Mountaintop grandeur: Bürgenstock Hotel review
Vast and opulent, it’s not hard to feel as though you’ve been catapulted into a James Bond film
Lake Lucerne in November and December is a flawless pane of icy glass, still and calm. Nothing stirs in the crisp, chilly air. As your gaze travels up towards the mountains which frame the lake, the amber leaves of the trees abruptly turn white, touched by the first frosty snowfalls of winter. And above the snowy trees, towering 500 metres above the lake into the clouds, is a hotel like no other. Welcome to Bürgenstock Hotels and Resort, the legendary luxury Swiss retreat.
If you’re after a small, cosy hotel, this isn’t it. The magnificent mountaintop resort is the epitome of grandeur, boasting 383 rooms across four hotels, 67 private residences, 12 restaurants and bars, a labyrinthine 10,000sq m Alpine Spa, championship tennis courts, and a Lakeview Ballroom. There are also shops, three wine cellars, and a 66-seat cinema. Recently reopened, it’s all part of a £440 million revamp, thanks to Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, with the aim of restoring it to its former glory.
A hotel has stood on the site since 1873, yet the hotel had its heyday in the 1950s and 60s, when all manner of celebrities flocked here to escape. Among the hotel’s most prestigious guests are Sophia Loren, who lived here for several years, Jimmy Carter, Indira Gandhi and many more. The enchanting small cream chapel on the site is where Audrey Hepburn married her first husband in 1953.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ostentatious and opulent, it’s not hard to feel as though you’ve been catapulted into a James Bond film. Even the approach to the hotel is nothing short of spectacularly ice-cool. From Zurich airport, a train takes you to Lucerne, and from Lucerne, a boat from the hotel glides over the placid lake to a waiting vintage funicular (built in 1888) which whisks you up into the bowels of the hotel. A roaring fire greets you as you enter reception. To one side, a well-stocked bar overlooks the lake, and behind that a cigar room, the perfect setting for a martini and a hushed conversation with a suitably evil Bond villain.
Each room in the Bürgenstock comes with its own fire, two-person sunken bathtub and views overlooking the lake and the Rigi and Pilatus Mountains. Unfortunately, when the clouds are low, the view disappears completely. Yet the interior is chic and modern, in subtle walnut, quartz and marble, with beautiful cowbell pendant lamps and a complimentary mini-bar.
If you’re sceptical as to whether a resort can produce 12 high quality restaurants, you needn’t worry. Under the guidance of German culinary director, Mike Wehrle, the food is outstanding. Spices restaurant quite literally hangs off the mountainside, with more spectacular views, and serves authentic Chinese, Indian, Japanese and Thai cuisine. The Oak Grill and Pool Patio, meanwhile, offers more locally-sourced, Swiss fare (the Swiss pike is highly recommended). Breakfast in the Ritzcoffier, is a grand affair, while Sharq restaurant serves Lebanese food in a more relaxed setting.
If you need to get away from the hotel, you can, although this may prove trickier in winter once the snow starts to thickly fall. Across the lake, there is nearby Lucerne to explore, with its 14th century Chapel Bridge, and the hotel can supply you with whatever you need should you wish to hike, ski or golf in the area. There’s also the Hammetschwand Lift which dates from 1905, Europe’s highest open-air lift.
If you’re feeling less adventurous, head to the hotel’s cavernous Alpine Spa, which covers three floors, with saunas, steam rooms and jacuzzis galore. Not forgetting the outdoor infinity pool, which, when the clouds descend, is like swimming in the sky, the steam from the meticulously-heated pool evaporating into the clouds. There’s also an ingenuous and imaginative children’s play area, which would keep any youngster occupied for hours. In December, a huge health and medical centre will open, offering beauty and relaxation treatments, post-operative recovery, physiotherapy, medical check-ups, disease prevention, nutritional consultation and weight regulation, all overseen by a team of qualified doctors.
In November, a thick layer of perfectly white, powdery snow coats the hotel’s outdoor loungers, table and chairs like a dust sheet. The magnificence of the fresh, calm surroundings is undeniable. Yet it’s difficult to know what this splendidly scenic hotel would feel like in summer; whether it would simply seem a little too daunting and frenetic. The resort’s several shops, selling the same items you can find at the airport, and large advertisements, showing off Eddie Redmayne posing with an Omega watch, might put some visitors off. Still, this is both a uniquely relaxing haven to get away from it all, and a super-stylish place to be seen. The makers of the next James Bond epic should take note.
Stay at the Bürgenstock Hotel at Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort from 650 CHF per night (approx. £490), including full breakfast, VAT & service charge, spa entry, use of the funicular & boat, free Wifi and Nespresso & tea in room. For more information and to book, visit buergenstock.ch/en
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrike
Speed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How (and why) to have the inheritance talk with family sooner than later
The Explainer The hard conversations aren't going to get any easier if you wait
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Is there a peaceful way forward for Israel and Iran?
Today's Big Question Tehran has initially sought to downplay the latest Israeli missile strike on its territory
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan: unparalleled elegance and cultural immersion
The Week Recommends Serenity is redefined at this luxurious resort in the beating heart of Bali
By Yasemen Kaner-White Published
-
Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa, Mauritius: the perfect 'get-away-from-it-all' resort
The Week Recommends Mauritius, the star of the Indian Ocean, is the ultimate in relaxing destinations
By James Rampton Published
-
Four Seasons Megève: a 'secluded' mountain retreat with plenty to explore
The Week Recommends There is ample opportunity to hike, eat, play and relax at this Alpine resort
By Natasha Langan Published
-
Three Chimneys restaurant and The House Over-By review: Skye's sumptuous rural hideaway
The Week Recommends The award-winning restaurant with rooms is well worth battling the elements to reach
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published
-
Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya: luxury ecotourism meets Mexican flair
The Week Recommends Caribbean resort hidden in Yucatán Peninsula mangroves combines fine dining with a true love of nature
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Kurhotel Skodsborg: where the atmosphere of Copenhagen meets the wild
The Week Recommends The resort near Denmark's capital offers a stylish and authentic Danish spa experience
By Alexandra Zagalsky Published
-
A different hotel for every need this February
The Week Recommends Get away from it all at these five enticing properties
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Westbury Hotel review: stunning suites in charming Dublin
The Week Recommends This hotel is the perfect spot to while away a weekend in Ireland's capital
By Kaye O'Doherty Published