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The Chedi Andermatt, Switzerland - hotel review

Asia meets the Alps at the Chedi Andermatt where Swiss mountain style and Eastern flair create a spirit-lifting and deeply comfortable five-star hotel with stand-out spa.

The 123-room hotel designed by master architect Jean-Michel Gathy opened in December 2013, an early piece of the ambitious masterplan to update the ski resort of Andermatt into a year-round resort.

Hotel highlights include lashings of fur and tactile fabrics overlaid with The Chedi’s trademark low-level lighting.

Where is it?

Andermatt is a traditional Alpine village – think dark wooden chalets and steepled churches - ninety minutes from Zurich Airport. It sits by the Gotthard Pass, a crucial link between northern and southern Europe since 1198 that made Andermatt an important historical staging post for centuries.

Today Andermatt is in the middle of an extraordinary renaissance marked by a reputed CHF 2 billion investment in properties, hotels, golf course, new ski lifts and leisure facilities. This is the largest building project in the Alps designed to welcome international visitors back to Andermatt once again.

The Chedi Andermatt is in the centre of the village with direct access to both the ski slopes and golf course.

Style

There’s traditional Swiss style with cashmere blankets and plenty of wood and stone layered in bedrooms and reception areas while low side tables and slatted wooden doors provide Asian top notes. It all works together wonderfully well. In the lounge tall ceilings and an essentially open-plan layout provide a generous feeling of space while calming earthy colours and super-sized curvy leather dividers provide intimate fireside corners.

The attention to detail is striking. The 46-seater Japanese restaurant with rice papered walls took five years to assemble, the wine cellar has over 600 bottles and the elegant reading room lined with books supplied by the London Library.

Facilities

Two floors are given over to the hotel’s wondrous spa and Health Club with hydrothermal pools, gymnasium and indoor and outdoor pools, the perfect place to relax after an active day in the mountains.

Extra Curriculum:

Sporting life in Andermatt focuses on the golf course in the summer and skiing in the winter. The Chedi Andermatt brags that it is the only Swiss hotel to have ski butlers who will arrange every part of your ski day from organising equipment hire to ensuring your boots are warmed, carrying all that burdensome ski kit for you and delivering a cup of steaming hot chocolate into your grateful hands at the end of the day.

The Glacier Express passes through Andermatt’s train station on its scenic 7.5-hour route between Zermatt and St Moritz.

Food and Drink

The Chedi Andermatt’s food is simply superb. The Restaurant starts the day with an extensive breakfast buffet – if there is a better one in the Alps I haven’t found it yet – and concludes with a perfectly pitched Asian-European dinner menu. The modern mountain design with super-sized modern chandeliers and the wonderfully efficient but warm staff make this a popular destination restaurant.

The intimate 46-seater Japanese restaurant is a gastronomic temple to sushi and sashimi, teppanyaki and tempura. The sake sommelier will talk you through the extensive drinks menu including the largest selection of sake in Switzerland.

There are two other seasonal restaurants, one in the golf clubhouse and one pop-up in the courtyard beside the hotel’s ice rink. There’s also a Cheese Room, a five metre glass box in the main dining room filled with vast circular wheels and massive blocks of cheese, 40 varieties in all, in homage to local producers.

Which Room?

The 123 rooms are divided between six room categories from deluxe (a massive 55 square metres) up to the three exclusive suites. A favourite is the Gemsstock Suite where the bed is under chunky wooden beams with views to Alpine peaks. The Furka Suite sleeps up to 8, more like your own chalet than a hotel room. And the beds: all rooms have Hästens beds, a Swedish super brand of comfort and luxury.

Rooms are furnished with large black and white images of the mountains and all have generous balconies and come with an iPad controlling lights, curtains and the fireplace. There are over 200 fireplaces in the hotel so guests never have to worry about finding a fireside seat.

Best for:

Relax or go for a swim in the indoor pool
Relax or go for a swim in the indoor pool

Andermatt’s skiing is challenging and the winter weather can be severe but The Chedi Andermatt’s spa, restaurants and rooms are the ideal place to recover from a tough day on the slopes. The clever design provides both space and intimacy, ideal for couples, families and groups of friends.

Details

Rooms start at 500 CHF (£400) a night for a Deluxe Room on a bed and breakfast basis. The Chedi Andermatt, Gotthardstrasse 4, CH-6490, Andermatt, Switzerland. Call +41 41 888 74 77 or visit their website for more information. Follow their Twitter @chedi_andermatt and Instagram @TheChediAndermatt.