| Enjoying a taste of the high life
in Gstaad  At
the Hotel Grand Bellevue, protocol demands that you lounge in a comfortable
armchair and sip a cup of dark, Swiss coffee while you’re checked
in. The receptionist speaks such flawless English he probably moonlights
as a UN interpreter. But that’s Gstaad for you. There’s a
nonchalant sophistication to the entire place.
In my years as a travel correspondent I have witnessed some serious
opulence, but I have to tell you that the discreet glamour of Gstaad is
probably near the top. And I don’t mean just because it’s
several thousand feet up in the Alps. When you buy a bunch of carats here
you’re probably talking Cartier, Rolex, or Patek. Prices are, as
they say, reassuringly expensive. The town’s upscale restaurants
play host to the likes of Robbie Williams, Elle McPherson, and Charles
Aznavour with easy informality. Celebrities lurk round every corner even
the cable car attendant looks suspiciously like Daniel O’Donnell.
In winter, the main pursuit is skiing, an entire fashion statement on
its own Christian Dior moon boots, Prada ski suits. But here’s a
thing: It is possible to visit Gstaad without your credit card melting,
particularly off-season. OK, it’s more expensive than a weekend
in Tenerife but then so is Killarney. And as a guest in Gstaad you’ll
have the (deluxe) comfort of knowing that you’re experiencing the
very best. This is bling without the sting.
In spring or summer a variety of activities from hang gliding to rock
climbing can confirm that danger and delight grow on one stalk. But you
could just opt for three or four days of louche behaviour in the contemporary
five star Grand Hotel Bellevue without risking life or limb. Protocol
further demanded that I opt for this course.
No reservations about the hotel
In winter the Grand Hotel Bellevue is fully booked; for the next few months
it is entirely affordable. Rooms equipped with terrace or balcony will
give you a touch of the high life. Breathe in the crisp mountain air,
then head for the wellness facilities.
In Ireland, pampering used to mean you might get an extra fried egg with
your breakfast. We now have spa hotels befitting one of the richest countries
in the EU. But the Swiss have been at this for 400 years. So they really
know a thing or two about bodily self-indulgence. At the Bellevue you
have unlimited access to a laconium (a gentle bath for purifying and detoxifying
the body), a salt grotto (to clear respiratory track), an ice grotto,
sensation showers and aromatherapy baths. The spa features two beauty
suites and eight treatment rooms. With more steam rooms and saunas than
you could shake a ski-pole at, this truly is pamper paradise. There are
even massage rooms especially for couples. I’d like to say more
about this, but I suspect any elaboration would fall into the more-than-you-need-to-know
category.
Rest assured
A hotel room should be a destination in its own right, the perfect overture
to any holiday. Nothing beats the combination of edgy designer furniture
and luxurious bed. Oh, and a terrific view helps. Like the Alps at the
end of the street.
Profligate bathrooms are important too. If your bathroom isn’t
bigger than the one at home, then move. No problems at the Bellevue then
they’re the size of Co. Leitrim.
Should you wish to emerge from your room, the hotel boasts its own cinema
with extensive DVD collection, any of which you can borrow to finish off
in aforesaid bedroom.
A basement night-club comes fully-equipped with Steinway piano and you
don’t need me to tell you that with an ould joanna and a bottle
of whiskey you’ve got a party. In the event of your not having brought
along a piano player, a live band and DJ entertains up-for-it guests until
the small hours.
Far from the thrum of techno, a quiet bar upstairs is the perfect oasis
from whence to gaze out at the moonlit Alps. You can plan the next day’s
activities over a gin-and-tonic (once called Madam Geneva, fact fans)
and contemplate that one of the best places to meet new friends is not
in a club, nor in a bar, but rambling along a mountain track. You won’t
need clever chat-up lines camaraderie already thrives in the uplands.
The Bellevue boasts two award-winning restaurants, the Coelho and the Prado,
serving cutting edge cuisine. Chef Richard Mebkhout specialises in traditional
fare and local specialities in the Coelho. At the Prado he concentrates
on his own culinary creations faultless, classy and innovative. The dining
room itself is an elegant sweep of decadence, the service attentive and
efficient.
Fondue with a view
The official gen on Gstaad is that it’s in the Bernese Oberland,
in the municipality of Saanaen, situated some two hours from Geneva, rather
less from Montreux. That’s the prolix version. The more baroque
description (although entirely accurate) is that here are some of the
world’s most breathtaking views Europe’s most formidable crags
towering into vast, azure skies, fairytale castle overlooking the town,
Alpine meadows falling away into the valleys below.
One of the largest ski areas in Europe, in spring and summer Gstaad is
a destination for hikers, bikers (mountain variety), climbers, hang gliders,
orienteers, horse trekkers and golfers.
Gstaad is also something else. As one resident confided to me (discreetly):
“This is the place where you come if you are very, very rich and
have no wish or need to show it.” This is swish Switzerland writ
large. God knows how James Bond got permission to blow up a restaurant
here in Diamonds Are Forever. For a start, the town is car-free, so he’d
never have got his Aston Martin down the street.
Vehicular absence, however, means you can stroll past dozens of restaurants
Gstaad is a haven for gourmets and guzzlers alike.
Some 1,050 metres above sea level (which puts Gstaad ten metres higher
than Carrauntoohil) 10 cable car routes whisk you to a total of 25 mountain-top
restaurants.
No wonder Grace Kelly owned a luxurious chalet hereabouts.
Peaking early
In the springtime the meadows and forests of the Oberland provide more
than 160 kilometres of hiking trails. Rock and stroll! Scenes straight
from a Milka chocolate advert await you: cows with statutory bells graze
the uplands, edelweiss dots the landscape. Above the pastureland the view
is staggering an endless stretch of snow-tipped, wild summits.
Various thematic, guided hiking trails operate April-October: the Meteo
Path offers the lowdown on Gstaad’s weather and geology, the Philosopher’s
Way makes you think, and the Panorama Fondue Trail is as tasty as befits
an area bordering the Gruyere region. At three cable car stations a tasty
fondue will confirm that cheese really is milk’s leap towards immortality.
The quickest way up the 8,000ft Wiespile mountain, towering above Gstaad,
is via chair lift. Even better, get out at the middle station and walk
up the last few thousand feet. You’ll feel you’ve earned a
meal at the mountain-top restaurant right on the summit. I can’t
remember what it’s called, but you can’t really miss it it’s
the only one up there.
Switzerland is, of course, one of the world’s remaining apple
strudel superpowers, but there’s plenty of other hearty food available.
Local specialities include goulash soup with a large hunk of bread and
sausage, or rosti sort of like hash brown potatoes, served with ham and
egg.
Getting there:
By train I am obliged by long tradition to mention the efficiency of
the Swiss. As far as public transport is concerned, it’s a reality.
Geneva Airport has a train station inside the air terminal, and transfers
are easy for onward travel to Gstaad.
Get train tickets at reduced price by visiting www.myswitzerland.com
Alternatively, Grand Hotel Bellevue can arrange transport. |
