Nine amazing places to stay in Switzerland

Craving a little R&R? These places offer their guests the chance to practice self-care in glorious surroundings. Whether you fancy trail running, outdoor yoga, altitude training or a holistic retreat made up of bathing and saunas, these places will help you to fully disconnect from the outside world and just focus on yourself. 

Time Out recommends: Hotel Eden Roc, Ascona
This five-star resort stands out for its spaciousness and unrivalled views, as it’s perched right on the edge of Lake Maggiore in Ascona. This then acted as inspiration for its luxurious wellness centre, which offers a steam bath, Finnish sauna, seven treatment rooms and a dedicated hairdressing salon – how glam.

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Flowering meadows, romantic patrician villas with lake views, cosy mountain hotels with views of glaciers and peaks – this is how you picture Switzerland. And you know what? It’s actually possible to live inside a postcard (even just for a little bit) by booking a charming hotel full of character and warm hospitality. 

Time Out recommends: Hotel Alpenland, Lauenen 
This hotel comes decked out in classic Alpine styling, with 20 fully-furnished double rooms with private bathrooms and balconies. Spend your days exploring the nearby nature reserve or buying trinkets in the village of Lauenen, returning only to tuck into local rösti and cheese specialities at the onsite restaurant. 

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Travelling as a family can sometimes be stressful, but luckily Switzerland Tourism has collected together some of the very best places for parents and children. These lodgings offer adults undisturbed wellness, sports and candlelit dinners, as well as professional care, practical facilities and imaginative playrooms to keep the little ones entertained. Explore campsites, resorts and luxury stays all within this category. 

Time Out recommends: Belvedere Swiss Quality Hotel, Grindelwald
This family-owned hotel has been passed down through four generations of the Hausers. With this in mind, you can trust it to be a cosy spot for all of your loved ones. Children up to age 11 stay for free (including breakfast) and there are spacious rooms housing up to nine people, alongside dedicated playpens for babies, kids menus at the Michelin-guide restaurant, flexible meal times and a plethora of in-hotel activities to make your stay as stress-free as possible.

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Switzerland’s glorious bike routes sure beat the daily commute. These lodgings are dedicated to cyclists, with bike garages, repair services, maps, vitality cuisine and much more on offer. So whether you’re heading on an adventure tour or a sports challenge. Explore hotel picks that’ll allow you to comfortably shift down a gear.

Time Out recommends: Hotel NIRA ALPINA, Silvaplana
This is the only hotel in its region that has direct access to the Corvatsch cable car. In fact, you can be at its summit in just 15 minutes. Ride on paths along the Engadin, there's something like 400 kilometres at your disposal, and head back to the hotel spa to fully relax your muscles after a day on the trails. We’d recommend making full use of the Arabian-style Rasul bath while you're there, it’s very luxurious. 

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Sometimes you just want to stay somewhere a little unconventional. These locations are trendsetters, avant-garde or artworks in their own kinds of ways. Find hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses tucked away in secluded valleys or winding alleyways, each offering you a properly unique stay in a country that's famed for its diversity. 

Time Out recommends: Boutique-Hotel Spedition, Thun
Housed in a former shipping building, Boutique-Hotel Spedition offers fifteen bespoke rooms with unique materials and colour schemes in each. Earth tones, wood, cotton and carefully curated pictures are all tied together to complement the building’s history. You’ve also got luxury Japanese beds and Samsung tablets in each room, plus a respected hotel restaurant that's known for its Simmental beef dishes. 

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Looking to treat the team to a work trip with a difference? These hotels organise tailor-made workshops, conferences and events in a professional setting. Essentially, whatever you want they can cater to your needs – so you can strike the perfect balance of work and relaxation while you’re away from the office. 

Time Out recommends: Belvédère Strandhotel, Spiez
If it’s good enough for the German national football team, it’s good enough for us. Ahead of their win at the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final, the team stayed at the Belvédère and it has been offering companies an equally comfortable stay ever since. There are five dedicated seminar rooms, regional fine dining restaurants and all kinds of teambuilding activities available – ice sculpture workshop, anyone?

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Switzerland is home to some rather striking historical homes. These hotels give guests the chance to stay in a little slice of the past, from charming country estates to nostalgic city hotels and idyllic mountain chalets. Learn about their individual stories and histories from times gone by while you’re there to make your trip that little bit more unique.

Time Out recommends: Hôtel Masson, Veytaux
This hotel dates all the way back to 1829, and was originally a vintner’s manor, yet manages to maintain a lot of its original interiors, including a parquet floor that once was treaded by aristocrats. Stay in one of its 33 rooms and you’ll be in Montreux’s oldest hotel, right on Lake Geneva, with easy access to the Castle of Chillon and the historic Simplon railway line. 

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Sometimes you’ve got to give in to the glam. Lavish locations for romantic getaways and celebratory holidays: these hotels are all about elegance. Expect high-end cuisines, private cinemas, cookery classes, cheese tastings, and even helicopter shuttles at these hotels. It’s all very luxurious. 

Time Out recommends: Carlton Hotel St. Moritz, St Moritz 
It’s all in the name, really. Built in 1913, Carlton Hotel St. Moritz is part of a trusted high-end brand that’s sure to pull out all the stops. The hotel has its own limousine service, babysitting, butler service, ski shop and dedicated ski school. Booking a banquet? Well, there’s a service that’ll cater to up to 200 guests. And after hosting, you can relax in an exclusive spa or with room service while watching over the neighbouring mountains. 

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Of course, no trip to Switzerland would be complete without winter sports. And these places are helping you take that one step further. You’ve got spectacular landscapes boasting mountain railways, idyllic cross-country ski trails and magnificent pistes all within close proximity. Of course, you’ll be well looked after with packed lunches, shuttle transfers, ski rooms and ski schools – so you can really make the best of your surroundings. 

Time Out recommends: La Couronne Hotel & Spa, Zermatt
If you’re an avid skier, you’re in luck. La Couronne has a ski bus right outside its front door and a sports shop in the hotel itself, and you’re right by the cable cars and mountain railways to take you up the mountain. Plus, this family-run hotel comes filled with Alpine décor, offers views of the Matterhorn, and has a respected restaurant, making it a wonderful spot for post-sport downtime.

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