Checking-In To Grand Hotel Belvedere

CHECKING-IN TO | CABANA TRAVEL | WORLD OF CABANA

The small Swiss village of Wengen, accessible only by cog-railway, is a relic of the Belle Époque, when alpine air was prescribed as medicine and grand hotels clung to mountainsides. Sophie Goodwin checks-in to a recently reimagined grand dame, Grand Hotel Belvedere, to explore the Swiss Alps and a world of wellness in the pines – complete with a just-launched Susanne Kaufmann residence. 

BY SOPHIE GOODWIN | CABANA TRAVEL | 9 FEBRUARY 2026

A small mountain village reached only by train, Wengen sits at the very end of the Lauterbrunnen valley in Switzerland's Jungfrau Region, deep in the Swiss Alps. With mind-blowing views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks, and over the region's classic timber chalets, the scenic spot is a relic of the Belle Époque, when alpine air was prescribed as medicine and grand hotels clung to mountainsides.

An inspired destination, then, for Beaumier to expand its ever-evolving hospitality portfolio. Enter, Grand Hotel Belvedere, an historic hotel recently reimagined into an eco-conscious alpine retreat, with 90 rooms infused with understated Art Nouveau detailing. Well worth the picturesque pilgrimage, even the journey from Wengen – a five-minute buggy ride up the unspoilt mountain – feels like a pretty adventure.

Once settled at the Grand Hotel Belvedere, the whole experience reflects the property's sustainably sourced Alpine ingredients and botanicals, from its restaurants and bar to its elegant wellness area. Inside, the decor is well-balanced. The original bones of the building remain intact – exposed timber beams, cuckoo clocks, preserved frescoes – and sit comfortably alongside modern interventions — a blue-tiled heated pool facing the peaks and a sculptural, almost brutalist spa carved into the mountainside.

Throughout, the materials reference the region and surrounding landscapes: spruce parquet floors, lime-washed walls, green granite bathrooms, and thick woollen textiles woven for warmth – a nod to local craftsmanship. The rooms, meanwhile, are pristine and cozy, overlooking the private pine forest or Jungfrau’s looming peaks, with a mini bar filled with local organic delights: raw nuts and 90% cacao chocolate.

The crowd-pleasing spa is open until 8pm every day with a sauna, hammam and ice bath, and a carefully curated treatment menu courtesy of the just-launched Susanne Kaufmann residence. Originally from Bregenzerwald, an Austrian valley worthy of a Grimms Brothers fairy tale, the benefits of alpine plants are in Susanne Kaufmann’s blood. The skin guru has developed a range of elite products made from wholly organic, active ingredients sourced from Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. 

The naturally powered formulas are used in the Grand Hotel Belvedere's spoiling range of results-driven onsite rituals: massages, from deep tissue to lymphatic drainage; anti-ageing and barrier boosting facials; body scrubs and reflexology. Therapists here are second to none, expertly trained and highly nurturing, so it's easy to while away time in the relaxation area, nourished with energy snacks and a range of tisanes.

The Alps are about action, however. There are two steamy onsen-style pools, one outdoors, along with Jungfrau-facing yoga and meditation on offer every morning, personal training in the gym and a range of walking trails through mountain and forest, with unrivalled views and an air quality you want to bottle. Venturing out of the hotel, the infamous slopes of Grindelwald are a skier's dream, including the famous Lauberhorn descent. Plus Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest railway station at 3,454 metres.

The restaurants and bars are gloriously fuss-free, yet exacting. Menus are dedicated by wild harvests and local seasonal ingredients, developed by British chef, Will Gordon, who has a keen eye for traditional Swiss delicacies with a contemporary, health-first, appeal. The restaurant is a triumphant Alpine brasserie, blending Style sapin with Heimatstil spirit, while the brasserie serves a cured selection and lots of roots and sprouts, set against the area's greatest comfort food: platters of local cheese, chutney and charcuterie, chicken schnitzel, alpine salmon, homemade tagliatelle with wild mushrooms and truffle, and, of course, Swiss beef and cheese fondue.

Breakfast is served in the same charming room, and is a total feast. There is something to satisfy every palette or persuasion – from the vegan to the gourmand – and it’s all entirely homemade, even jams and nut and seed butters. Highlights include bircher muesli, pancakes and creamy scrambled eggs with tomatoes or every type of vegetable, while fresh bread is delivered every morning from the local bakery in Wengen. 

The Sonnenbad Terrace offers wood-fired grills and Alpine highlights including raclette, pumpkin soup, Wagyu bresola and plant-based twists on classics, like the in-house delicious beetroot burger. The hotel's two bars, the Belvi Salon and the Bergwald Bar, also deserve a mention. The former features herbal and floral infusions from the garden, Swiss wines and spirits, and bespoke cocktails, while the Bergwald Bar is a Swiss-style counter, with terrific coffee, Swiss citrus polenta cake and wild blueberry pie.

For peace and quiet, anonymity, and plenty to do, there is nowhere better. Moreover, as is often the case with hard-to-access areas, it's entirely unspoilt: staff, therapies, food and the surroundings are pure and unpretentious. Unfortunately, the secret is now out.