The Buergenstock Hotels and Resort
Infinity Pool at the Alpine Spa
High above tourmaline Lake Lucerne, steam wisps off the surface of the infinity pool at The Bürgenstock Resort’s Alpine Spa. The air feels still and fresh and the only sound to be heard is the gentle babble of water trickling over the edge.
Sitting at the top of mountain just across the lake from Lucerne and roughly an hour and a half west of Zurich, the Bürgenstock Resorts occupy a historic 60 hectares of pristine Swiss mountain property. Once the beloved escape of jet set royalty including Audrey Hepburn and Sofia Loren, the original resort recently underwent a CHF550 million renovation and rebuild in what has been called the “project of the century.” The result is a stunning resort comprised of four luxury hotels, 67 private residences, a 10,000 meter Alpine Spa, and 12 restaurants, including Ritzcoffier, which was recently awarded the property’s first Michelin Star.
I visited Buergenstock last December and my first impression was something out of a Bond movie—chic, sophisticated, and designed to perfection. Dark switchbacks to the top of the mountain opened onto a dominant glass structure with smartly-dressed tenants to welcome guests inside. Through the front doors, a warm fireplace sits in the center of a marble lobby. The view, however, steals the show: through floor-to-ceiling windows guests sip cocktails and gaze out over Lake Lucerne and its namesake city in the distance.
Each hotel on the resort is unique and despite its size, the property manages to feel serene, discrete, and exclusive. Between the modern, ultra-luxe Buergenstock Hotel, the wellness-focused Waldhotel, the historic Palace Hotel and the traditional Taverne 1879, there is something for everyone.
Presidential Bedroom
Bürgenstock Hotel is the most coveted address on the resort and home to the property’s world class spa. The striking hotel is home to 102 guest rooms and suites, all with stunning picture windows onto the lake below. Rooms are outfitted with Greek quartz walls, Italian marble accents, and feature cozy gas fireplaces. On the other side of the fireplace is the bathroom, inside which a massive bathtub sits sunken into the floor and abuts another set of floor-to-ceiling windows, giving bathers the sense of floating just above the stunning lake.
Connected through the lobby by a long gallery, the Palace Hotel has stood on site for over 100 years and was recently refreshed to a beautiful four star neighbor with access to the bells and whistles of the Bürgenstock Hotel. Rooms are finished in Swiss fir and design is chic with fabulous views and balconies overlooking the lake.
Beyond the Palace, Taverne 1879 is a small, traditional chalet. When the pension-style accommodation is not used for family gatherings and groups, the home is opened to guests as a restaurant service Swiss cuisine.
Set apart from the rest, Waldhotel is the resort's medical wellness property. It is small and characterized as a four star...only because everything else is above and beyond. Rooms are comfy, nice, with amazing views of the mountains. Spa, medical, and aesthetic offerings are extensive and personalized.
But guests will rarely be found in their rooms with so much to experience and enjoy on the resort grounds. Surrounding the resort are miles of hiking and biking trails, three Davis Cup-standard indoor tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course, curling, ice skating rinks and horse stables.
In the summer season guests can ride the Hammetschwand Lift, which, perhaps best known for its role in the James Bond film, Goldfinger, was originally constructed in 1905 and is Europe’s highest open-air lift.
Lobby at Buergenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa
View of the Alpine Spa
Nightly rates at Buergenstock Resort start at $825 per night and include complimentary spa access, funicular use and boat transfers from Lucerne. Leslie Swanson Travel is also happy to extend the following complimentary amenities to clients:
Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Complimentary Buffet Breakfast for two daily for duration of the stay
$100 USD equivalent Resort/Hotel credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi