Making an entrance

The journey to Wengen sets a relaxing pace: a winding ride on the 1893 rack railway with scenic views of the Lauterbrunnen Valley below. At the car-free mountain village – once a playground for aristocrats drawn to its skiing and wildflower walks – an electric shuttle delivers guests to Beaumier’s latest opening, the Grand Hotel Belvedere.

The property’s two historic buildings have been lovingly restored with an Alpine sensibility and a considerate modern touch. Heimatstil timber details and art nouveau flourishes remain in the salons, but the rooms offer a cleaner rhythm: natural limestone walls, green stone bathrooms and woollen textiles that connect indoors to out. “It was essential for us to respect the Alpine construction logic of that time,” says Arnaud Christin of Complete Works, which led the interior refurbishment. “Particularly in the furniture, custom-made from simple wooden elements, as tradition dictated.”

With its blend of calm and character, Grand Hotel Belvedere sets the tone for a year-round retreat: crisp winter skiing, gentle summer hikes and a window onto one of Switzerland’s most dramatic and beautiful views.

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From peak to plate

Food is a central part of the Grand Hotel Belvedere experience. Head chef Will Gordon has shaped a pair of restaurants that celebrate both provenance and place. At Restaurant Waldrand, guests settle into a cosy, convivial space for generous, sharing dishes – such as an Italian-Alpine schnitzel served with fried eggs, capers and anchovies.

Across the property, Brasserie Belvedere offers refined European fare in a handsome art nouveau dining room. A house favourite? The reimagined rösti, finished with farm eggs from Lauterbrunnen, chives from the hotel garden, Oona caviar farmed just down the mountain, and wild garlic buds foraged locally. “We can source our ingredients within 100km of the hotel,” says Gordon. “We had a lot of time to connect with the suppliers, understand their stories and create dishes that have all of that enthusiasm embedded in them.”

Whether it’s a casual lunch or a long evening meal, dining here is rooted in the surroundings but lifted by care, character and a clear sense of place.

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Concrete calm

There’s a moment of surprise and then delight as you step out of the hotel to find a bold new addition to the landscape: a brutalist concrete spa pavilion. Designed by Geneva’s Clavien & Associés and inspired by Japanese onsen principles, the structure offers panoramic views from its heated indoor-outdoor pool and calm corners for quiet reset. “Although entirely built from scratch, it blends into the surroundings, like a brutalist relic that nature has gradually reclaimed,” says architect Valéry Clavien.

Inside, guests move from steam to sauna to treatment rooms, with Susanne Kaufmann products and fresh mountain air doing the rest.

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Take a piece home

Downstairs, in what was once the hotel’s fumoir, guests will find a thoughtfully curated Monocle Shop pop-up. This intimate space brings together a selection of travel essentials, smart collaborations and Alpine-ready pieces that reflect both the spirit of the hotel and the values of well-considered living.

The boutique has been carefully curated by the Monocle team with the hotel’s international, design-savvy guests in mind. It’s a place to pick up a gift, replace a forgotten staple or simply browse items that speak to quality, utility and style. Take the time to find a perfect souvenir that captures the memory of a well-spent stay above the clouds.