Christmas is on its way and love is in the air. With snow hanging from the branches of the trees and picture-perfect, chocolate box chalets dotting the mountainside, it’s hard to find a more romantic getaway than a Swiss ski holiday. From a chairlift made for two, to a candle-lit dinner in a rural mountain restaurant, skiing affords a fantastic way to spend time with your loved one. And afterwards? Why a hot tub rendezvous of course. Alternatively, a horse-drawn sleigh ride through a snowy paradise or an afternoon spent in a luxury spa.
Yes, it’s a nation of perfectly timed watches, heavenly chocolate and melt-in-the-mouth cheeses, but Switzerland offers much more than these clichés; it is a beautifully preserved destination, largely characterised by snow-capped mountains, glittering glaciers, crystal-clear lakes and thermal springs. But then what else would you expect from a country that speaks four languages?
Switzerland is indisputably skiing at its finest, with its slice of the Alps boasting some of the most glamorous and luxury ski resorts in the world. Out on the slopes, glamour meets glühwein as A-listers dine out at mountain-top hideaways—whilst inside the chocolate box chalets—roaring log fires and white fur blankets create a come on baby light my fire vibe. A small country with a big heart, Switzerland is reminiscent of a rich cake made up of many fine ingredients.
Here are Lovescribe’s most romantic and luxurious ski resorts in Switzerland – perfect for couples to be literally swept off their feet.
Badrutt’s Palace, St. Moritz
Built-in the grand, Neo-Gothic style popular in the late 19th century Badrutt’s Palace Hotel’s historical elegance is still very much intact, while modern-day facilities, levels of comfort and service establish its place on the world-class ski map.
The suites are the very definition of extravagance with the indulgent look of fin de siècle interiors: lush fabrics, chandeliers and regal furniture. Walking down the corridors, you can still feel the aura of A-list guests like Marlene Dietrich, Audrey Hepburn, Alfred Hitchcock and Charlie Chaplin.
It’s a matter of principle for this hotel that anything your heart desires is right at your fingertips. Food? There are six restaurants on the property, from fine dining with service wearing uniforms to a farmhouse-style pizzeria.
Drinks? You have three cozy bars to choose from, one of them featuring a cigar lounge.
Spa and wellness? Badrutt’s infinity pool with panoramic mountain views is the most spectacular one in town and the spa carries an extensive menu of treatments. On top of that, you get two complimentary two ski passes per day and daily breakfast if you stay more than two nights.
Giardino Mountain Hotel, St. Moritz
A perfect marriage between Alpine hut and luxury design hotel. Located in one of Switzerland’s most glamorous ski resorts with an enticing forest backdrop, The Giardino Mountain Hotel with its understated exterior reveals an interior that is both romantic and respectful of its mountain setting.
Discerning palates will be blissfully indulged in the hotel’s three restaurants; dine-in Stüva for hearty Engadine cuisine and a charming alpine hut ambience or opt for the impressive Ecco restaurant that boasts two Michelin stars and a long list of other culinary awards. Keep the fun and games for the bedroom and settle into the Hide & Seek restaurant for contemporary and Ayurvedic inspired dishes.
The rooms and suites are spacious with mountain and snowy forest vistas, while the décor is a harmonious fusion between alpine ergonomics and contemporary bedding. Cosy fireplaces in the lounge, exceptionally comfortable sofas, and candle-lit spaces set the tone for an intimate vacae with bae. #iloveguardino
Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski, St. Moritz
Enchanting guests with its imposing white exterior and turrets, the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski oozes sophistication, chic style and a dose of savoir-vivre. Despite its grandeur, inside you’ll find a plethora of fun activities, like the mineral water spa, award-winning restaurants and a luxury casino. Situated in the centre of the valley, the Kempinski provides excellent access to the Corvatsch mountain and the main Corviglia ski area.
The Michelin Star-accredited gourmet restaurant, Cà d’Oro has dedicated itself to Italian haute cuisine, along with seafood interpretations. Diners can choose from over 550 wines from all over the world to accompany their meal. While the historic medallion hall has been restored to form the intimate and romantic Enoteca bar, serving innovative Swiss dishes and freshly cut sausage. The centrepiece of the newly designed bar is the fireplace, which invites guests to indulge in an aperitif or digestif by the cosy inglenook.
Crans Ambassador, Crans-Montana
Looking for dreamy alpine escape with a quirky-luxe twist? Welcome to Crans Ambassador. Complete with chic atrium, indulgent bedrooms and a sensational spa, this a haven for romancers seeking some rejuvenation.
Elegantly styled, with nature featuring heavily in every design detail, from the cosy blankets to the natural wooden furniture, it’s a comfortable haven for skiers and non-skiers alike. The rooms and suites are spacious and boast unrestricted views of the surrounding mountains. The Spa is definitely worth a visit, with its range of bespoke holistic treatments, indoor swimming pool, sauna and ‘Better-Aging’ programs.
Conclude your fun-filled day of skiing or mountaineering by sipping a Swiss hot chocolate with your lover around the flames of the fire pit at La Terrasse. With a feeling of being suspended in mid-air, the awe-inspiring landscape will take your breath away the moment you cross the threshold of the lobby.
The Chedi Andermatt, Andermatt
Taking romance and luxury to new levels, The Chedi Andermatt offers a finely balanced blend of traditional Alpine living and subtle Asian influences.
Surrounded by phenomenal views of the Swiss Alps, Andermatt Village and Schöllenen Gorge, this is the perfect place to indulge in the ‘couple’s retreat package’, entitling you to a stay in a Deluxe Room or Deluxe Suite, a four-course dinner and the Chedi Love Bath ceremony.
With lungs full of fresh mountain air and giddy with anticipation for the dreamy Alpine treats that lie ahead, enter your Deluxe Room or Deluxe Suite for an array of intimate touches from an open fireplace, to a freestanding bathtub for two, to cashmere blankets and mood-enhancing lighting. You are definitely in the right place for a romance.
Kick-start your morning with arranging with the hotel’s ski butler for your equipment to be delivered and collected from the slopes (so no hauling skis around) and reach new heights on the uncrowded slopes of Andermatt. The village itself lies at 1,444m, with snowsure terrain across two mountains – Nätschen and Gemsstock, while the red runs of Sedrun on the Oberalppass and an easy 20-minute train ride away.
After you return, head to your room and hang up the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign. Then by the seductive glow of candlelight, relax in harmony with your partner as you share a rose-petal filled Love Bath Ceremony including a secret Love Potion, Champagne and canapés for two.
The Omnia, Zermatt
Bringing the #WOW factor to Zermatt, The Omnia Hotel is perched high on a rock overlooking the village and the Matterhorn. Passing through a tunnel, you’ll come to an elevator rising up through the rock and bringing you to the lobby at 1649m above sea level.
Photo credit: Christian Grund, copyright The Omnia, Zermatt
Building on its premium bird’s eye location, the exquisite interior draws inspiration classic American mountain lodge and blends it with sleek European décor to create a serene mountain hideaway. Think curated-to-perfection rooms, a Michelin-starred restaurant and a hot whirlpool with unparalleled vistas of the Swiss Alps.
When it comes to accommodation design there is no conformity here, in fact you’ll find quite the opposite as each room varies in layout and décor. The lounge bar and library are snug places to relax, whilst the Cavern, a man-made glass and steel cave deep within the mountain is like entering a whole new world entirely. Floating over water and equipped with state-of-the-art technology including a complete DJ system, it’s a place to watch a film, host a private dinner or party, or just relax. Dedicate at least one day to the spectacular spa, complete with a Finnish sauna, Turkish bath, caldarium, flower steam room and a large indoor pool that spills outside to showcase snowy-Alps in all their glory.
Le Grand Bellevue, Gstaad
This belle Époque beauty occupies a wildly opulent seat amid the forests of Gstaad and is every bit as grand as when it opened in 1912.
Upholding a glamorous reputation, Gstaad offers luxury boutiques like Louis Vuitton and Prada, while the avid skiers can put their skills to the test on Glacier 3000. Don’t worry about making your own way there, the ski rental in the basement opens directly into the James Bond-style underground car park so that you can be chauffeured to the slopes in style in minutes.
Swathed in a neutral colour palette with eclectic furnishings including a 17-metre-long Chesterfield sofa, guests are invited to take advantage of second-to-none service and an outstanding array of facilities on offer at Le Grand Bellevue.
Dinner is served in one Michelin-starred LEONARD’s, an irresistibly atmospheric spot with pillars, tassled lamps and giant bouquets of flowers or should you feel the need for a cheese fondue or raclette fix in quintessentially Alpine surroundings, there’s the enchanting log-cabin restaurant Le Petit Chalet. Be sure to make a memorable toast with your sweetheart at the hotel’s 1930s-evoking art-deco Bar.
The hotel’s headline act, however, is Le Grand Spa. 3,000m² of state-of-the-art Alpine wellness awaits you, with seven different saunas, hammams and pools that provide the perfect place to relax before indulging in one of the spa’s stress-melting massages. The chalet-style wooden ceiling, sexy tones and mood lighting in the spa encourage an intimate vibe. Go wild and book the Thermal Oasis as a couple.
Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa, Interlaken
The Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa is as spectacularly beautiful as its Alpine setting, with an intriguing Belle Époque aesthetic and lavish rooms with heavy drapes, antique furnishings, parquet carpets and luxuriously soft bed linen made for diving into.
When it comes to location, it couldn’t be an inch better as the hotel dominates a front-row view of the snow-capped peak of Jungfrau (4158 metres) from its location opposite Höhematte Park, where paragliders twirl down from the skies. On clear days, it’s worth making the two-hour train ride up to 3466-metre Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest train station, where there’s year-round snow and phenomenal views of the Aletsch Glacier.
Elegance and opulence are the defining characteristics of this ski resort and come courtesy of the hotel’s impressive central atrium, chandelier-lit salons and Versailles-inspired banquet hall.
Although the main pride and joy of the hotel is undoubtedly its vast 5,500 square-metre spa. Besides its centrepiece – a vaulted, skylit indoor swimming pool – there are saunas, steam baths and relaxation, plus an outdoor saltwater pool with thermal jets, and a garden terrace for Alp gazing.
Championing the spa’s holistic approach is Swiss anti-ageing pioneer Nescens, offering individual-focused diagnostics with specialists (from nutritionists to osteopaths and physiotherapists), personal training, detox plans, rejuvenating cosmetic treatments and therapies. Alternatively, soothing SENSAI treatments, infused with silk and healing Japanese spring waters, take place in a contemporary cocoon-style treatment area.
Alpina Gstaad, Gstaad
Serving as the Swiss playground for the rich and famous, Gstaad looks like something from a fairy-tale with its flowerbox-trimmed wooden chalets, turreted palaces amid forested mountains and designer boutiques.
Unquestionably one of Gstaad’s finest choices of accommodation, this five-star serene mountain hideaway is the epitome of Alpine chic and boasts a prime location atop the hill of Oberbort, making for enviable panoramic views of the surrounding Alps.
Fusing uber-cool Swiss chic with Asian wellness traditions, the Alpina Gstaad serves as an exclusive paradise for Instagrammers and romancers alike.
Designed to suit the needs of couples, the sensational Six Senses Spa offers a plethora of treatments from a Tibetan healing program to chakra balancing and unexpectedly, a cave-like pool/jacuzzi room. If that doesn’t subtly scream ‘romance’ I don’t know what does?!
After a good day’s skiing, sledging, snowshoe walking or participating in one of the many other winter sports activities, find comfort in the Alpina Lounge & Bar or suave wine cellar, where you can recline in style and wrap your hands around a steaming mug of hot chocolate or Glühwein.
Maiensäss Hotel Guarda Val, Lenzerheide
11 barns, 300-years old, the Maiensäss Hotel Guarda Val is where alpine luxury meets heritage authenticity. This unique cluster of 300-year-old huts and stables sit in the hamlet of Sporz near Lenzerheide, providing an unforgettable scene of traditional wooden facades, backed by mountainous ridges.
Setting the tone for alpine romanticism through wooden cabins, chunky beams and hearts carved into country style chairs, the hotel offers a selection of cosy cabins from the Cuddle Rooms to the Mountain Pasture hut, complete with open fireplace, balcony and private spa including whirlpool and steam bath.
Have you ever eaten in a cowshed? Well if not, then take a seat in the gourmet Maiensäss kitchen, offering seasonal menus as well as fine wines from their in-house wine cellar. Alternatively, opt for classic specialities of Swiss cuisine in the rustically furnished Crap Narcos restaurant (trust me the name is not representative of the food!)
After spending action-packed days in the great outdoors, you can leave the mountain world on your doorstep as you can get down to the serious business of rest and relaxation. The Guarda Sana spa offers you the opportunity to on the hay beds, dip into the outdoor ‘hot pot’ with your loved one and indulge in the ‘Time for two’ package, including weird and wonderful treatments like a Rhododendron-mountain salt scrub, a goat milk bath and soothing mountain massage.
LeCrans Hotel, Crans-Montana
When I think of the ultimate Swiss ski resort, my mind conjures up an image of a chunky pine wood façade, beamed bedrooms, fluffy furnishings and steaming outdoor hot tubs come to mind or simply LeCrans Hotel & Spa. Oozing romance, allure and dreamy vistas, this secluded haven offers exceptional service to meet the needs of 21st-century travellers but retains the all-important, traditional chalet charm.
Cocooned by skyscraper pine trees that offer occasional glimpses of the dramatic Matterhorn summit and the majestic peak of Mont Blanc, LeCrans Hotel is a true ski-in, ski-out lodge, just 100 meters from the Crans Montana slopes. Embedded into the snowy slope of the chalet, a heated jacuzzi beckons guests with its steamy vapour and tantalising alpine views.
With its archetypical wooden chocolate box design, the chalet-style rooms work on a love at first sight basis, with their pine panelling, beams and bed heads and roaring fireplaces.
Offering truly bespoke accommodation, from the Prestige apartments to a classic double, each room takes you on a unique journey across the world courtesy of its customised theme of a famous peak or range, such as Everest, Kilimanjaro, or the Dolomites.
Constructed with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the romantic vistas and haughty landscapes, couples are destined to snuggle together with a glass of wine on their private balconies or in the Alp-facing rotunda restaurant, Le Mont Blanc. Most notable for its Michelin star and fine marriage between culinary traditions and contemporary twists. As the sunsets behind the jagged peaks, venture down to the intimate wine cellar or indulge in a couple’s massage at the luxury Le Cinq Mondes Spa.
Carlton Hotel, St. Moritz
There is something so peaceful about being surrounded by powder white snow, fragrant whispering pine trees and a landscape of rolling mountains.
Offering two exquisite restaurants, a lounge bar and ballroom, marble fireplaces, crystal chandeliers and traditional tapestries, the Carlton Hotel exudes the effortless splendour and covetable opulence discerning couples seek in a luxury winter escape. Overlooking Lake St. Moritz since 1913, the hotel has kept its traditional grand dame character and palatial architecture, balancing just the right mixture of old world, welcoming charm alongside its cosy, contemporary interiors.
If there’s anywhere that knows how to deliver on the fairy-tale romance, it’s the guys at the Carlton hotel. With a plethora of experiences from an outdoor butler service to snowmobile tours, the one that may interest lovers the most is the all-encompassing ‘Romantic Package’. While intimate hours together at 1800 metres above sea level with these love-filled activities…
❤ 50-minutes couple’s massage
❤ A fairy-tale coach ride to Lej da Staz
❤ Champagne aperitif
❤ Exclusive five-course dinner in the Romanoff restaurant with accompanying wines and romantic set-up
Be sure not to leave this place without devoting a few hours to the magnificent hotel spa which joined the elite circle of Leading Spas of the World. Featuring a multitude of swimming pools, saunas, massage treatments, and an ice fountain, there is a huge selection of rejuvenating delights for you and your sweetheart to enjoy. Alternatively, if you prefer more privacy and your pockets run considerably deep, there is a couple’s spa suite that can be booked for several hours. #steamy
