Phoenix

I chose Hotel Phoenix on my first visit to Zermatt because it was close to Sunnega and the train station. My room was cozy for a solo traveler and had a wonderful Matterhorn view, and the staff were friendly, attentive and helpful. Breakfast was the star: plenty of cereals, meats and cheeses, along with coffee and eggs. Denis takes pride in what he serves, and it made a perfect start to a day of skiing. Highly recommend this hotel.

The breakfast deserves its own mention: there were at least 20 kinds of cheese, and the tables were very clean. The staff were so attentive that Mr. Denis had our special request for cinnamon ready before we even came down. We had a wonderful stay here. Every time I come back, I'll stay at this hotel.

The breakfast was one of the best hotel breakfasts we've had anywhere, and a highlight of our whole trip to Zermatt. Every morning there were fresh, high-quality pastries, excellent local cheeses, perfect hot chocolate, lots of choice and a lovely presentation. The location is fantastic, central but peaceful, a short walk from Bahnhofstrasse, shops and restaurants, and about 5-7 minutes from the Gornergrat and Matterhorn Express lifts. Our room was clean, the beds comfortable, the daytime staff friendly and helpful, and the place felt welcoming and well run. We were impressed and planned to recommend it to friends. Then the last night changed everything. We returned from dinner at a restaurant enthusiastically recommended by the front desk, and which was great, around 22:30 pm, only to realize we'd lost our room key. We searched everywhere and called the restaurant. With no staff on site in the evenings, we had to call the emergency number. The woman who answered was curt and unpleasant from the start, with no empathy or apology, just short, annoyed responses. She said someone would come, but it took 20 minutes for anyone to arrive and let us in. The next morning, they charged us $26 USD for a replacement, just a basic plastic room key, not a fancy fob or metal key. No one had explained any such fee at check-in. We even walked all the way back to the restaurant that morning hoping to find the key. At checkout, the same woman sought us out in the lobby to make sure she collected the fee in person. Being left stranded late at night, spoken to rudely on the phone, made to wait, and then aggressively charged an inflated amount for a cheap plastic key completely ruined what had been a perfect stay. One night of poor service and an unprofessional attitude turned an excellent experience into a deeply frustrating one. Because of that and how the hotel handled it, I can only give 2 stars. (Attaching a photo of the wonderful breakfast we loved so much.)

This is our second year visiting this charming hotel, a few minutes' walk from Sunegga and the train stations. The rooms are charming and very clean, and best of all is the breakfast table.