In Swiss resort towns such as St. Moritz or Gstaad, a common observation during high season is that the slopes can feel like a high-octane fashion show. But in Adelboden, a quiet ski town in the Bernese Alps, roughly two hours from Zurich, the only parading is done in late June, when local farmers festoon their dairy cows with floral headdresses and globe-sized bells to trot them down the main street and up a winding path to the alpine meadows where they will graze until the season’s end.
The Brecon
That said, Adelboden still has a firm grip on luxury, thanks to the recently opened The Brecon: a hotel founded by the Wales-born Grant Maunder who has been visiting the region for over 40 years and who also owns the neighbouring Cambrian Hotel. The work of Amsterdam-based firm Nicemakers, The Brecon’s design leans into a contemporary chalet aesthetic in the communal areas with warm wood wall panelling, flagstone floors hand-fitted by an artisan flown in from Wales and the classic wooden Swiss dining chairs from the hotel’s previous occupant, refinished and upholstered in mottled purple boucle fabric.
Each of the 18 rooms and four suites are subtly different, ranging in size from compact doubles to a duplex two-bedroom loft suite. The top floor ‘Village’ suite, for instance, encompasses an expansive balcony and a sitting area complete with a plush Vitra sofa, a fireplace and a small writing desk that looks onto a panoramic view of the sublime Bernese Alps across the valley.
The Brecon has cleverly positioned itself as a year-round destination. In the summer, guests can explore the region’s vast network of hiking trails or swim in the nearby glacial lakes. In the winter, skiing is the main priority: Adelboden boasts an impressive number of runs accessible from several gondolas originating from the village.
After a day on the slopes, a spa offering that includes massages and reflexology, as well as a sauna, steam room and heated outdoor pool, is available for mountain-weary legs. Most meals and drinks are included in the room rate, which means an à la carte breakfast, a light lunch and a Swiss-inspired dinner, the concise menu for which changes daily, and includes dishes like wild mushroom risotto, rigatoni with tomato and mint, and an array of local cheeses, many produced by the surrounding dairy farms’ marching cows.
Find The Brecon at Dorfstrasse 88, 3715 Adelboden, Switzerland, thebrecon.com
This article appears in the October 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from 5 September on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.
