide calls it "a luxury hotel of rare tastefulness" and gives it two Keys. Le Grand Spa spreads over some 3,000 square meters, and its hay sauna, in Forbes Travel Guide's words, sends guests out "smelling like a dewy mountain meadow." After 5 p.m. in winter the indoor pool is kept for guests 16 and over. Winter rates include a three-course dinner at LEONARD's, and Le Petit Chalet serves fondue and raclette on the front lawn. For a splurge, the two-level penthouse has floor-to-ceiling windows onto the mountains. New residences are under construction next door until 2028, and the hotel itself warns of some daytime noise, so ask for a room on the far side.

Best for: A first winter in Gstaad with the Promenade a few steps from the door.

2. Hotel Olden

Location: Promenade, Gstaad village center

The Olden has just eight suites, five in the main house and three in Chalet Marie next door. Its luxury is the understated kind. Creamy neutral tones, rustic beams, checked curtains and painted alpine motifs fill the rooms. The larger suites in the renovated Chalet Marie, topped by a two-floor penthouse, are the ones to book. There is no spa.

Its ground floor makes up for that. The Pinte is the room for après-ski dinners. The main restaurant serves Mediterranean and international dishes. La Cave, the cellar club with live music, opens only over the Christmas holidays and in mid-February. Time a stay around those weeks for the liveliest nights on the Promenade. The winter season runs from early December to mid-March.

3. Le Grand Chalet

Location: Palacestrasse, on a hillside above Gstaad village

Book a Junior Suite here. Each has a large south facing corner balcony or terrace, with views over Gstaad toward Saanen. The Promenade is about six minutes' walk downhill, and the free shuttle saves the climb back. Rooms are alpine in style and fairly simple. Wellness stops at a sauna and a steam bath, so this suits travelers who spend their days on the slopes. La Bagatelle is the reason to stay in for dinner. It pairs French and regional cooking with an award-winning wine list, and its terrace looks straight out over the valley. Breakfast is best taken in the sunny south-facing conservatory. The outdoor pool opens only in summer. The hotel shuts in April and May, and again from late October until the winter season.

Ideal for: Skiers who want a view, a good dinner and a quieter night.

🚐 A Shuttle Ride Above the Village

Both of these sit high enough to look down on Gstaad, and both send guests down by car.

4. Gstaad Palace

Location: Palacestrasse, on the hilltop above Gstaad

From 7 p.m., men need a jacket in Le Grill, the Bar du Grill and the Veranda of Le Grand. Caps, hoodies and sports shoes are not welcome anywhere in the evening. The Michelin Guide calls the Palace "a glamorous winter fantasy come to life." The turreted building holds six restaurants. Le Grand has just been renovated. La Fromagerie, open only in winter, serves fondue in a former bank vault, with sittings at 7 and 9:30 p.m. In summer, the draw is the heated 50-meter outdoor pool with diving boards on three levels. Standard rooms are plainer than the rest, so book a Superior room or a suite. One review notes there is no air conditioning. Down in the basement, the GreenGo nightclub keeps very different hours from the lobby. The hotel collects guests from Gstaad station.

5. The Alpina Gstaad

Location: Oberbort, on the hillside above Gstaad village

Arrival happens through an underground granite tunnel. Check-in comes with a cup of lemongrass and peppermint tea. Above ground, the Alpina is built of Ringgenberg limestone, reclaimed fir and antique wood. Ceilings are carved, and leather cowbell straps hang as decoration. Every room has a balcony or patio. The Grand Luxe Suites, with fireplaces in alpine stone, are the category to book. Spa access is free for every guest, from the pink Himalayan salt room to the pool lined in Belgian blue limestone. Megu serves Japanese cooking under Tsutomu Kugota. The kitchen is changing hands. Francesco De Bartolomeis is the new executive chef, and two restaurants are being reimagined this year, so check what is open before booking dinner. A free shuttle runs guests down to the village and the lifts.

Perfect for: A winter splurge built around the spa and a fireplace suite.

🚆 A Short Train Ride Down the Valley

Schönried and Rougemont are a few stops from Gstaad on the MOB line, with their own lifts close by.

6. Ermitage Wellness & Spa Hotel

Location: Dorfstrasse, Schönried, about 5 kilometers from Gstaad

The saltwater pool stays at 35°C all year, indoors and out. On a snowy evening, the outdoor half is still warm enough for a swim. The rest of the spa runs to around 3,700 square meters, with four saunas, three steam baths, a Lady Spa and a relaxation room with waterbeds. Falstaff calls the Ermitage "one of the region's wellness pioneers." It sits on a sunny terrace above the valley, at about 1,200 meters. The Rellerli lift is 150 meters away. The gourmet half-board covers breakfast, a soup-and-salad lunch, the afternoon cake table and dinner in the Ermitage Stuben. Families are welcome, with family suites, a playroom and a three-generation package. A cinema and a squash court cover bad weather days, and Schönried station is five minutes away on foot.

7. Hôtel de Rougemont & Spa

Location: Chemin des Palettes, Rougemont, about 8 minutes from Gstaad by train

Every room here faces due south, toward the peaks around La Videmanette known as the Gstaad Dolomites. The hotel mixes bare wood and warm fabrics with art exhibitions and a small cinema. The result is half Alpine lodge, half design hotel. At Le Roc, meat and fish are grilled over a central open fire. Tables go fast, so book dinner with the room. The spa now works with Gemology products. Suites and penthouses add a separate living room. The Videmanette lift is about 800 meters away by hotel shuttle, so this is not a ski-in address. Checkout is at 11 a.m., so plan the last morning around it.

Seasons, Slopes and Village Streets

Winter visitors come for the skiing and linger over long dinners. In summer, the reasons change to concerts, tennis and the walk out to Lauenensee. Most of these hotels close for several weeks in between, so check dates before planning a shoulder-season trip. The hillside hotels give the bigger view, while the two on the Promenade give the village itself, right outside the door.

For a first visit, stay where the Promenade is a stroll away. It is where the village spends its days, and in September it is where the cows come home.

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