Chalet Adler

Switzerland is expensive, sure, but this was another level. We came in around midday, sat at the bar for a drink, and practically had to beg to see the food menu. We confirmed more than once that we wanted fondue for one. When it arrived, they asked us to leave the bar and move to a table, even though the restaurant was empty. Then the bill clearly charged us for two. We thought it had to be a joke. The waitress blamed a language barrier, and the manager or owner said that if both of us ate it, it counted as two. This is some straight Swiss bullshit. After writing this, I saw other people describing the same thing, so it seems to be common practice. Beware and stay away.

Reception staff were genuinely kind and went out of their way to compensate for the owner, and both the room and hotel were generally clean. The owner, though, was repeatedly outright rude to my mother and seemed to hate Americans. We saw him give other American guests hostile looks and overheard him criticizing them. I guess he thinks no American can understand German. I don't know how someone like that ended up in hospitality. The hotel also charges for every little extra. Of the seven hotels we stayed in across Bavaria, Austria, and Switzerland, this was the only one without breakfast or parking, despite being among the pricier ones. He wanted 12 francs an hour for a pool table in a run-down basement lounge, and the spa area was in pretty poor shape too. We had drinks and played pool at Hotel des Alps down the street, where we overheard several guests checking in. I'd choose that place instead. It's cheaper, includes parking and breakfast, and has nicer facilities.

The bathroom brought the score down. It felt dated, had a window into the room with no blind for privacy, and the shower was just a wall-mounted head over the bath. There was no way to take a standing shower, and the water pressure was almost nonexistent. The room itself was clean and nice, with a decent balcony and a great view. It's centrally located in Kandersteg, and we also liked the restaurant and bar. With major bathroom upgrades, this could be a perfect choice for the area.

The reception team were wonderful during our few nights at Chalet Adler, friendly, helpful, and accommodating. When the corkscrew broke in my wine bottle, the reception manager kindly helped sort it out. His professionalism was exactly the kind of Swiss hospitality you'd hope for. The owner was the complete opposite. Because the wine hadn't come from his restaurant, he berated both the staff member and me. His hostile, arrogant, abusive behavior was unnecessary and embarrassing for everyone there. After three weeks travelling around Switzerland, he was the only rude person I encountered, and an embarrassment to the country. It's a shame, since Swiss people are known for treating guests warmly and respectfully. The owner of Chalet Adler is an outlier and gives Swiss hospitality a bad name. The staff are a credit to the hotel, but he brings it down. If basic decency matters to you, avoid Chalet Adler.