Hotel Belvedere

I ended up needing somewhere to stay overnight in an emergency after missing our train and getting stuck. A kind woman brought us to the hotel, and receptionist Joel was very helpful. He found us a room on demand, lent me a charger, and even dropped us back very early the next morning.

Some hotel staff were genuinely polite and helpful, but others were rude. Most of the restaurant staff weren’t friendly and came across as quite aggressive with guests. I explained my allergies, but they didn’t take them seriously, and we ended up with an incident immediately after eating there. We’d booked a long weekend and were initially given a room beside very loud construction. It took a long negotiation to change rooms. At first they said they were fully booked and could only offer an upgrade for extra money, which we refused. It took a long time before we managed to change rooms, and only after we said we wanted to call the police. For the money, it wasn’t worth it and didn’t live up to the four stars advertised. Unfortunately, the hotel stars seem to be based on things like having a spa or swimming pool, rather than the actual service.

The winter all inclusive deal was excellent, with a ski pass and spa access included. The hotel itself is very nice, with excellent restaurants and spa facilities, and the staff were friendly and accommodating. The public bus to the cable car was a hassle in the morning, though. I wouldn’t choose it for a ski holiday with small kids unless the hotel had its own shuttle. For adults, the public bus is manageable.

The chef deserves a shoutout, and the wooden dining room is much nicer than the other two, which can leave you with a bit of FOMO. My main gripe is that if you ski until the end of the day, you miss the included afternoon snack on the fantastic terrace. A shuttle that gets you closer to the ski gondola than the local public transport would be a useful improvement. Otherwise, everything was great.