Grandhotel Giessbach in Switzerland
 

My wife and I are planning to be here for a few nights in early September. Does anyone have a recommendation for a particular room? Not sure if we should opt for the "Lake View" or the "Waterfall view".
While we plan to explore the surrounding area, we would also like to take it super easy for a day and just hang around the hotel and its grounds--is the hotel good for that or is it too busy with tourists this time of year?
Thanks!

think it will still be fairly busy with tourists during the day, the boats on Lake Brienz will still be running to Summer schedules. Personally I would go for a Lake view.

I call the Hotel Geissbach the House of Dark Shadows.

You half expect that Barnabas Collins would be your host.

You will have a car, yes?

I wouldn't stay here without a car.

Thin

Yes, we'll have a car.

A room Bellevue Deluxe would be my choice. They have lake view and most rooms have a balcony.

In early September the schedule of the boats on the lake thins out considerably - the latest back arrives at 5 pm, I think. So this limits your choices of exploring the area. On the other hand, if you plan to hang around the hotel mostly anyway, then this is fine. In September is should be relatively quiet.

Hi!

Giessbach is a great place to relax, be close to nature and watch beautiful sceanery.

As Ingo recommended, the Bellevue Deluxe rooms (the ones in the tower) have a view on the lake and on the waterfall.

I wouldn't recommend a room with view only on the waterfall if you like to have your window open at night because the noise can be too much for some.

The hotel grounds are huge (big forest, funicular, lake, bridges over the waterfall). It's nice to sleep in, have a lake breakfast or early lunch, walk around the grounds and then have a apero in the lounge with live piano. Then you're all set for dinner. I would recommend to stay up and watch the illumination of the waterfalls at night.

Most hotels have their high season in July-August. September should be quiet. But even in peak season, the hotel and the grounds are so big you aren't bothered by the rest of the clientèle.

Their are plenty of things to visit in the region (gorges, Top of Europe, Interlaken...), so I would take good shoes!

Is the funicular free to hotel guests?

I know that the fee for taking the funicular up to the hotel was a whopping 9 CHF in 2011.

You can, of course, walk up from the boat launch on Lake Brienz.

Switzerland is no place for the poor.


Thin

Pepper,

The funicular ride is free for hotel guests.
The walk would be 15 minutes.

Indeed the cost of the funicular (I think is 7.00 CHF now) is high but it goes to the Giessbach Foundation, allowing them to take care of the funicular so we are still able to ride it.