The only grand palace hotel sitting on Gstaad's chalet-lined main street, Le Grande Bellevue dates back to 1912 and helped turn the town into an alpha alpine ski resort. But when the property underwent a year-long renovation and reopened in 2014, it suddenly emerged as something fresh and inspired.
Now popping with bright colors and exuding an air of easy elegance (with an emphasis on quirkiness), the refreshed luxury hotel is is ready for its next chapter. A newer alpine crowd will be lured by Le Grand Bellevue's high notes of playful humor and its fully stocked 21st-century list of amenities, including everything from a monumental spa to an in-house cinema and club bar.
That doesn't mean the grand dame’s past is buried, though. Traditionalists will still appreciate haute touches like a Murano glass chandelier anchoring the central stairwell, two grand Steinway pianos nudged into the bar and lounge, and the hotel's façade colored a classic buttercup yellow, the shade of just-churned Swiss butter.
- Le Grand Bellevue’s Bouquet cocktail lounge and bar offers a DJ
pumping out an eclectic playlist Thursday through Saturday evenings, along with
regularly scheduled cabaret and karaoke nights. Adding to the
amped-up fun: The Lounge, coming by its name honestly, is brightened by signature
wallpaper illustrated with pastel blossoms.
- Le Grand Spa provides a smorgasbord of saunas, including herbal,
Finnish, infrared and bio varieties. The most patriotic option, though, is the
hay sauna, featuring heated alpine grasses from local pastures, so you
come out smelling like a dewy mountain meadow.
- Playful touches pop up everywhere, from a larger-than-life-sized tweed
upholstered camel greeting you in the lobby and the lounge's wallpaper
illustrated with a colorful flock of roosting birds to the pineapple light
fixtures in the bar.
- Leonard's restaurant offers a full range of fine-dining options,
from a multi-course tasting menu to à la carte grilled specialties and vegetable-centric selections from
executive chef Marcus G. Lindner.
- With only 57 rooms, Le Grand Bellevue feels like an intimate
boutique hotel. The Lounge build is off that intimacy by offering hot chocolate
by a roaring fire, a seriously curated collection of books, a range
of board games and a bright spray of baby blue couches and lemon-yellow
lounge chairs.
- Le Grand Bellevue is a seasonal property timed to high ski season
and summer. It is open from mid-December to the beginning of April, and again
from mid-June to early October.
- The attached 75-car garage lets you drive in and park your
rental, hassle-free.
- Half-board arrangements are available during winter months,
usually inclusive of a daily multi-course meal at Leonard’s.
- An in-house ski shop provides a full range of equipment and winter
sport experts who can help you plan your day on the slopes.
- All 57 rooms put emphasis on restrained, quiet luxury — a stark
contrast to the fun public spaces. Each unit features pine-wood floors, grey
linen duvets, brown leather desks, bespoke lamps and a Bose sound system.
- Most rooms also offer balconies and all include complimentary mini-bars
stocked with everything from apple juice to, of course, Swiss chocolates.
- There are five room categories, ranging from 344-square-foot Chic Rooms and 430-square-foot Deluxe Chic
Rooms to nine supersized suites.
- The
Gstaad hotel's best splurge is its two-story Suite Panorama, which
delivers a photogenic view of the surrounding alpine peak and more than 900
square feet of alpine elegance.
- The property's signature restaurant, Leonard's, showcases executive chef Marcus Lindner's two menus (tasting and à la carte) that focus on locally sourced dishes, like char roused by horseradish and cucumbers, and roasted venison paired with truffled potato mousseline.
- The intimate Sushi Bar is parked next to the spa and dishes up
largely to-go bites. Creations from sushi chef Takehiko Yoshikawa include red
tuna sashimi, crab and avocado hand rolls, and eel hosomaki.
- Perched on the luxury hotel's front lawn, Le Petit Chalet looks
like it dropped out of an alpine folktale. With seating for just 18, this cozy
spot serves homey Swiss signature dishes with a cheesy emphasis on
raclette and fondue.
- The Bar offers all-day comfort food (including a bulging Rueben
sandwich) and area-inspired cocktails like the Bellevue Smash, a refreshing
mix of Hendrick’s Gin, raspberries, blackberries and lemon.
- The Lounge's antique silver-service high tea lets you tuck into
fresh-baked scones and tea sandwiches while you're serenaded by a pianist
playing cocktail jazz on a grand Steinway long piano.
24-hour room service 
Bar
Fitness classes
Gym
Indoor pool
Meeting rooms
Pet friendly
Restaurants
Spa
