Le Grand Bellevue
Swish Swiss chalet
Promenade-paired palace
We’re very fond(ue) of luxury hotel Le Grand Bellevue in picturesque Gstaad; it has a classic pale-goldenrod-hued palace exterior, and a modern chalet interior. Rooms have views of the surrounding Alps, which you can zip down at will, if you’d like, or the cobblestoned city centre. Indulge in a hot chocolate (the specialty menu has flavoured and spiked numbers) and raclette, or refresh your body and mind in the sprawling subterranean spa. We'll take this Swiss stay over a box of chocolates any time.
Facilities
Habitaciones
Fifty-seven, including nine suites.
Checkout
Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
Más detalles
Rates generally include à la carte and buffet breakfasts (otherwise CHF35 a person), a welcome drink, unlimited spa access, roundtrip transfers from Gstaad Train Station. Winter rates also include a daily three-course dinner at Leonard’s restaurant.
Also
Daily afternoon tea is held in the sitting room; don’t miss out on the selection of mini madeleines and cakes.
Hotel Closed
From mid-October to mid-December and from the start of April to mid-June every year.
Gimnasio
Acceso gratis a internet
Lavandería
Aceptamos mascotas
Restaurante en el hotel
Servicio de habitaciones
Spa
At the Hotel
Spa with sauna, hydrotherapy pool, outdoor spa pool, expansive thermal suite, steam room and hammam; fitness centre with personal training and Pilates, yoga and fitness classes; tennis and padal tennis courts; local transfers; on-site ski hire; electric bikes to borrow (with route recommendations); kids’ club, playroom and cinema; free WiFi throughout. In rooms: minibar with free bottled water and non-alcoholic drinks, tea-making kit, Nespresso coffee machine, and Bamford bath products.
Our Favourite Rooms
We especially love top-floor Suite Etoile, which is set in the eaves; a portion of its massive ensuite bathroom has a glass roof, so you can take après-ski soaks under a canopy of twinkling stars – when it snows it’s even more romantic.
Poolside
The serene and subterranean indoor pool is part of the spa, and has an adjoining hot tub that’s particularly inviting après-ski. Well-behaved little Smiths are welcome in this massive pool until late afternoon, and child-friendly splash hours are from 2pm to 4pm. There's also an outdoor relaxation pool in the Thermal Oasis.
Spa
Subterranean Le Grand Spa is one of Switzerland’s largest. This sprawling (3,000sq m) spa has 10 treatment rooms (two kitted out for pampering à deux). All treatments (massages, facials, wraps, scrubs, aromatherapy, and more) use Bamford and Cellcosmet products. The spa also has a Thermal Oasis – 17 interconnecting hot-and-cold zones that include a herbal sauna, Finnish sauna, salt inhalation grotto, Turkish steam bath, ice fountain, and outdoor spa pool. Beauty treatments and hairstyling can be arranged in the on-site hair salon, and hot-and-cold hydrating and detoxifying drinks can be ordered anywhere within the spa. There’s also a spa garden where you can practice yoga and a fitness centre offering personal training, reformer Pilates, and yoga sessions.
Packing Tips
In the winter, bring your most stylish ski jacket and snow boots to pop on for strolls around Gstaad; in the hotel, make yourself at home in cosy Fair Isle knits and tailored plaids.
Also
Ski kit hire can be arranged with the hotel, so you can focus on hitting the slopes.
Niños
All ages are warmly welcomed – with treats. There are several playrooms, the Polar Bear Kids’ Club (December - March), and even escorted skiing. Each restaurant has a children’s menu and highchairs on loan; babysitting is available for CHF35 an hour.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
Grab a booth by the windows to watch the snow fall with your meal at Leonard’s; and book any cosy table you’d like in advance at Le Petit Chalet and the Sushi Bar.
Código de vestimenta
Dress in après-ski casuals: elegantly understated cashmeres and stylish knit scarves.
Hotel Restaurant
You’ll be spoilt for choice by Le Grand Bellevue’s trio of restaurants. Award-winning Leonard’s is a mod-European bistro decorated in tones of pale mint and cream; enjoy laidback sharing plates or dinners of black-lobster taglierini, tender beef fillet, risotto, schnitzel, and burgers topped gruyère. Buffet breakfasts of seasonal fruits, granola and muesli, and cooked-to-order à la carte options – porridge, waffles, eggs many ways, and fluffy pancakes – are served too. Cosy up for raclette and fondue evenings in charming log-cabin restaurant Le Petit Chalet; keep things merry and bright with cockle-warming hot drinks too. Refresh your palate with a lighter meal at the tucked-away Sushi Bar, where the master will deftly whip up maki rolls, sake-spiced shrimp and sashimi plates.
Hotel Bar
Order expertly crafted cocktails in the Thirties-style art deco bar, then lounge away on the huge chesterfield sofa. Watch out for the mobile whisky trays too. In the lobby, there’s a library area and laidback lounge bar; while there, try anything (or everything) from the specialty hot-chocolate menu. Gstaad’s social scene is particularly fond of the fashion-forward bouquet cocktail lounge; order basil-infused whisky cocktails or home-made jasmine vodka and nibble on popcorn, olives and other moreish snacks. It’s only open in winter, from Wednesday to Saturday (9.30pm to 2am), and hosts karaoke nights, themed evenings and mixology classes.
Last Orders
Breakfast is served from 7am to 11am, lunch from 12 noon to 2:45pm, and dinner from 6.30pm to 11pm.
Room Service
A pared-down version of the bar and Leonard’s menu is available 24 hours a day, so go ahead and order that on-a-whim burger at 3am. Non-alcoholic drinks from your in-room minibar are included in your room rates.
Planes
Direct flights from hubs across Europe land frequently at the international airports at Geneva and Zurich; transfers by private Mercedes E-Class are around CHF550 each way. Call our Smith24 team and they can arrange your transportation faster than an Olympic speed-skier flies downhill.
Trains
Transfers to and from the Gstaad train station are included in your room rate. The scenic train journey from Geneva takes two-and-half hours, with two changes; a frequent service runs from Zurich to Gstaad in just under three hours, also with two changes.
Automobiles
You won’t need a car for strolling around the pretty city centre, but if you’d like to venture further afield in your own set of wheels, there’s on-site valet parking available for CHF25 a day. Bern is a 90-minute drive from Gstaad.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
At the hotel, spend silly amounts of time in the spa, indulging in herbal-scented massages and meandering through the numerous steam rooms, saunas and pools. Pick up some slicing-and-dicing skills with a cooking lesson from the hotel’s sushi chef, or arrange a private screening in the cinema room.
Part of Le Grand Bellevue’s pull is its proximity to the seemingly endless acres of Alpine ski slopes – the area has over 130 miles of ski routes – so pull on your most stylish thermals and get to zipping down those mountains. Thrill-seekers can also head up to Glacier 3000 (the faint of heart or the vertigo-prone should avoid) and cross the suspension bridge that hangs between two mountain peaks; the daring will be rewarded with jaw-dropping panoramic views. You can also explore the slopes via snowcat or dog sled. Take a carriage ride for two in town, or test your balance at the outdoor ice-skating rink; a fortifying hot chocolate (with rum) awaits when you’re done.
In warmer months, hike the Alpine slopes, borrow one of the hotel's electric bikes, stroll along the designer boutique-lined Promenade unencumbered by a puffy coat, or have our Smith24 team arrange hot-air-ballooning flights, for a bird’s-eye view of the lush, green, chalet-dotted landscape.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
