La Peninsula

Rising above the village of Gstaad from its privileged position in Oberbort, Switzerland, the Gstaad Palace is more than a playground for the high echelon; it is a living legacy. Since opening its doors in 1913, the five-star superior hotel has stood as a beacon of Alpine elegance, remaining in the Scherz family's hands for three generations. In a century of rapid change, it is one of Europe’s last great family-run luxury hotels, where heritage is not curated but lived.

Its story begins even before its doors first opened. The arrival of the Montreux–Gstaad railway in December 1904 marked the dawn of tourism in the region, transforming a remote alpine village into an accessible destination. Just months later, local schoolteacher Robert Steffen recognised the potential of the Oberbort hillside and quietly began acquiring land, planting the seeds for what would become one of Europe’s most iconic grand hotels.

By 1912, construction was underway on an ambitious project by architects Adrien van Dorsser and Charles-François Bonjour, at a then-whopping cost of 2.5 million Swiss francs. A historic grand opening on December 8, 1913, set the standard of global hospitality: 165 rooms, central heating (unheard of in 1913!), private bathrooms, and even its own telegrapher. 

The seasonal Palace welcomes guests in winter and summer, offering uninterrupted views across the Bernese Oberland and Valais Alps. Its 90 rooms and suites reflect a refined balance of contemporary glamor and Alpine comfort, renovated regularly to ensure modernity while preserving the hotel’s unmistakable character. Accommodations range from elegant double rooms and junior suites to Alpine, Corner, and Deluxe Suites, two Tower Suites with private salons, and a spectacular Penthouse Suite crowning the top floor.

For those seeking a more intense escape, the Palace’s historic Walig Hut offers a singular experience. Dating back to 1783 and located at 1,700 metres above sea level, the alpine refuge can be reserved in summer for private lunches, intimate dinners, or overnight stays for up to four guests, a rare immersion into the peace, authenticity, and understated luxury of the Saanenland.

Enduring the Wartime World

The Palace’s early success was tested by the turbulence of the 20th century. Two world wars, economic crises, and shifting travel habits threatened Gstaad Palace’s future. During World War II, a fortified vault and emergency shelter were constructed beneath the Palace terrace for Switzerland’s banking sector, a space that today houses the warmly atmospheric La Fromagerie restaurant. Its armoured doors and 1.5-metre-thick concrete walls remain a tangible reminder of the history that breathes through the Palace’s walls.

Post-war, the Palace re-emerged as a cultural and social center. International congresses were held within its walls, including the 1947 Congress of the European Parliamentary Union, a precursor to today’s European Council. 

By the 1950s and 1960s, Gstaad Palace had become synonymous with glamor. Gala dinners attracted entertainment legends like Marlene Dietrich, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Maurice Chevalier, Dionne Warwick, and Petula Clark, cementing its reputation as an alpine stage for the world’s cultural elite.

Michael Jackson once dreamed not simply of staying at the Palace, but of owning it, captivated after seeing the hotel featured on the cover of a book dedicated to the world’s most beautiful palaces. The dream never materialized, but the story endures, part of the Palace’s living mythology.

To the Screens

That cinematic allure would translate to film and television. From 1991 through 2024, the Gstaad Palace has served as a backdrop for international films and TV shows, drawn by its instantly recognizable façade, storied interiors, and rare blend of discretion and drama. Major productions, such as The Return of the Pink Panther, starring Peter Sellers, premiered in Gstaad in 1975. Globally celebrated actors have used the hotel as both a setting and a character, reinforcing its status as a symbol of old-world glamor in modern storytelling.

The Art of Leisure, Alpine-Style

Well-being unfolds across the 1,800-square-metre Palace Spa, opened in 2007 and designed in an exclusive Alpine style that mirrors the hotel’s timeless aesthetic. Open daily, the spa features nine treatment rooms, private hammams, separate sauna areas for men and women, shared relaxation spaces, a private spa suite, an indoor pool heated to 29°C, and a Jacuzzi maintained at 36.5°C.

Signature treatments include a traditional Hammam Experience, a two-hour ritual spanning six rooms, and the Jardin des Monts Energizing Massage, which incorporates a handcrafted beechwood massage stick and alpine herbs sourced from the Pays-d’Enhaut region.

In summer, life gravitates outdoors to the Palace’s legendary PISCINE. Designed in 1928 by ETH architect Beda Hefti, the Olympic-sized outdoor pool evokes the glamor of the Côte d’Azur with an Alpine sensibility. Heated to 74°F and open to both hotel guests and visitors, it transforms on weekends into a lively beach-club atmosphere curated by resident DJ Jim LeBlanc, the creative force behind the Palace’s iconic nightclub.

Sports and activities span all seasons and include a gym, yoga and Pilates studios, personal training, squash, indoor swimming, and four outdoor sand tennis courts in summer, famed for their annual training camps led by Grand Slam champion Roy Emerson.

A Culinary Destination

Dining has long been central to life at the Gstaad Palace. Under Culinary Director Franz W. Faeh, Le Grill Rôtisserie has earned 16 GaultMillau points and international acclaim, while the hotel’s five restaurants span refined international cuisine, Gildo’s, the Palace’s beloved Italian restaurant, and convivial Alpine tradition at La Fromagerie. Le Grand Restaurant and La Grande Terrasse hold 15 GaultMillau points and serve refined international fare.

Excellence awards and culinary distinctions have followed consistently, reinforcing the Palace’s standing as a gastronomic destination in its own right. At Gstaad, you will have your choice of Le Grand & La Terrasse: the grand dining room and terrace for haute cuisine with panoramic mountain views, offering an extensive menu with starters such as lobster bisque, Mediterranean-style swordfish carpaccio, or Scampi Spaghetti served tableside, all before exquisite main-course choices. Le Grill offers an array of gourmet dishes in a sophisticated atmosphere. La Fromagerie, in the former WWII gold bunker, is famous for its traditional Swiss fondue and raclette, with fondue choices such as champagne and black truffle. Appetizers such as beef carpaccio with rocket salad, tomato, parmesan, and black truffle are served as light fare bites. Entrées include the famous veal with porcini mushrooms from the region, bathed in a cream sauce, served with Roesti (a traditional Swiss potato dish). Gildo’s Ristorante is an Italian restaurant named after the beloved former Maître D, Gildo Bocchini, who was famous for welcoming and cooking for guests for 47 years. Some favorite dishes include an antipasti of seafood and shellfish salad with olive oil, lemon, and toasted country bread. Fresh tagliatelle with rabbit ragu is a must-try. And then you can dine at the Walig Hut, the aforementioned rustic Alpine hut, for an authentic mountain dining experience.

The Palace's social rhythm continues in its bars. The Lobby Bar, affectionately known as “Gstaad’s living room,” is a gathering place from afternoon through late evening, while Le Bar du Grill pairs live music with an intimate atmosphere: seasonal snack bars and the poolside bar at the iconic PISCINE round out the experience.

As evening falls, GreenGo becomes the heartbeat of the Palace. Since opening in 1971, the nightclub has been synonymous with Gstaad nightlife, its original interior design by Teo Jakob preserved to this day. With resident DJ Jim LeBlanc at the helm, GreenGo remains a magnet for an international, illustrious clientele.

An Enduring Icon

The Gstaad Palace has weathered wars, hosted statesmen and stars, inspired filmmakers, launched festivals, and shaped generations of Alpine hospitality. Today, under the leadership of General Manager Andrea Scherz, the Gstaad Palace continues to evolve with quiet confidence. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, Swiss Deluxe Hotels, and Virtuoso, and consistently ranked among Europe’s finest hotels, its Excellence Awards, in global luxury circles, are not the result of reinvention, but of continuity.

In Gstaad, luxury is felt. It is inherited, refined, and quietly passed on, from generation to generation, season to season, story to story. From its hilltop vantage point, the Palace continues to watch over Gstaad, just as it has for more than a century, timeless, composed, and unmistakably itself.