Grand Hotel & Kurhaus

I stayed here for a week as part of a large group of paramedics, nurses and doctors from Britain who were completing the assessment phase of the Diploma in Mountain Medicine. We were out all day with long walks and various climbs/tests so were particularly tired when we returned, but the Kurhaus is so pleasant it was a pleasure each time. The hotel is old-fashioned and even somewhat shabby which I rather appreciate, as I dislike the hyper-modern and bland hotels that are growing all over the Swiss Alps nowadays. The hotel itself is over a century old and was initially built to cater to aristocratic Britons coming to the Alps to walk and mountaineer. There is a later addition to the south - a lounge hall but otherwise the hotel is much the same. There is usually a fire in the grate, food and beers can be had from a restaurant and bar downstairs and a decent meal in the large dining-room. The bedrooms themselves are all dark wood, thick carpet and quiet. The views are spectacular due to the hotel's location at an altitude of well over 2,000m. There is plenty of mountaineering, walking and skiing just out of the back door of the hotel so no need to drive once you're at the hotel. There are a couple of small shops in the village otherwise it is very isolated, which I particularly liked. The food was also excellent as was the service. The maids are out cleaning every day and we returned after long days on the mountain to find fresh sheets which was appreciated.