Hotel FleurAlp

The pool is excellent, with a view of the castle, and the hotel is set back from the road so it’s quieter. Cermes is a great base, with a bus stop 50 meters away: Merano center is a 15-minute ride, and Lana is five minutes away. It’s a small family-run hotel in the fullest sense, with Mother and Son and an exceptional chef. Informal and immaculately clean. Two people manage it all, and I admire the passion they put into the place.

The food is fantastic, and you can tell it’s all made with care. We also loved the peaceful, lovely pool area, where it’s easy to unwind. The rooms are simple, but spacious and spotless, and the service is excellent. They do get rather warm and you can hear quite a bit through the walls, which was the one small downside. Still, we felt completely at ease at this lovely family hotel.

At dinner, the five or six courses arrived very quickly as soon as a plate was empty. We had to be seated promptly at 7 p.m.; another guest said the chef called them when they were five minutes late. Dinner was over in minutes, with no chance to relax over a drink afterward. The family said there wasn’t time to serve drinks. The cuisine itself is excellent, but the pace made us feel processed rather than served. We were allowed to keep our bikes in the garage, where there’s a designated spot, but only four charging outlets for the whole hotel, which seems like a joke in a cycling region. Around the building, we felt watched by the owner or his mother, who would appear when we moved things or carried anything inside. They questioned items like batteries, coolers, and fans, and charged an extra €2.50 per day for each cooler or fan, saying electricity had become expensive and costs had to be cut. I was charged for our cooler bag for all 10 days, even though I wrote on the bill that I’d used it for only four. On the second day, a company pruning a tree dropped a lot of branches and twigs onto my car, which was parked in front of the hotel right below it. When I complained, I was told I could move the car. The owner just said, “...the car will get a little dirty.” They didn’t think they’d done anything wrong or inform the hotel guests. This was our second 10-day stay at Hotel Fleuralp with friends. We felt like we were at boarding school, and next time we’ll look for somewhere the guest is still treated like a king.

The room was pretty small, and unfortunately the toilet was too. But this family-run hotel gives first-class service. Everyone really tries hard, and they take care of every wish. Dinner was a five-course menu and unbelievably good. You can feel the love and effort everywhere. Thanks for the beautiful pool and garden too. My personal highlight was swimming first thing in the morning before breakfast. Such a relaxing stay. I’ll be back 😍