La Réserve’s outdoor pool area with sweeping views over the lake and the Alps

Why should I go now?

Switzerland’s lowland lake district has cast off its winter shroud of snow and ice, the sun is higher in the sky, and the green, flower-laden meadows by Lake Geneva contrast spectacularly with the still-white mountains lining the distance.

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La Réserve has the pleasant distinction of being a city resort hotel in the countryside. Ridiculously close to Geneva airport – a ten minute drive on average – it somehow escapes any aircraft noise, and is located in its own grounds on the edge of the city, with a big outdoor pool and garden area and a beautiful view across Lake Geneva towards Mont Blanc. It’s a 15 minute taxi ride to the centre of the city – or you can take the hotel’s own boat service along the lake, which is even quicker, and much more scenic.

La Réserve is part of a small, uber-chic group of hotels owned by the French entrepreneur Michel Reybier; other properties are outside St Tropez (with an unmatched view across the bay there) and two in Paris. Reybier also owns the legendary Bordeaux wine estate Chateau Cos d’Estournel, as well as numerous other businesses.

What’s the lowdown?

Michel Reybier has given La Réserve a contemporary, sexy opulence which is quite a contrast to Geneva’s traditional grande-dame luxury hotels like the Four Seasons; as you walk in, you are enveloped in oriental colours and a dark, mysterious vibe; it’s a hotel that makes you want to settle down immediately in the sprawling bar area (immediately in front of you as you walk in) with a bottle of Louis Roederer.

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Depending on when you make it to La Réserve, there is an extensive and thoroughly Cote d’Azur-like outdoor pool, bar, terrace and garden area with sweeping views towards the lake and the Alps. Geneva’s weather is not quite as reliable as St Tropez, but not to worry. The jewel in La Reserve’s crown is the huge, opulent spa area, with a significant indoor lap pool, and lots of space to relax – as well as the kind of super-gym you might expect from this kind of hotel, with a glass wall to ensure anyone walking past feels extra guilty.

The spa indoor pool

Did we say the spa and pool area was the jewel in La Réserve’s crown? Wait – we meant the Chinese restaurant. In keeping with the Oriental vibe, Tsé Fung is a Michelin-starred restaurant with an extensive Cantonese menu and wine list including, as one would expect, an excellent array of Chateau Cos d’Estournel vintages. (The spicy elegance of Cos would be one of the few Bordeaux wines to be able to match a number of dishes on the menu.) The cuisine and ambience could have been lifted out of Hong Kong, together with its moneyed beau-monde clientele whispering sweet nothings to each other. We witnessed a young gentleman and young lady who had plainly been set up by their (presumably significant) Swiss families on their first arranged date; modesty prevents us from revealing any of their conversation, but let’s just say that LUX expects an invitation to their wedding.

Michelin-starred restaurant, Tsé Fung

Getting horizontal

Rooms continue the super-chic, Oriental vibe; we had a suite (which really was a suite, unlike some: two separate rooms) whose living room and balcony were just begging for some marriage proposal action (see above). The bathroom was huge and lavish, and everything felt like Valentine’s Day.

A Junior Suite with a terrace overlooking the lush gardens

Flipside

La Réserve succeeds so spectacularly in being a resort hotel, relaxing all the senses and luring you to enjoy it, that if you are here on business (as we were) you might find it had to concentrate. Having said that, we just found it a fabulous tonic and a perfect concept for today’s always on, work/play traveller.

Rates: From CHF 550 (approx. €450/ £400 / $600 )

Darius Sanai

lareserve.ch

The remote alpine village of Andermatt, Switzerland. Image by Laureen Missaire

Deep within the Swiss Alps, tucked between Zermatt and St. Moritz, lies what is perhaps the most ambitious little town in Switzerland: Andermatt. With just 1,200 residents and limited access during the depths of winter, Andermatt appears to be at a disadvantage up against flashier ski resorts and yet, it’s home to one of the world’s most alluring alpine hotels, The Chedi Andermatt. Nathalie Breitschwerdt ventures into the valley to discover Andermatt’s hidden luxury.

We travel to Andermatt by train. The tracks run alongside Lake Lucerne, winding up through the stunning Alpine foothills, bringing us down into the fairytale like village of snowy Andermatt and almost straight to the door of The Chedi.

Visioned by the ‘starchitect’ Jean-Michel Gathy, The Chedi sits in the heart of the village at the base of the Gemsstock mountain. Although it stands tall with 123 spacious rooms and suites, the hotel’s dark-wooden facade blends in harmoniously with Andermatt’s traditional chalets, balancing grandeur with a cosy kind of warmth that’s especially inviting after a day on the slopes.

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The Chedi Andermatt, designed by Jean-Michel Gathy

Throughout the winter season, the hotel offers a private Ski Butler service to assist guests with mapping the best routes. We select a route of hidden trails, trying to cover as much as possible of the Andermatt-Gemsstock-Nätschen ski area (approximately 120km), and for much of the day, we’re skiing on deserted slopes, which makes a welcome change to the stilted swerving that the more crowded resorts like Verbier and St. Moritz require.

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We arrive back at the hotel with flushed faces to be handed cups of creamy hot chocolate, before making our way to the spa. Spread over two floors, the spa is a sensual, fragrant space with two large swimming pools (one that sits in the snow outside and is – thankfully – heated) surrounded by plush loungers. Waiters circulate, at intervals, with complimentary smoothies, candied fruits, and flavoured waters. There’s a hydrotherapy section too, designed to resemble a kind of Asian temple, with various heated baths, steam rooms and saunas.

The indoor pool is encased in glass with views of the snowy courtyard

Everything about the hotel from the lobby to the restaurants to the rooms is spacious and indulgent, blending Swiss Alpine chic with Asian Zen. Our room is romantic, sumptuous and warm with dark woods, brown leather, furs, soft lighting and artfully placed Acqua Di Parma candles – and of course, there’s the view: startling white snow covered mountains that seem to have been rendered to postcard perfection.

The height of luxury: the Furka Suite features three bedrooms and it’s own private spa

That night, we dine in the main restaurant on the ground floor that features four open plan kitchens, where you can watch the expert chefs prepare Swiss, European and Asian delights, and a striking five-metre high cheese cellar at the room’s centre, stocked with Switzerland’s finest. It’s a vibrant, interactive dining experience with all the frills and flourishes you’d expect, whilst still paying attention to the quality and taste (the melt-in-the-mouth dumplings were our highlight). For a slightly more casual affair, there’s also a little Swiss chalet set-up in the courtyard of the Chedi during the ski season, which re-creates the authentic alpine restaurant atmosphere complete with red and white checkered curtains and hearts carved into the wooden shutters. Inside, it’s compact, seating only five small groups and the speciality is cheese fondue, which comes a variety of ways – we choose a heady mix of champagne and truffle.

Open fires in the hotel lobby, where guests can curl up in an armchair in the evenings to listen to live piano music

Historically, Andermatt’s residents have always had to face the challenge of survival with its harsh winters and steep valleys. However, it continues to blossom despite the elements, maintaining a unique kind of other-worldly charm and the allure of remote escape. Make plans to go sooner rather than later – it won’t be long before the rest of the luxury world catches on.

thechediandermatt.com, myswitzerland.com