Where We Stay

Inns and Small Hotels That Capture the Authentic Charm of the Alps

On Alpenwild trips—both our guided and self guided programs—you'll stay in carefully chosen inns, small hotels, and classic berghotels. We choose hotels which offer a great location, a high standard of comfort and quality, and a solid value to our guests. These inns offer a superbly satisfying mix of a welcoming atmosphere, traditional cuisine, and authentic charm. They are typically small, independently-owned properties which reflect the character and hospitality of the surrounding alpine community. We know the owners personally, have a longstanding relationship with them, and we find they bend over backwards to provide our guests with an exceptional experience. We are very familiar with and work directly with nearly 200 hotels in Switzerland and throughout the Alps, so we're always happy to share our recommendations as you plan your pre- and post-tour travel.

Hand-Picked Rooms

We select rooms that offer fabulous views and flowerbox-trimmed balconies, and which best meet the needs of our guests. You'll enjoy a fluffy down comforter, windows that open to let in the cooling mountain air, and locally-crafted wood furnishings. Nearly every hotel offers free wireless internet service in the room. In mountain resorts like Zermatt or Grindelwald we stay in wonderful chalet-style 3- and 4-star hotels—places we have stayed for many years. We specifically request either Eiger or Matterhorn-view rooms so that our guests will have the best experience possible. On many of our tours, including the Scenic Alps by Rail, we stay at the 4-star Resort la Ginabelle in Zermatt in superior rooms with Matterhorn views. On the Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route and Deluxe Haute Route, we stay at the historic 4-star Hotel Bella Tola in St-Luc overlooking the Rhone Valley to the north the the peaks of the Imperial Crown to the south. In Chamonix while on the Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route, the Tour du Mont Blanc, or our Best of the French Alps we stay at the Grand Hotel des Alpes, an exquisite 4-star Italianate gem right in the pedstrian heart of Chamonix. In the Dolomites we stay in the beloved Hotel Armentarola in San Cassiano.

Traditional Berghotels

Berghotels are traditional mountain accommodations found in remote settings with comfortable private rooms, wonderful meals and equisite mountain panoramas.  In the Jungfrau we stay in the famous Berghotel Obersteinberg (pictured on right) dating back to the 1880s. Many of the inns are built in large-timbered, traditional alpine buildings, and rooms have been remodeled and updated over the years, so that almost all have private bathrooms with either a tub or shower. In some properties, such as the historic Hotel Weisshorn or the berggasthaus in Meglisalp in Appenzell you'll find the bathroom down the hall—a small sacrifice for splendid cuisine and a richly rewarding experience of a bygone era.

Mountain Huts

In some cases, such as when we're trekking on the hiker's Haute Route we stay a night or two in mountain refuges (also known as huts or cabanes) which offer comfortable, dormitory-style accommodations, meals served family style, and shared bathroom facilities. The huts provide a wonderfully remote mountain setting and a lively social atmosphere which is an integral and distinctively memorable part of the Alps experience.

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