Hotel Crea

For Switzerland, this hotel is relatively good value, which seems to make it popular with seasonal workers. If you earn a full-time local salary, it could be possible to live here and still save money. The low price comes with a catch, though: reception is usually unmanned, and check-in is by appointment. You need to be on time and tell them if you’re delayed. Staff seem to come in only briefly for specific arrivals, and the policy isn’t made very clear, so it’s easy to get frustrated when you find the front desk locked and deserted. If you do manage to reach someone, you may be sent to another hotel about a 10-minute walk away for help, which can make for a very rough first impression. My room had an impressive mountain view. I liked the laminate floor because it seemed hygienic and was easy to clean, which matters since long-term guests don’t get housekeeping during their stay. The bathroom’s folding drying rack over the shower was a good idea, but mine was damaged, with two of its five bars missing. The shower pressure was strong, though sometimes the water barely got warm, let alone hot. There was a self-catering kitchen, which is useful in theory, but cleanliness was questionable, as it often is in shared kitchens. People left dirty dishes in the sink and equipment “for later,” apparently hoping someone else would wash it for free. Adelboden is more spread out than I expected, so even though the hotel isn’t far from the bus station, you may need a car. The TV listed BBC and CNN, but neither ever worked for me; there were only a few German- and French-language channels.