“Mis huus, dis huus – mis Herz isch es Hotel” (“My house, your house – my heart is a hotel.”)
Even though the song by Switzerland’s award-winnning rap duo Lo & Leduc (they rap in the Swiss German dialect) has absolutely no connection to the HUUS Gstaad Hotel, I couldn’t get the catchy tune out of my mind during the drive there. Maybe it was that Latino groove?
Or could it be that the song’s refrain looping through my brain simply keeps bringing the hotel’s philosophy to mind? You could say the two are linked, in a sense, since HUUS in Swiss German means “house” or “at home” and the HUUS Gstaad management team of Günter Weilguni und Mirka Czybik spare no effort to make their guests feel right at home in their Alpine vacation oasis.
C’mon to my HUUS in Gstaad
Appealing, with much attention to detail, down-home with a touch of luxury — this is how the lounge and lobby present themselves. With 136 rooms and suites, HUUS Gstaad Hotel is not only the newest but also the largest hotel in Saanenland. And it’s a member of Design Hotels – Boutique & Luxury Design Hotel Collection.
Still, for a moment, Walter und I don’t quite have the same first impression; to me, the lobby seems slightly austere, while it impresses Walter as quite mystical and thrilling. Nonetheless, we do agree readily that it would be easy to while away the time in the lobby and lounge with reception, bar and shop — which would please our hosts no end, as they describe this space to us as the heart of the HUUS Gstaad Hotel.
And, here we go again: those Lo & Leduc lyrics “my heart is a hotel” instantly start tripping through my mind again… As the saying goes: home is where the heart is!
Rooms that combine nature with Swiss design
We are both instantly captivated by our room design’s subtle Alpine flair. Here, too, the hues are shaded slighly to the subdued side, so that the vividly colored accessories and lamps make for a beautifully eyepleasing contrast.
The luxury beds are made in the famous Swedish Hästens manufactory. Generations of craftsmen have been building mattresses there by hand for more than a century using only pure, ethically-sourced natural materials.
The upper mattress, for example, has stuffing made of horsetail hair! It is apparently especially conducive to less waking up during the night and affording a deeper, more restful sleep…
Guests interested in a (quite expensive) Hästens bed can test various firmnesses right there in the HUUS Gstaad Hotel and buy theirs at an unheard-of discounted price. That strikes us as a truly innovative collaboration and perk for their guests!
Having taken in all these details in our room, we discover its balcony with a fantastic view of the Rüeblihorn under a blue sky. But, it is a fact that weather in the mountains changes often and quickly. This is vividly brought home to us more than once during these two days vacationing in the HUUS Gstaad Hotel.
A world of culinary pleasures
As the whim moves you, choose either the HUUS Gstaad Hotel Restaurant for enjoyable dining (incidentally, this is where breakfast is also served) or the à la Carte Restaurant La Vue. We opted for the latter.
Thanks to our table having a view of the open show kitchen, it was easy to keep an eye on the intense goings-on there. The dishes are expertly and expeditiously prepared by the kitchen brigade around head chef Giuseppe Collela. We hear the “si, chef” almost constantly singsong-like amidst the creative hubbub in the kitchen.
By the way, when the little hungries hit, they will also serve you snacks or opulent burgers in the “Living Room,” which is what they call that awesome bar and lounge area we admired when we first set foot in “our” HUUS.
From Thursday through Sunday, modern dishes in the tapa style are served in the legendary “Stollen” on whose dance floor guests have often been known to shake a leg or two. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence of some pretty wild nights…
My wheels, your wheels
HUUS Gstaad Hotel offers an extensive selection of recreational activities. In the summer, for example, the use of their Mondraker electric mountain bikes and Rocky Mountain MTBs, are complimentary for all guests.
Guided outdoor activities — including rafting, hiking tours, and Nordic walking — can be booked through their partner, the Alpinzentrum Gstaad, at an additional cost.
This way, as Mirka Czybik explains, the hosts get to share their passion for the beautiful Gstaad region with their guests and hopefully inspire them to explore it in varied ways of their choosing.
The next morning, when CEO Günter Weilguni catches sight of us in our hiking garb, he presses the keys to the hotel’s Landrover Evoque convertible on us, with a wide grin encouraging us to “exercise” their car a little. We let his wish be our command! ;-)
HUUS Gstaad Hotel also makes available sport and leisure equipment. While staying at this hotel, you could say that (almost) everything also belongs to the guests. As I reflect on this, it of course instantly triggers Lo & Leduc again, rapping about “my house, your house” to me!
This 4-star hotel, incidentally, also has a 2,000 m2 spa and wellness area. It sports a giant pool that is very popular with the kiddies. The spa, relatively speaking, is small, but is perfectly suited for a sauna session after a hike.
Our thanks go to…
…Mirka Czybik and Günter Weilguni for the generous invitation! We would be remiss if we did not report that Tyrol native Weilguni was named 2017 Hotelier of the Year by Swiss business magazine Bilanz shortly before our arrival at his HUUS Gstaad Hotel. Congratulations!
As Bilanz put it in the award citation: “Thanks to persistence, a talent for networking and a feel for the Saanenland’s unique features, Günter Weilguni, together with the investor Marwan Naja, put the somnolent Steigenberger through a drastic cure and turned it into the modern hotel dreamworld that is the HUUS Gstaad Hotel.”
Well deserved, bien joué!
Hotel address
HUUS Gstaad Hotel
Schönriedstrasse 74
3792 Saanen-Gstaad
Switzerland
Website HUUS Gstaad Hotel
