As most of you know I was recently in glorious Zermatt, Switzerland. It has been a dream of mine for some time to visit there. What did I think? SMITTEN!

Whenever I travel I seek out the finest properties to stay in. Hotels that are spectacular in location, service, design, food and more. On this visit to Switzerland (I’m thinking second home someday?!) I stayed at the wonderful Hotel  Matthiol.

I have a true passion for the alpine life (that’s why I live in Telluride, CO.)

Snowy landscapes rock my world in every way, not to mention spectacles of nature aren’t bad either. Um, hello Matterhorn!

A few years ago I visited St. Moritz in the spring. That was my first trip to Switzerland and a wonderful experience. I have been dreaming often to go back to this wonderful land.

The trip is long, requiring planes, trains & automobiles. It all starts with a 1 1/2 hour drive from Telluride to Montrose, CO.

There I boarded a plane to Chicago (about 2 1/2 hours) then I fly SWISS to Zurich (8 hours going, 9 1/2 back) after that I board a few Swiss Rail trains (first class thank you!) to my destination. In this case Zermatt.

Swiss Rail is the most stylish, relaxing & highly reliable way to get around the country.

Zermatt only allows locally made electric cars on it’s small village roads. Or you can strap on your skis to get around.

The Hotel Matthiol whisked me away upon my arrival in their adorable, chic (seats covered in fur) electric bus. When we pulled up to to the hotel I couldn’t believe how close we were to the Matterhorn. It frames the back of the hotel beautifully!

I was greeted by a lively staff who made me feel at home immediately.

This is so important to me when visiting new places, especially when traveling alone.

Thankfully the team there also became buddies. Ones in which I could visit with throughout the day to learn the hot spots & in’s & outs of this charming town. Their tastes coincided with mine ~ which helped me cut to the chase ~ right to the things I love to do.

The Matthiol is a boutique hotel with 23 very stylish, comfortable & well appointed rooms. The vibe is clean, airy & rustic, modern Swiss. They made sure I stayed in the know with an iPad upon my arrival.

The design details are amazing. Check out this Matterhorn engraved shower faucet in my bedroom…

Love the lighting….

I also received this lovely Matterhorn chocolate & dried Edelweiss flower (the “furry creature” flower was a mysterious offering to me until I found out what it was.)

Edelweiss is a scarce short-lived flower found in remote mountain areas (like Zermatt). It is often used as a symbol for the alpine lifestyle & rugged beauty. It’s purity is associated with the Alps & is a national symbol of Switzerland.

The wonderful hotel manager Sarah (and new friend) grows this signature Swiss flower on the hotel decks in the summer.

She trims them & dries them for the guests. Such a personal touch!

I loved my spacious closet that showed off my favorite plaid shirts…and silver ski pants.

Every morning we would wake to a full on breakfast buffet. I enjoyed muesli , lots of cheese, fresh fruit & dried meats every day. They also cooked eggs & pancakes to order. I especially loved the soft boiled eggs in the little cups.

They have the most amazing self serve espresso machine that makes any sort of coffee drink your heart might desire. I must have had 10 coffees a day!

All meals are served in the restaurant dining room, adjacent to the fireplace with doors that can open to the outside deck.

I had the opportunity to enjoy dinner a few times in the hotel.

Chef Patrick Zeh a natural in the kitchen. His dishes are not only very delicious, but beautifully styled as well.

He has a signature way of decorating his dishes with edible flowers. Very artistic presentations!

Every dish a work of art…

The Matthiol is also known for it’s locally sourced house wine. We enjoyed the red & white at dinner.

The branding throughout the hotel is distinctive & elegant.

An aspect that is very important to me on ski trips is accessibility to ski lifts.

In Zermatt it is know that you will need to walk a lot with your skis at some point of the day. This is a historic farming town that was revitalized as a ski area. The walking is great to help work off all the fondue & Raclette!

The great thing about the Hotel Matthiol is that you can ski-in at the end of the day. Just in time to hit up their lovely aprés ski! Everyday there is a homemade cake, coffee, tea at the ready.

There is also a spa in house. I had a massage with the lovely Jo. her hands worked out the kinks in my super knotty back!

She used hot stones as well to loosen up my muscles. It was both relaxing and therapeutic…

Thanks again to the wonderful team at The Matthiol ~ you sure know how to make your guests feel very welcome!

Related Links

• Contact Hotel Matthiol
• Hotel Matthiol Facebook
• Swiss Rail Service
• SWISS Airline
• Zermatt Tourism

More Boutique Hotel Experiences

• Nira Alpina | Silvaplana, Switzerland
• The Osprey | Beaver Creek