There are luxury hotels… and then there’s The Alpina Gstaad, a discreet five-star, authentic Alpine retreat, located in the exclusive Oberbort neighbourhood, and overlooking the fairytale village that bears its name.
Gstaad is iconic for a reason – it’s the haunt of movie idols, such as Burton and Taylor. Roger Moore had a pad here and Justin Timberlake is a more recent regular. Plus, many an international deal has been struck in the ultra-exclusive Gstaad Yacht Club (yes, yacht club in the mountains).
The village is a year-round luxury destination, famed for its ski slopes, scenic hiking and the breathtaking Glacier 3000 – one of the region’s must-visit winter attractions. And it offers something new for its discerning visitors every season – this winter saw ski restoration programmes, a human-size fondue pot to sit in and a Chanel pop-up.
Opened in 2012, and taking 15 years and $336m to complete, The Alpina was the first five-star hotel to be built here in over a century. Its classic chalet style – albeit with modern trappings – respects the village’s stringent architectural guidelines, and The Alpina takes its commitment to sustainability seriously too, with reclaimed wood and stone.
It’s open seasonally: for the winter ski season from mid-December to mid-March, and for the summer months from mid-June to mid-September. Handily, it’s a scenic two-to-three-hour’s drive from Geneva, Basel and Zurich, while for those coming by rail, Gstaad’s train station is just a kilometre away.
Madonna, Leonardo di Caprio and Tiger Woods are regulars, and it’s easy to see why. This hotel makes an impression from the moment you arrive: instead of a conventional grand entrance, guests are whisked through a dramatic subterranean tunnel leading to a fabulous, double-storey atrium, a feature that ensures both privacy and a touch of theatricality. The hotel is big on art too, boasting a permanent collection of contemporary works that explore technology, identity and nature, and it actively collaborates with artists.
Each of its 56 rooms and suites exude understated luxury. With embroidered Egyptian cotton sheets, Acqua di Parma toiletries and state-of-the-art technology (including a digital control panel for lighting, temperature and even the fireplace), The Alpina is truly a cut above. The huge Junior Suites feature hand-carved wooden ceilings, a grand fireplace and a private terrace with gorgeous, sweeping views of the Bernese Alps, while the Panorama Suite even includes a private wellness oasis, with spa room, hammam, sauna, gym and outdoor Jacuzzi.
The hotel also boasts an impressive selection of dining venues, including Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant Martin Göschel, Swiss Stübli (open in winter) offering alpine classics such as fondue and raclette, and Megu, a contemporary Japanese restaurant with a striking Kyoto-inspired setting, serving silky yellowtail carpaccio, crispy kanzuri shrimps and sizzling wagyu beef. The property has also just opened a new sharing-style restaurant, Monti.
There’s also the impressive Japanese Whisky Bar, featuring the largest selection of Japanese whiskies in Switzerland, and the intimate Cigar Lounge. Breakfast alone is a lavish spread of locally sourced cheeses, freshly baked breads and fine Swiss pastries.
If heaven had a wellness retreat, it would probably look a lot like The Alpina’s Six Senses Spa, a sprawling 21,500 sq ft holistic wellness sanctuary inspired by Asian traditions, with 12 treatment rooms dedicated to body and mind rejuvenation.
The Signature Six Senses Massage combines stretching, acupressure and aromatherapy, while the Divine Facial leaves skin glowing for days. Meanwhile, the Luxury Green Caviar Advance Facial features a truly indulgent dose of green caviar and gold trace and goes about its work with VitaSkin ultrasound.
Needless to say, the spa’s facilities are second to none, including a vast indoor pool, hot and cold plunge pools, top-of-the-range gym, hammam, a salt room and a Himalayan-inspired relaxation lounge. But it’s with its cutting-edge tech, anti-ageing therapies and biohacking treatments that the spa really comes into its own. Here, guests can experience full-body cryotherapy to boost circulation and muscle recovery, light therapy sessions to enhance cellular regeneration, and HyperMax Oxygen training for increased endurance and vitality.
Other offerings include yoga, meditation, Pilates classes, Reiki, Tibetan cupping and sound healing. The spa is a cocoon of such serenity and luxury it’s hard to tear yourself away. A bit like Gstaad itself.
The Alpina Gstaad, Alpinastrasse 23, 3780 Gstaad, Switzerland; thealpinagstaad.ch
Lysanne Currie is editor in chief of Meet the Leader. She also writes for Robb Report, Diplomat, The Guardian, Influence, Tempus and Investor
