Engadiner Boutique-Hotel GuardaVal

The cheese selection was the highlight for us, large, mostly regional, and full of surprising flavours. We had the three-course menu, which was solid and fairly priced, though the wines were at the expensive end. Our evening was made especially pleasant by the person looking after us, who was professional, empathetic, quick, and funny. The room itself felt more like a big hall than an intimate, elegant, cosy restaurant. Still, the service turned dinner into a lovely experience. Thank you.

The rooms are on the small side, but charming and very well equipped. The staff were especially friendly and attentive, and check-in was a great start to the stay.

Waking up to that spectacular view was lovely. Our room was gorgeous and cosy, and breakfast was homemade, delicious, and very high quality, with plenty of choice. I’d definitely recommend staying here.

Scuol made a lovely base for a few sunny days in early September, and we’re already thinking about coming back to explore more of this distinctive region. We found the town very walkable. The older quarter, downhill from the main shopping street, has especially pretty lanes, hotels, restaurants, and a museum. Around the hotel there’s also a pleasant street that follows the hillside past restaurants before winding back towards the far end of the main street. Scuol itself is charming, though the shopping street you reach from the station is less scenic than most of the town. We stayed in a clean, comfortable room on the top floor of the main building. The contemporary furnishings were simple, and the sunny balcony looked across town to the mountains. It was a great spot to watch the sunrise on a September morning. Breakfast was continental, with omelettes and other options available, a good range of choices, and lots of fine local produce. The spacious restaurant has huge windows and more mountain views. The hotel sits high up in town, above the main street. You can ask for a shuttle, or take the Postbus to the Scuol-Belvedere stop just below the hotel and walk up a short zigzag path. That route may be less convenient for anyone with limited mobility, so it’s worth asking the hotel about options. Their partner hotel, the Belvedere, is on the main street and part of the Hotel Belvedere “family”. Because the building follows the hillside, its facilities are on different floors. We climbed several flights of stairs after breakfast and didn’t notice an elevator. That was fine for us, but something to bear in mind if stairs could be an issue. Guests can use the hotel’s spa and other facilities, get a free afternoon “Zvieri” at the Hotel Belvedere, and receive passes for ski lifts and similar services. We didn’t try those during this visit. Packed lunches are available on request, and there’s a day-pack in the room that’s handy for hikers. Everyone we dealt with was friendly and helpful, and the service was excellent. We speak German, so we can’t comment from personal experience on language, but there were plenty of English-speaking guests who seemed to manage without trouble. French and Italian speakers should be fine too. It was also nice to hear Rumantsch spoken in the streets and businesses around the region. The station is just outside town and uphill from it. Several Postbus routes connect it with town and are timed to meet the trains. The trains were reliable, though hourly, and some buses only ran once an hour as well, so outings take a little planning. Public transport in Switzerland is very reliable. Taste and budget vary, of course, but we thoroughly enjoyed our short stay at Hotel GuardaVal and in Scuol. We’re already planning a return trip and would highly recommend it.