4* hotels in Zermatt
 

Could someone recommend some 4**** hotels in Zermatt, preferably located near the ski lifts. It will be my first time skiing in Zermatt in mid-Feb 2007.

Many thanks!

S

Go here and take your pick:

http://www.seilerhotels.ch/?chLang=2...cd8872b8796f6d

lhw.com

hi
try having a look here. they've got plenty here:
http://destinia.com/hotels/ski/se-42-en/zermatt.htm

There is very little ski-in and ski-out in Zermatt and also very few hotels which are "near" the lifts. Many require that you walk to the lifts, schlepping your stuff and wearing your ski boots, or take buses. You then have to queue with everyone else for the cable cars or trains. At the end of the day, you have to ski the one or two crowded and sometimes ski -offed trails down into the valley and then walk or line up for buses into the town centre. Zermatt is not built like US or Canadian resorts where homes and hotels are built along slope sides, almost everything is at the bottom of the valley in town. (Don't get me wrong, Zermatt has some great skiing, but the downside to me is getting back to the village, particularly if there is not a lot of snow on the trails down into the village.)

If you don't mind paying four star prices, then for a great hotel with true ski-in and ski-out convenience, I would recommend that you stay up on the Gornegrat portion of the mountain at the Rifflalp, which is part of the Sieler hotel chain mentioned above. (The other Seiler hotels are also lovely, but I would not say any of them are "near" the cable cars). Take a look at Riffelalp.com.

Another very good hotel where I have not stayed but would like to is the Coeur Des Alpes. This would be just near the base of the first cable car for the Klein Matterhorn. This is not my favourite part of Zermatt to ski (Gornegrat and Sunnegga are), but you could also get over to the Sunnegga underground train from here fairly easily I would think, and this location is excellent for going over to the Italian side which is great fun for a day. Take a look at http://www.coeurdesalpes.ch/aufe_e.htm

If you decided you want to stay in town, a very charming hotel is the Julen, take one of their suites on the top floor with balocnies and great Matterhorn views. Take a look at www.zermatt.ch/julen.

Cicerone, what resort in switzerland for a good ski in ski out and nice town for a family. Been to Davos, Klosters, St Moritz. Going xmas thru new years.

Your swiss advice has been great for me, still like the Walhalla in Zurich, getting a little run down now. But still a great location.

Do not agree with your views on west coast ski resorts compared to the Alps. Lifts are horrible in the USA, the lifts in Austria are so modern and comfortable. And when Im in Vail lets say im always on lifts and huge lift lines. Europe has much longer runs, Davos 14 mile run,Cant beat that.Never been to Whistler. Anyhow thats a whole different topic. Thanks for any help

For ski-in and ski-out I would go with the Rifflealp in Zermatt, really that is great. For 3 stars hotels, you can also stay on the Gornegrat portion at other hotels that are more basic, take a look at the Riffleberg or the Klum Gornegrat, both run by the same group, go to http://www.matterhorn-group.ch. The one drawback to staying on the Gornegrat is is that if you want to go into town for dinner, it is about 30 minutes down (and costs like US$25 each way) and you have to time yourself to get the last train back at night, which may be about 9 pm or so. However, if you are mostl interested in skiing every day, then this location is very good and will save you time and lift lines.

Also consider Saas Fee in the next valley over from Zermatt. This is much, much smaller than Zermatt and therefore is much easier to get to the lifts. Very few tourists in the form of day trippers, and lots of families. There is a bit more ski-in and ski-out here, but even without this, you will have a shorter walk to the cable cars. It is also a car free-town like Zermatt and has a lot of charm. Good cross country in the valley at the bottom, and good winter walking all around. You can do a day trip to Zermatt (or you can ski over the top to Zermatt with a guide if you are adventurous.) My favorite hotel is the Fletshchorn Hotel, not close at all to the lifts, but they will take you by golf cart to the cable car in the morning and the fantastic food, hotel and views are worth the out of town location. Take a look at http://www.fletschhorn.ch/english/hotel/hotel.html. There are many other hotels in town.

I am not a huge fan of the skking in the Jungfrau area, but if you stay up in Wengen or Murren you can have pretty easy access to the cable cars and trains there on foot from hotels or rental houses. However, if you end up skiing down into Grindelwald, its a long haul back up. Very beautiful views though.

Whilte it is not a charming town at all, Verbier has a bit more ski-in and ski-out, IMO. There are more rental chalets avaialble closer to the slopes in my expereince. It is all kind of relative because really IMO Swiss ski resorts are not built for this. The ski areas are very good for intermediates. Lots of good restaurants as well.

Arosa might be good for ski-in and ski-out. I only skied there once coming over from Davos, but have been in the summer and it is a very small town so my thought is that it would be quitre walkable to most lifts. The smaller the better would be my view unless you find a hotel or house which is actually slope-side.

As you probably know, December and January are typically the coldest months so be prepared wherever you go. Many hotels will require a 10 day minimum stay over Christmas. Trains will be jammed with Swiss as well, so consider first class tickets and reserving seats if you are traveling with a group and you want to sit together.

I agree that the Kublis run in Davos is hard to beat. I have only skied in St Anton so can't really comment on the lift system in Austria. In Switzerland, however, while I found the trails are generally a good length, the lifts tend to be older (lots of drag lifts, Zermatt is finally getting rid of most them this year), cable car lines can be quite long, and as for getting to them, you simply end up having to take buses to the cable cars wearing your boots. It is very hard to find trailside houses or hotels in my experience. Davos/Klosters it is very hard, St Moritz it is very hard. Celerina you can get a bit near. Maybe yours has been different. I just am not a fan of lugging my skis and stuff and walking around in my boots on slippery streets to get a bus to a cable car. I think the ambience in skiing in Europe is great, there is nothing else like Chez Vrony in Zermatt, my favourite part of the day was sitting out on their sunny terrace with fondue and a bottle of wine; but for a good days' hard skiing I think the US West and Canada give more value for money. (And at Swiss prices now give even more value!)

I went to Whistler for the fist time in March and absolutely loved the trailside condo where you could ski in and out, and walk to town each night, and of course the heated outdoor pool and hot tub (never mind the complete waste of energy, don't even mention the heated sidewalks in town.....). I think I have become a convert to this area, not to mention beautiful Vancouver for a few days, and the very friendly Canadian people. Lots of off piste skiing if you want it as well.

Thanks Cicerone, I am spoiled now by the austrian slopes and the 28 euro lift tickets compared to 85 in aspen and vail. I might look into whistler but coming from South Florida its easier to fly to Zurich. I might look into a French resort also, I only skied Auron.

Cicerone

Thanks so much for the info re various ski resorts you posted as a result of further questions prompted by kr.

I have done more research and am having reservations about going to Zermatt. Just like you, I am "not a fan of lugging my skis and stuff and walking around in my boots on slippery streets to get a bus to a cable car".
It seems that Zermatt is this kind of resort.

I am also weary of the 4-hour train ride from Geneva GVA in comparison to the 2-hour trip to most French resorts.

Thirdly the hotel costs in Zermatt. I know that it is one of the most exclusive resorts in Switzerland, frequented by royalties and superstar. Unfortunately I am not one of them!

Re your comment "the Klein Matterhorn. This is not my favourite part of Zermatt to ski (Gornegrat and Sunnegga are)" could you elaborate on your reasons and experience?

Thank you again.

S

You probably don't need to hear this but in Zermatt if you are staying at one of those Seiler hotels you won't even get a bus...a horse-drwn wagon perhaps or one of those electric golf carts at the very best.

As previously stated, Zermatt can involve a lot of walking if you're not in a good location. The 4 star Hotel Schonegg is situated on a road above the village and is also on the trail coming down for the Sunnega. It is a short walk down to the village for dining or shopping or whatever. Have been to Zermatt several times in early March and there has always been enough snow on that trail to ski very close to the hotel. I think one of the attractive things about this hotel is they have an elevator that takes you down to just a very short walk to the Sunnega lift which is a unique rail tunnel up the mountain to the lifts. From the Sunnega area, one can ski easily over to the Gornegratt area and it's easy to ski back to the Sunnega area from there if you are an intermediate skier. I enjoy these two areas much more than the Klein Matterhorn area which involves too much energy to get to and fro from the main part of town.

je

I shall look into Hotel Schonegg. Good to hear that you have been to Zermatt a few times, you must enjoy this particular resort.

Admittedly the more research I do, the more reservations I have about going to Zermatt - the 4-hour train ride from Geneva GVA; the schlepping one has to do to get on the slopes and the relatively expensive hotels and restaurants.

What about the mid-mountain eateries? Are there many of them on the slopes?

Also should one ski over to Cervinia, Italy, do you need your passport with you? I understand the ski pass gives you access to both areas.

S

Don't get me wrong, if done correctly, a ski trip to Zermatt is fantastic, and it is one of my favourite places to ski in Switzerland . There is some great skiing, some very good restaurants and of course the Matterhorn at sunrise, sunset and looming over you all day. There is some very good winter walking if you want to take a day off from skiing. The little town has some charm and is car-free, there is a little museum and the church graveyard is quite interesting in that you can see many graves of people who attempted the climb and did not make it.

I would not let the train ride to Zermatt put you off. It is a pretty ride, esp the first hour along Lake Geneva, and the last hour or so as you wind up through the mountains. Also, you will have to take a train or a drive for at least 2-3 hours to reach any ski destination, IMO, the train is the easiest way.

IMO it is a schlep to the lifts in most Swiss towns unless you can set things up right (which is hard to do). Skiing in Switzerland is expensive for the most part, that is why lots of Swiss people go to Austria to ski. Everything in Switzerland is expensive, go to the drycleaners for a shock. Even the day passes at Flumserberg, the little place near Zurich were I would ski for an afternoon, aren't cheap. You just have to grin and bear it if you want to ski in Switzerland. There are some cheaper places than Zermatt of course, and you can consider them. Smaller towns, without direct train service, less popular with US and Europeans are going to be less expensive. Engleberg may be cheaper. Crans Montana may be cheaper. Andermatt is most likely cheaper (and not nearly as scenic.) Davos, Klosters, St Moritz, Gstaad, Verbier, and the Jungfrau are going to be about as expensive as Zermatt.

There are many places on the mountain for lunch. Most places have outdoor terraces and you can enjoy getting a tan on the terrace. Chez Vrony in the Sunnegga area is absolutely fantastic with a stunning view and great food (make a reservation, see below), as is the outdoor terrace at the Rifflealp or the Riffleberg hotel, or the cafeteria at the Riffleberg stop on the Gornegrat train. Most of the cable car and train stations have at least a small place to eat if not a large cafeteria. As with any ski resort anywhere, food on the mountain is pricey.

A trip over to Cervinia is a must, IMO. The skiing on the Italian side is excellent. It is a long day, and a long ski back down into Zermatt, but definitely worth it. Start as early in the day as you can, and if it is snowing, I would not go, wait for a clear day. Lifts start at like 8 am and I would be there at that time, it takes about 1.5 hours to get up the series of lifts to the top of the Kleine Matterhorn to start the ski trip over to the Italian side. In all my trips I have never been asked to show a passport, so I stopped bringing it, but it is easy to put into your ski suit if you want. You don't go through any formal immigration or customs at all, you just get on and off lifts and ski in and out.. (It is a good way to sneak into either country...) Skiing back down to Zermatt from Cervinia involves a long and IMO boring run that is icy, windblown and full of other tired skiers at the end of the day. If you get over to Cervinia early, you can head back earlier and maybe miss the end of the day crowds, esp on the one narrow trail heading back into Zermatt at the bottom of the Klein Matterhorn area.

Gornegrat area

Rifflleberg Cafeteria
At the Riffleberg stop on the Gornegrat train

They have a very large outdoor terrace in the sun with a great Matterhorn view. Bratwurst, soups, hamburgers, sandwiches. Inexpensive by Swiss standards. Go to http://www.matterhorn-group.ch/en/go...ants/index.php for info.

Riffelberg Hotel
At the Riffelberg stop on the Gornegrat train

Nice restaurant with indoor and outdoor areas with Matterhorn view. Go to http://www.matterhorn-group.ch/en/ri...ants/index.php for info on the hotel and the cafeteria and restaurant.

Kulm Gornegrat
Gornegrat Station

Cafeteria and sit-down restaurant. Views are only good if you are at the windows. The cafeteria has a small outdoor area in the sun. The restaurant tends to get quite smoky (a problem with many restaurants in Switzerland in winter.) A bit of a pain to get to and from with ski boots, as it involves some stairs and uphill walking. Go to http://www.matterhorn-group.ch/en/go...ants/index.php for info.

Riffelalp
Rifflealp 2222m Hotel
go to www.zermatt.ch/riffelalp
Rifflealp stop on the Gornegrat train

Several restaurants, pricey but very good food. Great outdoor restaurant with perfect Matterhorn view (and heaters), two good indoor restaurants including a stubli/fondue restaurant. The outdoor restaurant would be very good for lunch or for après ski to watch the sun set behind the Matterhorn, once it is dark you can take the train down into town from the Rifflealp station. The outdoor restaurant is my second favorite on the mountain after Chez Vriony (see below).

Sunnega

Chez Vrony (41-27-967 2552)
Findelen
http://www.chezvrony.ch

Without doubt my favorite place for lunch in Zermatt. This is a trailside restaurant in the charming hamlet of Findelen, reached from the Sunnega ski area. Definitely make a reservation. Great fondue on their outdoor terrace, some of which have lounger seats to really relax and take in the superb Matterhorn view.


Cervina - On the Italian Side

Chalet Etoile
Plan Maison Lift
tel: 39 0166 940220

Italian food. On a sunny day there is nothing better than sitting outside and having some of their great soup and pasta. I would definitely recommend making a lunch reservation, as it gets very crowded. They have a large outdoor seating area.

Swagman

I've been to Zermatt many times. Initially is was because I knew someone there but enjoyed it so much that I would have gone regardless of that fact. I can't compare Zermatt with other Swiss ski areas but I have never found it to be a destination for royalty or superstars. Davos, St Moritz and others come to mind as much more of a destination for such types. Zermatt is expensive but all of Switzerland is now with the dollar exchange rate. Lift tickets however are much less than any good place in the U.S. Cicerone has mentioned a few of the restaurants up in the mountains but there are a number of others. I've always been amazed at the quality of the food at these little out of the way places. It's a far cry from burgers and hotdogs one would find at a lot of ski areas here in the states. In addition to Chez Vrony below Sunnegga in Findeln, Franz and Heidi is wonderful. Coming down from the Gornegratt and continuing below Riffleberg, Cafe Ritti tucked in the woods is excellent. Look for the sign as you can miss it if going too fast. There are also some wonderful stops coming down from the Klein Matterhorn area but I've not skied that area as much. There are still a number of T bar tows in that area primarily because it is glacier skiing. I've gotten to the point where I would rather ride on a chair lift now.

Wow! Cicerone and je, thank you for such detail analysis, you have reignite my desire to ski in Zermatt.

Yes I know Switzerland is not well known for its cheap ski resorts. I have been to St Moritz (2004) and Verbier (Feb 2006). Have to say I was very disappointed with Verbier earlier this year - too many english speaking tourists and therefore lost some of its Swiss resort charm plus it had one of its worst seasons in terms of snow coverage. Apparently all the snow ended up in Italy and Austria (Lech and St Anton) and didn't get over the mountains into the Swiss Alps. Hope this won't happen again in 2007 if I decide to go there.

The other alternative I am contemplating is Chamonix, a lot closer to Geneva GVA where I will be flying into. I have been to Chamonix in summer and quite like it. Very simple resort with good village facilities.

S

Swagman

Won't try to influence you any more but one of the things I found very attractive about Zermatt was the lack of english speaking visitors. Mostly Swiss German and some French dialect was what I noticed. However, there is not a problem communicating with people in shops and restaurants.

je

That is a valuable piece of info. I prefer non-english speaking resorts as I'll get to practice my french and learn some more german.

S