2020 is slowly coming to an end. At the same time the winter season in the Swiss Alps is right about to kick-off. Known as one of the most sought-after ski-holiday spots in the world, The Alpina Gstaad is looking forward to opening its doors and welcoming guests (back) to this elegant resort.
For the upcoming winter season, The Alpina Gstaad will welcome a new chef to its Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant. Tetsujiro Ogata will take the reins as Japanese Head Chef of the resort's award-winning Megu on December 6. An experienced culinary professional with more than 20 years' experience, he has held senior chef positions at luxury hotels and top restaurants in ten countries including the U.S. and Switzerland. Chef Ogata has supervised Japanese cuisine at properties of such luxury brands as Rosewood, Ritz Carlton and Atlantis.
Seasoned hotelier Stephan Post has been named as the new General Manager of Park Gstaad. Mr Post joins Park Gstaad this summer from his most recent assignment as General Manager of the Intercontinental Davos, also in Switzerland. Mr Post’s appointment will follow the departure of the hotel’s current General Manager Daniel Ziegler who has led the property since September 2015. Mr Ziegler, who leaves to pursue personal and professional projects, will hand over to Mr Post during the summer season in the mountain resort. Mr Ziegler guided Park Gstaad to one of its most successful winter seasons in 2016-2017, and oversaw the implementation of two new restaurant concepts with Chubut in 2015, and Avenue Montagne in 2016.
Since opening its doors in December 2016, Huus Gstaad has fast become a favorite for locals and guests alike. Nestled on a rolling hillside between the villages of Saanen and Gstaad, the seven-story, 136-room traditional wooden-clad chalet transcends simple Swiss hospitality and strikes a delicate balance between a restful retreat and a community hub for likeminded explorers and adrenaline junkies. From the adventure lounge, restaurants, spacious spa, and fully fledged family area, to the all-inclusive activities and complimentary equipment hire, the year-round hotel is the sheer embodiment of Bernese bonhomie. www.designhotels.com/huus-gstaad
This weekend The Alpina Gstaad opened its doors to its first guests. Four years in the making, the $337 million (300 million Swiss francs) luxury development includes the first new five-star hotel to be built in this alpine village in 100 years. Crowning Gstaad's exclusive hilltop area of Oberbort, just five minutes from the center of the village, The Alpina Gstaad overlooks beautiful Saanenland in the heart of the Bernese Alps.
Six Senses is delighted to announce the opening of a Six Senses Spa at The Alpina Gstaad, in Saanenland, at the heart of Switzerland's Bernese Alps. The Six Senses Spa infuses the alpine spirit of the surrounding environment with an eastern flair, creating a secluded, warm and natural ambience. In keeping with the Six Senses philosophy, natural materials and design features have been used to evoke a sense of place - from curved walls, water features and a vertical garden, to the heated outdoor pool.
With less than a month until the December 1 opening of The Alpina Gstaad, finishing details and final deliveries are in progress to complete the first luxury hotel to open in the picture-perfect Swiss village in 100 years. Noted architectural firm, Jaggi & Partner AG, known for its design of hotels, spas and private homes in the mountains, began the project with the principles of traditional Swiss chalet architecture and, in conjunction with the interior design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates, fashioned a contemporary interpretation using local materials from the Bernese Oberland, stone from the surrounding Alps and weathered timber from centuries-old farmhouses in Saanenland. These natural materials appeal to the senses, especially when paired with traditional craftsmanship, antique furniture and a judicious use of modern design elements, all adding up to a "cozy alpine hotel," according to Jaggi & Partner.
Scheduled to open in December 2012, The Alpina Gstaad is set in the heart of the Bernese Alps and will offer an intimate and discreet haven for discerning local and international guests in search of an authentic and indulgent Alpine experience. With 56 rooms and suites, numerous possibilities for dining, relaxation and cultural enrichment, this boutique hotel will deliver a new level of distinction, while nurturing the local mountain traditions.
Niklaus J. Leuenberger, a Swiss hotelier originally from the canton of Bern, has been appointed Managing Director of The Alpina Gstaad, the first five-star hotel to be built in the Alpine village in 100 years. He brings more than three decades of experience with luxury hotels in Asia, the United States and the Middle East. Prior to joining The Alpina Gstaad, Mr. Leuenberger was Chief Operating Officer for Resorts Development Company, a subsidiary of the Alfardam Group in Dubai, overseeing the development of the $800 million St. Regis Hotel and Residential complex in Doha. He spent 27 years in management roles with The Peninsula Hotels in China, Hong Kong and the Philippines, before transferring to the New York flagship in 1992. Under his leadership, the New York hotel completed a comprehensive renovation in just 10 months and was recognized as having the highest employee satisfaction among all Peninsula Hotels. With this success under his belt, he was promoted to Regional General Manager and charged with overseeing all aspects of the development and construction of The Peninsula Chicago.