Gstaad
Discreet Alpine luxury & celebrity retreats
Gstaad is the most discreet luxury resort in the Alps — a Bernese Oberland village of wooden chalets, cowbells, and extraordinary mountain scenery that has attracted a clientele of extraordinary wealth and privacy since the early 20th century. Unlike St. Moritz, which is theatrical and social, Gstaad is quiet and private: the preferred resort of those who want to ski without being photographed doing it.
The Palace Hotel Gstaad, perched on a hill above the village, is one of the most celebrated hotels in Switzerland — a turreted castle that has been the social centre of Gstaad since 1913, with a guest history that includes Elizabeth Taylor, Roger Moore, and the Aga Khan. Le Grand Bellevue, the most recently renovated luxury hotel in the resort, represents the contemporary alternative: a 56-room property of extraordinary craft and warmth.
Gstaad's ski area — the Gstaad Mountain Rides, covering 220 kilometres of pistes across six valleys — is one of the most varied in the Bernese Oberland, with terrain suitable for all levels. The resort's lower altitude (1,050 metres in the village) means that snow conditions are less reliable than St. Moritz, but the scenery is arguably more beautiful.
Gstaad's Menuhin Festival (August) is one of the most celebrated chamber music festivals in Europe — a two-week programme of concerts in the Gstaad Church and the surrounding villages. The Palace Hotel's summer rates are significantly lower than winter.
The Gstaad Yacht Club — despite being 200 kilometres from the sea — is one of the most exclusive social clubs in Switzerland. Membership is by introduction only; your hotel concierge can sometimes arrange access to events.
December–March is the ski season, with January–February the peak. August is the summer cultural season (Menuhin Festival). April–May and October–November are the quiet shoulder seasons when many facilities close.
For the most celebrated and most socially historic hotel in Gstaad, the Palace Hotel — a turreted castle above the village since 1913 — is the definitive address for the traditional Gstaad experience.
For the most contemporary and most beautifully crafted luxury experience in the resort, Le Grand Bellevue — recently renovated with extraordinary attention to Swiss craft and materials — is the most considered modern address.
