From the balconies here you can spot private jets beetling down to the airstrip below, but they’re missing a trick: to embrace the contours and roll with the terrain, you really need to arrive by train, cranking upwards in a Grand Budapest Hotel-style carriage from Montreux. This hotel landed with a soft whumpf recently above Gstaad’s neighbouring village, Saanen, with the sort of chalet-style timbers that have been around since the Matterhorn was a wee lad. Inside’s a different story, though: the open-plan space resplendent with peacock purples and greens, wine-gum lights, and tartans set against slate and dark woods.
There’s a gaggle of sofas and armchairs to sprawl in, gin-heavy cocktail menu to hand, while the weekend DJ warms up; the restaurant twirls together creative spins on pumpkin, venison, chestnuts and mushrooms, and in winter, the fondue hut makes a toasty break-out space. It’s all as comfortable as a fur-lined ski boot, and you could gaze out at the cloud-smudged mountain views – from sauna, pool, bedroom or bar terrace – until the cows abseil home. But resident action-man Thomas Rüegger has other ideas: most activities are complementary and the range is fantastically generous, from snowshoe treks to snowboarding and ski lessons for the kids. You can even test the latest freeride or touring kit – perhaps by tackling the steep, icy pistes of the Wasserngrat’s Tiger Run. Plus the keys of three Range Rovers are yours for the taking, for pootles down to Gstaad. For the first-time Alpinist or seasoned old hand, this is one heck of a mountain lair. By Rick Jordan