Ingo

Taxes (like VAT) and gratuities are included except "Kurtaxe" (a local tax on accommodation), which is indeed in the 3 CHF price range. It is another advantage of half-board that you can get up from your table and not have to add a tip to your check.

Beverages are NOT included. Don't know how they handle the tap water issue, swandav will certainly know more as she stayed there recently.

Yes, you book either with half-board or not. You cannot opt in/out later.

You did notice for that price is the room with the small French bed, not the double bed room, don't you?

Splitting time between Gstaad and Wengen is a good idea IMO. Both are totally different. It's rolling hills (white, we agreed upon) vs. dramatic cliffs and huge mountains.

Ingo

In the German version they say the French bed is 1,40 m wide. Check at least the ground-plans of the rooms on their website - the difference between the two kinds of rooms is remarkable.

Ingo

That "Kurtaxe" is 3.60 CHF per person and day, btw. (2013)

JulieVikmanis

I haven't read through this entire post so pardon me if this info is off point. We are a late 60s couple who annually take our 30 something son for a ski vacation in Dec. or Jan. Just walking around in cute towns and having good meals and a beer or wine stop now and again amuses us so we are happy to park in a ski village, take trains for day trips and just enjoy. We went first to Garmisch Partenkirchen where skiing was not so good for sonny who is an expert skiier but we all loved the area and the cute surrounding towns. Following year we went to Salzburg. They have a tremendous tourism infrastructure and skiiers and nonskiiers are welcomed on their ski buses, which is what we used to get to cute surrounding areas like Kitzbuhl. Then we did a trip to Chamonix which sonny loved for the Mont Blanc skiing and we enjoyed even though we had to use a hire van rather than train to get to Megeve for a dy trip. I assume you could probably get to Annecy easily by public transport as well. Last Year we went to Zermatt which sonny loved for the skiing and the sights and we really enjoyed for the sights including day trips to small Swiss towns with our Swiss rail pass.

In fact, our winter "non-ski, ski trips" have become some of our all time favorite trips.

Here is the link to my report from our Garmisch trip
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...olidays.cfm?26

And this is the link to our Salzburg trip
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...alzburg.cfm?24

Pity that I didn't do reports on Chamonix and Zermatt. Both were lovely. One way or the other, I encourage you to take a non-ski, ski trip. They can be wonderful.

WeisserTee

I did a check on another hotel booking website and came up with a price of 293 per night for bed and breakfast in a mountain-view room with a king size bed (actually two twins pushed together in the European way). The room is larger too -- that would be worth an extra $13 a night to us. For $312 a night, you get a mountain view room with a small sofa and a balcony.

FWIW, we prefer the Bernerhof, which is a lovely hotel right next to the train station. But it's already completely booked out for January and February.

kenav

Julie - We were in Chamonix for 2 1/2 days in September about 8 years ago. Had one spectacular day up on Aguille du Midi. Will never forget it. We waned to go to Annecy from there but actually it was quite a trek and so we didn't.

Ingo - The 1,40 meter bed is about the same size as an American double which we have slept in. Our own home bed is a queen.

Weisser:I will check the prices again, as I really don't want to spend a lot and are not even used to spending this much (the price for the smaller room). But if it's only $13 more for a bigger room, then there's no doubt that's the better deal. I'll also check out the Bernerhof.

kenav

I looked at Gsaaderhof again and it's very confusing. On their price page it gives prices for Twin room with French bed, Apts. and "special". However when I go to booking there is no "French bed" designation, but there are: Standard single with Queen bed, Standard double with Queen bed, Standard twin, Superior twin and Family room. So they don't agree on terms.

There is also no ability to designate if we want a mountain view room or 1/2 board. Perhaps I should email them.

https://booking.swissqualityhotels.c...f/en/book.aspx

WeisserTee

I suggest you go to this link instead:
http://www.gstaaderhof.ch/index_gb.html which has explanations.

First, the hotel had some kind of major refurb in 2011/2012 and the rooms have been refreshed. They look quite nice. According to the site, there are 18 rooms with a 140 cm bed (19 square meter rooms). There are 6 rooms with a 160 cm French bed (these are 20 square meter rooms). If you are used to a queen bed at home, these would be fine. FYI, French bed means one mattress instead of two mattresses pushed together.

Next up at 6 rooms with twin beds that equal a king sized bed (180 cm). These 6 rooms are north-facing and are about 27 square meters. Then you progress to the twin rooms with southern views (the better views). Same size as the north-facing twin rooms. There are 22 of those south-facing rooms -- and they also have balconies.

Click on "request" at the bottom of the page and fill in your dates, your wishes, your questions etc.

Let us know how it turns out!

WeisserTee

Finally, kenav, I shot some video in January from the train heading to Saanen from Gstaad. And then to Schonried. They're just a few minutes each, but of course the files are too big to email.

If you like, I can upload the video to you (and to anyone else who's interested) via www.wetransfer.com. You can see just how white the hills are and how beautiful the area is. Just let me know which email address I should give to wetransfer.com (I love them, so much easier than dropbox!!)

WeisserTee

"You can see just how white the hills are"

...And the mountains too, of course

kenav

Hi WeisserTee - I did in fact go to the site you gave. Again, there is no mention, upon trying to book, of a French bed room; however, on their explanations on another page in the website, it does describe the French bedroom, or double, etc. That is why it is so confusing. Perhaps the "Queen" bedroom on booking page is the same as the "French bed" on the "rooms" page? And again, no mention of 1/2 board.

I have filled out a non-binding reservation form (which has possibility of a French bed bedroom). This is yet a different page on their website from the other two I have mentioned and have emailed it to them with questions. Yikes this is very strange.

kenav

Weisser - Yes, i would like to see that.

[email protected]

WeisserTee

The videos are sent. They're 435 MB in total, so it took several minutes to upload; just an FYI that it make take several minutes to download. There are three: leaving Gstaad heading toward Saanen, from Saanen going into Schonried, and finally heading into Saanenmoser. Each is about two minutes long.

I shot them with a borrowed flipcam (before I got my iPhone 5) and it's raw footage, but it is HD. And yes, that's me coughing in the background I swallowed something the "wrong way" as we were leaving Gstaad.

If it's hot and muggy where you are, maybe the sight of all that snow will be refreshing!

WeisserTee

The videos are sent. They're 435 MB in total, so it took several minutes to upload; just an FYI that it make take several minutes to download. There are three: leaving Gstaad heading toward Saanen, from Saanen going into Schonried, and finally heading into Saanenmoser. Each is about two minutes long.

I shot them with a borrowed flipcam (before I got my iPhone 5) and it's raw footage, but it is HD. And yes, that's me coughing in the background I swallowed something the "wrong way" as we were leaving Gstaad.

If it's hot and muggy where you are, maybe the sight of all that snow will be refreshing!

kenav

Got the videos. Haven't told my husband yet that I'm thinking about this - have to tread slowly. But I showed him the videos and I could tell he would love to go there. Too beautiful to pass up.

Thanks for sending them. They look just fine and can only help with my nudging my husband toward this vacation. ("Switzerland again?") We've been to Switzerland 3 times but never in the winter. We did wonder who was coughing. Hope you've gotten that thing out of your throat by now!