Grand Hotel Park

Gstaad

Gstaad, located in the Swiss canton of Berne at an altitude of 1050 meters is a village of 3200 inhabitants surrounded by rounded shaped mountains, adding to the town’s seemingly gentle and peaceful atmosphere. Today however, Gstaad is internationally famous as a high class ski resort for celebrities and jet setters. Far from the hyperactivity and glitz of a mountain area Saint Tropez, Gstaad’s greatest qualities are discretion and a typical, authentic alpine “art de vivre”. This way of life is the reason for Gstaad’s success, and in the words of actress Julie Andrews: “Gstaad is the last earthly paradise in a world gone mad!” The idyllic Eden like scenery is reinforced by 200 working farms and 80 mountain pastures still in use, with the presence of 7,000 grazing cows. Gstaad is a perfectly preserved dream like site. It’s interesting to note that the village’s reputation is in part due to the presence of numerous prestigious international schools including the Institut Rosey which since 1917 has established its campus here for 10 weeks every winter, the John F. Kennedy School in Saanen and the Gstaad International School. The students here and their parents are actually the leading ambassadors, attesting to the charm of the village, which lies in its pastoral occupations and way of life, its gentle mixture of celebrities and an active agricultural world. Gstaad can be described as being somewhere between glamour and the labors of the soil in a magnificent setting where vacationers can re-energize themselves. And nothing seems to disturb this subtle balance.

Transcending eras in luxury !

Opened in 1910, renovated in 1990 and constantly being embellished, the Grand Hotel Park was originally called the Parkhotel Reuteler after the family that built it. From its opening to this day, it remains one of Gstaad’s leading luxury hotels. Its ability to blend the modern with the traditional gives the hotel a charm that transcends time, from the past to present. Behind its imposing facade in the style of a regional chalet, we find a cozy, modern lobby with a superb elevator going back to 1910 in pleasant contrast with the very design metal plates and huge chandelier, an affirmation of the hotel’s identity as a cozy, elegant and, at the same time classical establishment. The Grand Hotel’s story revolves around two women, the original owner, Flora Reuteler, who was in charge of the decoration, and Dona Bertalli, the present owner, who supervises the renovations. Is it they who are responsible for its special charm like house that welcomes visitors and takes good care of them? In any case, the 94 rooms, of which ten are suites, are the heart of the Grand Hotel Park with light colored pine wood on the walls adding brightness and comfort, sober, elegant lamps and beautifully styled furniture. The bed covers add an additional touch of elegance. The dark wood desk is in contrast with the clear colored walls. All these qualities invoke a contemporary, elegant and luxurious palace. The exceptional My Gstaad Chalet is the largest suite in the Alps. Its 400 square meters is an eagle’s nest on the top floor of the hotel. The materials were chosen with great care and include cashmere, virgin wool and wood from the Gstaad Valley. The suite has its own 90 square meter spa with a sauna, hammam, jacuzzi, tropical shower, a treatment room with a bed for massages and a hairdresser’s chair. Absolutely nothing is missing! The international Marco Polo restaurant retraces the itinerary of the Silk Route with its magnificent decor and original menu, beginning in Italy with for example, risotto, a Trevi salad and cod, going all the way to Asia with scallops sautéed in curry with squash and a Matsuhisa sauce. The paintings on the walls invoke Italian and Asian settings.

Among the other surprises and services, we find here, in this timeless venue, a skating rink and a golf simulator, the latest and unique innovation in Europe.