Is there any better setting for a spa than the mountains? With elevation, clean air and soul-cleansing views, this is where mindfulness was being done long before the term was coined.
A quest for relaxation after a tricky summer led me to Riffelalp in Switzerland, where a 5 star ski-in-ski-out hotel transforms in the summer months into an equally luxurious mountain retreat with an unbeatable spa and hiking trails. After four days there, I understood why Theresa May does so many mountain holidays, even if I’m still not sold on the zip-off trousers.
The lowdown
Europe’s highest luxury hotel (at 2222m) is found on a tree-lined plateau above Zermatt with uninterrupted mountain views that sweep from the valley floor to the famous geometric peak of the Matterhorn, the mountain which straddles the border between Switzerland and Italy. ‘The horn’ can be seen from virtually any point of the hotel - including the spa pool - and you could spend all day on the hotel veranda with a cup of coffee, watching the view around its peak change with the ever-shifting Alpine weather.
One of the things that makes Riffelalp special is its inaccessibility by car. The only way to get up is a punishing, hour-long zigzagging walk (we did this one afternoon) or (the preferred option) a little mountain railway which stops half a mile from the hotel. Once there, the inaccessibility of the place means the only sound you’ll hear is the tinkling of cowbells from the cattle who graze the surrounding meadows.
The history of the place also makes Riffelalp special. The Grand Hotel Riffelalp opened in 1884 and quickly became a hotspot for the European elite, so popular that by the late 1890s occupancy had doubled. Reminders of its history are dotted around the restaurant and communal areas with framed black-and-white pictures of intrepid skiers in full skirts tramping their way through thick snow. More recently the hotel became a setting for the BBC adaptation of The Night Manager. After a complete revamp in 2017 the look remains traditionally alpine to suit the loyal guests who return year after year - while keeping up to modern day demands with a state-of-the-art spa.
The rooms
Like the rest of the hotel, the rooms have the hygge feel of a grand but comfortable mountain chalet, all traditional exposed wood set off with tasteful greys, warm reds and dark greens. Our Junior Suite came with a little balcony area with views of the Matterhorn - there's a real wow moment each morning opening the electric curtains - a spacious bathroom and welcome products by L’Occitane. The spa is also easily accessible to guests so you can roll down in your dressing gown after a long day of hiking.
The spa
This is one of the hotel's major draws. On the veranda bright yellow sun loungers surround a heated outdoor pool, which you can access from inside to avoid getting chilly and loll on a water 'bed' area while jets pummel your back and you drink in the mountain panorama.
Inside there's a whirlpool, relaxation room, solarium, vapour steam bath and a Finnish sauna. Quick word of warning from this prudish Brit: It's also a naked spa, which can be alarming if you're not prepared - most of the guests while we were there seemed absolutely fine with it.
Another word of warning: The masseurs take no prisoners. My 'Classic Massage' was not a sleepy affair with tinkling music and oils, but a rigorous pummelling - painful at the time but afterwards my body felt lighter than it had in months.
Food and drink
Read More
This is not the place to come if you're looking for experimental cuisine. Like the decor, the menu and grand dining room are traditionally alpine. Influences from nearby Italy are felt in Ristorante Al Bosco, the perfect place to sit out at lunch with a bowl of taglioni and a glass of red wine - they also do a brilliant fondue.
A more formal option is Restaurant Alexandre in the main hotel, where dishes range from beef fillet to ravioli. If you're out and about during the day there are plenty of great mountain restaurants open for business - avoid tourist traps at the top of bubbles which serve mostly uninspiring canteen food and hike across the valley to Findlehof for a delicious rosti. For an apres-hike drink in the sunshine there's also the stylish Chez Vrony.
Things to do
Hiking, hiking and more hiking - followed by some wild swimming or a trip to the spa. Whether you go left or right out the hotel there are endless trails to explore - and the elevation of Riffelalp gives you a good head start on the keenos down in Zermatt.
We arrived as true hike novices but the helpful hotel concierge gave us a map and options depending on our energy levels. This included a glorious three-hour loop across to Findelbach for lunch, working off our pasta with a final blast up through the trees to the hotel spa, and an ear-popping hike up to Gornergerat, which was worth it for the changing landscape as we ascended - from lush forests to rocky hillsides to an eventual moonscape of scree and rock with views of the Gorner Glacier.
By the time we'd reached the peak the clouds had set in, so we saved our feet by getting the mountain train back down. With 25,000 steps ticked off by mid-afternoon we felt pretty virtuous hitting the spa to rest our legs.
Also - a major bonus in my book - if you get bored of all those alpine views there's a bowling alley in the hotel basement, which is particularly fun after a round of cocktails upstairs at Bar 2'222...