Gstaad doesn't look like a jet-set resort at first glance. The Swiss town in the Bernese Alps is small enough to walk end to end, all timber chalets, farm-fresh crèmeries and village bakeries. Look closer and the low-key luxury is everywhere: a Chanel boutique the size of a living room, a discreet private airstrip, a Gagosian gallery down the road from a Loro Piana. Centuries-old pine doors here hide things like indoor pools and underground tunnels.
That mix of village charm and discreet wealth is exactly what makes Gstaad's hotel scene interesting. Many of its landmark properties have been running for over a century, and they haven't coasted on heritage. The top hotels regularly reinvent their restaurants and spas, and in recent years have leaned into chef residencies and pop-up events that draw crowds well beyond the ski season.
Editors at Condé Nast Traveller UK have pulled together their current picks for the town, and two stand out. Families are pointed towards Gstaad Palace, the grand hilltop hotel that's been the town's social centrepiece for generations. For spa lovers, the recommendation is Le Grand Bellevue, known for its serious wellness facilities. The broader selection mixes the big luxury names with smaller boutique boltholes, chosen on design, location, service and sustainability credentials rather than star power alone.
For travellers, the takeaway is that Gstaad works as more than a winter sports trip. Yes, it's a ski resort in the Vaud Alps, but the hotels here are ranked among Switzerland's best in their own right — which means the town is a legitimate pick for a wellness break, a summer Alpine escape or a food-focused stay, not just a February ski week. Booking one of the landmark hotels gets you a hundred years of polish; booking a lesser-known property gets you a quieter, more local feel of the same village.
If you want the full ranked list with details on each property, the original hotel gallery has it all.