After what has undeniably been a very strange year for everyone, we are trying to do all we can to make Christmas magical for the children this year in an attempt to compensate for the fact that we won’t see our English family, so we jumped at the chance to visit the Schlosshotel in Zermatt a couple of weeks ago.
We have wonderful memories of our first trip to Zermatt in 2018 and were extremely excited to go back. We set off after Jude finished school on Friday and collected Elio from Lausanne on the way. It was pretty snowy in Vaud when we left which added to our excitement at this pre-Christmas treat.
We arrived at Täsch at 6pm and managed to run to catch the waiting train to Zermatt. When we stepped out of the station we were delighted to discover a good covering of snow and the beautiful Christmas tree in the main square.
The Schlosshotel is a short walk which takes you down a charming little street to get to the main building. The hotel itself is lovely with a cosy bar complete with open fire to greet you on arrival. Check-in was efficient and we were soon directed to our room. Here we all had to pinch ourselves as we opened the door to the huge suite we had been given and Jude and Alba soon ran off to choose their beds.
Since Elio sleeps extremely badly, we decided after our travels in the summer that all attempting to sleep in one room is no longer an option for us so the layout of this space was perfect for us with the bedroom the children used in one part and our bedroom in another. This meant everyone had their own space and Jean and I weren’t obliged to go to bed at the same time as the children :-). Elio had been given his own comfortable bed and Jude and Alba were happy to share a large double bed.
Discover our tour of the apartment here:
The suite was about twice the size of my first London flat and really perfect for a family with a well equipped kitchen, dining area and comfortable sofas, as well as a working fireplace! I absolutely love fires in the winter so this was a huge plus for us and made the apartment a lovely cosy nest from which we could watch the snow falling outside. Most restaurants were closed when we visited but there are a number which offer takeaway for those not wishing to cook and the hotel offers food in the evening for guests too.
Since it was quite late when we arrived, Jean ran to the local supermarket which is very close to the hotel and we ate at the apartment. That meant that we could stick to Elio’s routine and watch a film with Jude and Alba afterwards.
We all slept well and had to wake Elio up in the morning to go down to breakfast. I think this breakfast was easily one of the best we have ever seen which a large choice of sweet and savoury dishes and even a real honeycomb to scrape onto your toast! Jude and Alba made a beeline (no pun intended) for the donuts and Elio enjoyed sampling the yoghurts. The restaurant is really cosy and we thought what a lovely place it would be to enjoy a nice evening meal.
Well fortified after breakfast, we bundled up for a walk in the village. The location of the hotel is fantastic with easy walking access to the the main shopping centre with its shops, bars and restaurants (which weren't open when we visited) and the station which takes visitors to Gornergrat is just a couple of minutes walk away, making it ideal for those wanting to explore the area. The village is just as charming as we remembered and we enjoyed strolling around in the snow and were really excited to be able to see the Matterhorn even though the day was a bit cloudy.
Back at the hotel and the next item on the agenda was a trip to the 28-30 degree swimming pool. For this we decided to split the team with Jean, Jude and Alba going to the pool while I stayed in the room with Elio who was a bit unsettled.
Jude and Alba loved the pool and enjoyed relaxing in the bubbles and having a splash about. Jean went for a look at their new 630 m2 SchlossSpa with the children and he told me that it's just a fantastic place, very modern with everything you need (classic saunas, steam baths and much more). They are the first hotel in Switzerland to use the hemp-derived active ingredient CBD. Don't miss their salt room which is beautiful. Next time, we will definitely try one of their signature CBD Spa combination routines.
We decided to enjoy the room a bit in the afternoon so we had a simple lunch and watched a Christmas film while Elio had a nap. The children had brought some toys each so they were happy to have plenty of space to play. As soon as it got dark, we got everyone in their coats and went outside again as we wanted to show the children the Christmas lights. It was so beautiful outside with the village lit up and Alba loved spotting the decorations and marvelling at the shop windows. It was one of those beautiful moments we knew would stay with us for a long time.
Back at the apartment and the children were tired so after dinner and a bath they were happy to climb into their bed and were quickly asleep, leaving Jean to watch a film together and eat dinner à deux 😍.
Sunday came around all too quickly and before we knew it, we were packing up to leave. For us the Schlosshotel ticked all the boxes from ease of arrival, space, comfort, facilities and location. We would really love to go back as soon as we are able.
Information
Schlosshotel Zermatt 4****
Bahnhofplatz 18 – 3920 Zermatt – Switzerland
1 minute to the nearest bus station (to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise)
2 minutes to the railway station
2 minutes to the Gornergrat railway
4 minutes to the nearest bike and ski rental
5 minutes to the Sunnegga-Rothorn funicular
2 to 15 minutes to the village's shopping areas and restaurants
Discover their specials !
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