Lenkerhof Gourmet Spa Resort

The warm dishes at breakfast were delicious, and the view was wonderful, but the bread was a little disappointing, stale and uninspired. The service, though, was perfect from beginning to end, thoughtful without any pretension. You could say the hotel’s design is a bit dated.

We were traveling with our daughter, and the hotel made her feel very welcome, with kids’ activities and a Christmas present. There’s also a Christmas program that made the holiday feel more special. The staff were so friendly and ready to help with anything. The hotel is beautiful, close to the ski resorts and winter hiking trails, and there’s plenty to do. We loved our Christmas stay at Lenkerhof, and the restaurants on site served innovative, delicious food.

The three restaurant waiters who were kind and the lovely receptionist were attentive and warm throughout. They were doing their best. To me, the problem clearly lies with management and organization. I’ve attached photos of the sauna view and waste left in the changing area as proof. At 450 CHF a night, this was nowhere near a five-star stay. I came to rest and left exhausted and disappointed. At checkout, we were told we’d have to remove our Google review if we wanted a spa gesture. That pressure was completely unacceptable and unprofessional. The spa was far below a luxury standard: there were no robes or cotton pads, only one toilet, towels had to be collected at reception, and used sanitary paper had been left in the changing room. The sauna looked straight over the construction site and the workers. Before booking, we called to ask if construction would affect our stay. They didn’t mention any noise or disturbance, but work started at 9:30 the next morning, loudly enough to hear in our room. The bathroom layout was very poor, and carpet on the bathroom floor seemed unhygienic for any hotel, especially one claiming five stars. Dinner service was painfully slow. We waited 1 hour and 20 minutes for two starters, then another 30 minutes for a simple limoncello, which I had to ask about again 10 minutes later. We also had to ask three times over 20 minutes for water. The food and wine were actually good, and the Spanish and Greek waiters were kind, but the delay ruined the experience and left me feeling disrespected. The table next to us even commented on how badly we were being treated. When we paid, the first bill charged more than we had ordered. We spotted it and it was corrected right away, after which they offered coffees and a limoncello as a gesture. I was staying at the hotel that night and hoped things might improve, but they only got worse after dinner.

The views from our room were extraordinary, and the ski lift in Lenk is right beside the hotel. The stay was quite decent overall, and most of the staff were very nice, though one woman at reception was rude and passive-aggressive. The station is about a 15-minute walk away, but staff will happily pick you up if you arrange it. If you want room service, ask for the full menu. The one in the room is only a small version, and the full one has a lot more good options. It’s well worth asking for.