A magical experience at Hotel Le Grand Bellevue Gstaad

Surrounded by high mountains and hidden behind enormous fir trees situated at he edge of Gstaad is
Hotel Le Grand Bellevue.

This beautiful 5 star Boutique Hotel has 57 rooms, an impressive 3000sqm Welness-Centre, a 1 star Michelin restaurant, sushi bar, a beautiful garden and terrace, an indoor cinema, nightclub and their own Bentley to pick you up (former owner Roger Moore).

GSTAAD

Gstaad is well known for its major ski-resorts, high-end designer stores and as a popular destination amongst the high society and the international jet-set.

HOTEL RESTAURANT & BAR

The hotel really stands out because of its charm and its magical and relaxed ambience. The staff is very friendly, helpful and always efficient. The staff is very international which is great to experience. The hotel re-opened its doors in December 2013 with its new owners Mr. Daniel Koetser and his wife Davia.  A sensational refurbishment was done by Mrs. Koetser and Atelier Zürich*.

HOTEL INTERIOR DESIGN

We see bespoke furniture from Scandinavia, London, Antwerp and beyond. The design described in a nutshell, is a mix of cozy, colorful, luxurious, modern, relaxed, quirky and magical. Lots of tweed fabrics can be seen in furniture and curtains. An enormous camel dressed in tweed is overlooking the lobby. The camel called ‘Leonard’ is named after the owner’s grandfather, who is Dutch. Very large floor lamps and 2 hanging bird-cage chairs create a captivating look. The custom design was done by the companies George Smith and Soane. In the lounge you can enjoy an inviting sea-trough fireplace with cozy sofa’s and designer books all over the shelves. A fascinating chandelier is hanging in the stairways which creates a luxurious feel. Each room has its own magical attraction.

BEAUTIFUL ROOM AND CELEBRATIONS

We had a birthday celebration and chose this hotel to celebrate. We could not have asked for anything better. The weather was picture perfect with blue skies, sun and fresh snow. We had a very spacious and beautiful decorated room in one of the chalets. The chalets are easy to reach and connected to the hotel by a hallway. Our room had stunning views towards the mountains and a big sun terrace with plenty of outdoor furniture to choose. We started off with lunch at the sushi bar where everything is prepared fresh by the chef. We had saved some space for our dessert, which we could luckily enough consume on the sunny terrace outside. Of course accompanied by a glass of Rose Champagne.

THE TASTING MENU

We had dinner in the cozy and very inviting restaurant Leonard’s which is awarded with a Michelin star. The atmosphere was very relaxed and down to earth with nice music and a great buzz which we could appreciate very much. This is what really stands out compared to other Michelin starred restaurants. We took the 3 and 4 course tasting menu accompanied by a white Chablis from ‘Les Vėnėrables’ 2010 which also fits perfectly with our main course. Because we already had Rose Champagne during the afternoon and later also in our room, we didn’t take any Champagne before dinner.

DELIGHTS

The food tasted outstanding and we had sent already many compliments to Urs Gschwend the chef of the Michelin star restaurant. He was so kind to visit our table for a friendly chat and invited us for the next day to have a peak in the kitchen. That was an offer too good to be true which we definitely could not resist. After our dinner the staff treated us with a beautiful and very delicious birthday cake and a signed card. A celebration to remember. Again the serving staff were all amazing, friendly and very efficient. Afterwards we took a nightcap in the beautiful and inviting bar where the barman was very friendly and told us some entertaining stories.

BREAKFAST

The next morning after a delicious breakfast we headed to the kitchen of Urs Gschwend and his team. The chef has an impressive resume. He was crowned by Gault Millau in 2000 as „Aufsteiger des Jahres” (upcoming chef) and in 2004 by Billanz chef of the year. He received his first Michelin star in 2010.

THE KITCHEN

We have looked around in the very spacious kitchen with an enormous wine fridge and all the equipment you need. The chef spoke very passionately about his cooking with the best fresh ingredients, mostly locally sourced produce and Swiss meat. A very well deserved star with outstanding food for each and everyone, with even a Succulent Beef Burger on the menu.