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Murren: Hotel Eiger vs Anfi Palace vs Alpenruh? Largest rooms/best views?
We are narrowing our hotels down for our trip and read all there is to read in the archives. Many people love the Alpenruh for those much sought after "in your face mountain views", but they all say the rooms are quite small. Anyone stay at the Alpenruh one year and scale up to the Hotel Eiger or Anfi Palace the next year for the comparison review? The thing with the Anfi Palace is - it looks like the nicest but I've read about lots of mgt changes and that it's now a timeshare which may be a detraction of sorts. Hotel Eiger gets good reviews here but I've read that it's kind of far from the transport as it's on the edge of town, but it's family owned and more liked than the Anfi Palace.
Alpenruh is always listed favorably but I'm afraid my wife might feel claustrophobic if the room if tiny... Are the views just incredibly better from the "in your face" closeness of the Alpenruh? It's a 3* as opposed to the Eiger which is more expensive and a 4*. Thanks in advance if anyone has actually seen the rooms at both or all 3 of these hotels! We're inches away from making a reservation. [We've nailed down our favorite choices for the other 3 legs of our Switzerland/Lake Como/Venice trip: Lucerne-Hotel Des Balances (though we're tempted by Hotel Montana! I think we'd prefer to be closer in to the town right ON the river. From what I read here that is usually preferable). Bellagio: Hotel Belvedere, and Venice: Locando Orseolo. You guys rock. Very excitely yours, Steve USA |
Hi Steve,
Sorry to add more muddle here, but I want to offer another hotel for Luzern. Although I've stayed at the Balances and have recommended it to others for its charm and location, the river views are still a little limited. I finally found a cosy four-star right on lake; website at http://www.hotelseeburg.ch/english/e_start.htm. I plan to try this hotel on my next visit. For me, though, views are more important than an in-town location. Hope this doesn't cause more trouble . . . ! s |
We were just in Murren and Lucerne. I highly reccomend the hotel Edelweiss in Murren. It faces the mountains for a real close up view. Outdoor restaurant has a fantastic view. Manager's name is Saundra von Allmen and she speaks excellent English. It is refurbished with modern amenities; the bathroom is huge. Charge was 180 SF per night. The Anfi Palace is 5*, Eiger across the street. (I think these 2 are more expensive) All three hotels were within a 5 minute walk from the train station from Grutschalp/Lauterbrunnen. The Alpenruh is on the other side of town near the cable car running up from Stechelberg with a stop in Gimmelwald.
Hotel Des Balances is right on the river. Hotel Montana a little out of the way but up on the hill with a great view of the city. We went to the Hotel Montana for a lovely and expensive dinner but no piano player on Mon. nights. We loved Lucerne. |
Thanks swandav2000 - nice website for that hotel you recommended, but it doesn't look like it's close to Old Town. Do we want to be close to Old Town? We won't have a car, and my wife likes to take naps each day around 5pm or so, so I'd need a hotel in Lucerne that is close in to lots of cool stuff to see, so when she's napping, I can EXPLORE to my heart's delight. She hates museums, so maybe I could a museum or two during these time periods.
Let me know. (you're killing me with another hotel thrown into the mix :o) Don't you know I'm confused already!? Just kidding - thanks.) Steve |
You probably saw one or more of my comments on the Alpehruh. We did not find the room to be small. That may be due to our definition or the fact that the outer wall is mostly all windows. There was a french door to the balcony and as someone I guess said, "in your face mountains". Hopefully you will not be in the room that much (most of our time there was spent showering, sleeping or out on the balcony). How much bigger are the rooms at the others? Just curious, we already have our reservations for next month for a return to the Alpenruh.
Have a great trip where ever you end up! |
Steve,
I am with you, when it comes to stay IN town, although the Montana and the Seeburg are lovely. Should you find the Balances booked up (chances are given, unless you book very early), here's another charming place, although no river view, but located in the pedestrian area of Lucerne. I think, it's a real charmer. Hotel Krone***. http://www.krone-luzern.ch/ When in Lucerne, make sure you visit the Rosengart Collection and the Picasso Museum. I think, they have a combo card at a slightly reduced entrance fee. Have never stayed overnight in Muerren (at least not that I remember), so can't comment on your choices. PS: No intention to confuse you even more, but you should have a back up for Lucerne. :) |
Ursula,
I thought the Rosengart collection WAS the Picasso Museum... Are there actually 2 separate museums? Need to drive down one of these weekends when the weather is like today :) Andre P.S. saw parts of the Rosengart collection a few years ago at an exhibition in Bern - WOW! |
Andre,
NO, the Rosengart isn't the Picasso Museum at all. The Rosengarts were private collectors who knew a lot of painters personally. The two museums are somehow linked, yes, that's quite so. The Rosengart is located on Pilatusstrasse (the former National Bank building) and the Picasso Museum is on the other side of the Reuss, in the old town. Just checked the Rosengart site, because of the combo ticket and there is this combo ticket, as mentioned before. There is even one for the Rosengart, the Picasso and newly refurbished Museum of Fine Arts. You can find detailled information here: www.rosengart.ch BTW, at the Rosengart (in the basement) you'll find a lot of small Klee paintings, and over all, it's a stunning collection. PS: I hope we'll have some nice weekends to come. I don't mind the rain during the week though. :) |
I'm one of the folks who has previously recommended the Alpenruh in Murren. Haven't stayed at the other two, as they're always closed when we visit - we prefer to visit in the off season and the Alpenruh is the only hotel open year round in Murren. I doubt your wife would get claustrophobic, the rooms at the Alpenruh are compact, but far from 'tiny".
The Hotel Eiger is NOT far from transport, as it's mere steps from the train station, but it is a bit of a walk to the Schilthornbahn - keep in mind Murren is not all that big, so "a bit of a walk" is about 10-15 minutes. |
Ursula and Andre - many thanks. I've added these 3 museums in Lucerne to my MUST SEE OR ELSE list. But, I've got bad news we just found out about the Hotel Des Balances in Lucerne - NO AIR CONDITIONING!!! Aaaarghhhhh. And we were all set to stay there. If there is a freak summer heat wave and there's no A/C, that will not work at all for us. We can't take the chance, especially with these wacky weather systems.
It looks like Hotel Montana is looking better and better. If we stayed there and took that funicular to the bottom each day, wouldn't we be in the Old Town anyway? Or would be still be far away? Thanks. I know this thread is getting off topic from the Murren beginnings! I just heard back from Hotel Alpenruh and they've offered us a highest floor room with 2 beds, killer view for CHF90 per night per person. My wife looked at the pics again and said this will work for her. Yeahhhhhhh. This will be our budget part of the trip! The rest of our hotels are signifantly more. Steve USA |
Cool - thanks for the info Ursula!
Speaking of Klee, have you been to the new show at the Beyeler in Basel/Riehen yet? Looks great. Andre |
BTW, just surfed around a little myself and saw that the paintings in the Picasso Museum where ALSO donated by the Rosengarts... don't you ever wish you were born with a different family name? ;)
Steve, sorry to have hijacked your thread... now back to our scheduled programming! Andre |
Hi again Steve,
Yes, I know that the number of enticing hotels in Switzerland is only exceeded by the number of enticing villages!! Researching these trips can be a bit of a challenge. But a fun one! Yes well I enjoy walking, so that walk (looks like 20 or 30 minutes) would be fine for me! There's apparently also a bus stop for the city buses and a ferry stop very nearby. But I won't quibble about your choice for the Montana! I also think the lack of ac at the Balances makes it pretty noisy; streets below are lively at night or so I've heard. I stayed there in Nov, so ac wasn't an issue. So you're probably doing the right thing by avoiding it now. By the way, I found the Hotel Seeburg from a brochure from myswitzerland.com; apparently the hotel's lakeside bar is a big draw for the locals. Maybe you'll check it out? And I really hope you'll be kind enough to write a trip report when you get back. The second best thing about posting here is reading about what worked or what didn't work! s |
Steve,
no, when taking the little funicular down from the Montana you won't be right in the old town. It is a ten minutes walk or so away. But there is also a frequent tram service (two stops I think). The walk, however, is very pleasant - along the lake promenade, passing the magnificent five star Belle Epoche hotels. If I am right you will stay there only for two nights, so you should not be concerned to walk too much :-) Since the Alpenruh is right on the cable car station from Stechelberg (continueing to Mt. Schilthorn) I suggest you take the bus from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg and cable car from there - not the funicular from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp and tram to Mürren. BTW, Hotel Eiger enjoys an excellent location right on the stop of the previously mentioned tram from Grütschalp. And it offers the same "killer views" as the Alpenruh. You mentioned in a different thread that you are a serious hiker. Any plans made for Mürren? Just curious :) Ingo |
Thanks Ingo and others. We didn't realize that the Eiger has just as good a view/location as Alpenruh, so that's not totally decided yet. Alpenruh has no A/C but I'm guessing that's not much of a problem the week of June 12th - Yes? No?
As for Lucerne, it seems that Hotel Montana would be a great place to reside, even though it's a 10 minute walk to the old town. The rooms look amazing. We will certainly post a "just back" report after we return! Steve USA |
We've never needed AC in the mountain villages - you'll be fine in June. In fact, you may get a wee bit chilly in the evenings.
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Thanks for the tip about temps. I figured A/C wouldn't be necessary.
OK - I just got the prices from the Eiger and the Alpenruh and the Eiger Murren is CHF135 per person per night vs CHF90 per person per night for the Alpenruh. Which one would you pick? (The Eiger is discounting the rate from CHF150 to CHF135.) Thanks, Steve USA |
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Have stayed at both the Alpenruh and the Anfi Palace. We by far prefer the Alpenruh.
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Another vote for the Alpenruh, though I'm sure the Eiger would make you happy also. Your price seems too good to be true. We were not lucky enough to get an upper floor. It should be awesome. OUr room was not small, with lots of glass and large doors out to a shared deck.
We never tired of looking at the "in your face" mountain. Also, the Alpenruh, right next to the tram up to the Schilthorn, can give you a coupon for a basic breakfast up there. (If you want the "James Bond breakfast," you pay extra.) And, if you take the earlier trips, I think before 9 am, you get an additional discount on the tram fare. When we again go to Muerren, we will no doubt stay at the Alpenruh. |
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