Grand Hotel Bellevue, Gstaad: the egalitarian among peers

Comfy luxury at the centre of Gstaad village

Conveniently positioned at the end of the main shopping street is the totally remodelled/reinvetned Bellevue, which was acquired mere months before we visited it by a Swiss family. Daniel Koetser is the proud managing director/co-owner along with his wife and father-in-law.

His experience in hotel management does give him an edge, but then so does his palpable enthusiasm for this prized possession – one of the four 5 star hotels in the iconic ski resort. His welcoming card invites guests to make imaginative requests – an imaginative initiative in itself – and one can’t help but wonder what it will yield in time.

The Bellevue is already something of an established social hub, chiefly because of its strategic location, but also because the new management team works at it. Mrs Koetser is an interior designer, something that is abundantly evident in the carefully chosen fabrics, colour combinations (a lot of soothing olive greens mixed with salmon or cream), birdcage swings, and even a tartan dromedary in the entrance hall.

We all notice different things and unless pointed out, such treats as the Murano glass chandeliers, the leather detail on restaurant chairs and matching curtain ties might go largely unmentioned, simply because they look as if they’ve been there forever. It is, I guess, a testimony to the lady designer that every last room in the hotel looks well-settled in in such a short space of time.

The Bellevue is set in its own park and has its own chalets and conference rooms, in addition to which it is also home to the Gstaad Yacht Club.

We stayed at one of the chalets behind the hotel, seamlessly connected to the main lobby. Our set of rooms had a wraparound terrace with a formidable sun exposure and views of the mountains, as well as the surrounding chalets.

More conventional in style than the Alpina, the rooms are traditionally designed for comfort at its most soothing. The ubiquitous double bathroom, with his and her’s washbasins and rain shower; the complimentary minibar; the welcoming jar of preserved fruit and chocolates; the sink-in mattress; the solicitous staff all contribute to making you feel cossetted.

The spa at The Bellevue has the prerequisite swimming pool with glassed windows overlooking the gardens and a fully operational

gym and personal trainers. Walk past the treatment rooms and you’d find a whole separate area dedicated to saunas and steam

rooms: Finnish sauna, bio sauna, herbal steam bath, brine grotto, laconium, and the most elaborate showers I have come across,

offering a multitude of functions.

The hotel also has regular Pilates, Toning and Yoga sessions, listed on a sheet in every suite. The resident therapist has a secret! The signature, special touch of her treatments is a foot massage that balances and completes nicely whatever else you are having done.

My facial had elements of lymphatic drainage massage and consisted of gentle exfoliation, punctuated by the repeated application of hot towels. The foot massage was at the mask stage leaving my feet smooth and cool – a pleasant and stimulating juxtaposition with hot face towels. The massage-in products (Cellcosmet) are hypoallergenic and leave the skin moisturised and glowing.