Between Montreux and Zurich we decided to take the long way and spend the night in Zermatt. We had an easy train trip up from Montreux and found ourselves headed towards the hotel just after 2:00p.
Booking
Since we only had one night in Zermatt we wanted to stay close to all of the action in the center of town. Mrs. ATX Jetsetter had a specific vision in mind and wanted to handle booking the hotel. She found the Chalet Hotel Schönegg via Google search and booked our one king Matterhorn view room directly with the hotel for around $400 per night.
Location
The Chalet Hotel Schönegg is perched high upon a hill overlooking the city. While accessing the hotel via standard roads would take roughly 20 minutes, the hotel has a passageway in town, on the banks of the river, that allows access to a tunnel. The hotel provides directions in their check-in instructions to the passageway which is clearly marked. The adjacent Hotel Alpenroyal can also be accessed via this entrance.
This long tunnel takes you to a set of elevators that will then transport you up to the hotel above. They also have a shuttle available to/from the railway station for guests that want to arrive via road.
Check-In
We entered the hotel via passageway and took the elevator up to the lobby. There was nobody waiting at reception when we arrived and we were greeted by a couple of staff members who took our Passports and provided us with some hot towels.
After verifying our documents and checking us in, the receptionist provided us with a map of the town and explained the transportation system as well as a few nearby points of interest. He handed us our keys and a bellman came to take our baggage to our room.
Room
Reception was located on the 3rd floor and we were assigned a room on the 1st floor. We took the elevator down and found our room at the end of the hallway. Upon entry we immediately noticed the natural light flooding into the room. Since the room was located on the corner, the hotel installed windows looking over the town as well as the mountains. A short hallway led from the doorway to the bedroom and had a large closet along the wall.
Past the closet, the hallway opened into the bedroom as well as the sitting area.
The “King” bed (which was two twins pushed together and is pretty standard for Europe) was flanked by nightstands and lamps mounted to the wall. A phone was also located on one of the nightstands.
Across from the bed was a desk that held the TV and a Nespresso coffee maker. A bottle of water and a selection of teas were also available.
Towards the rear of the room is a sitting area that features a loveseat, chair and a coffee table. A Matterhorn shaped chocolate was waiting on the table for us when we arrived.
At the rear of the room was a door leading to our private patio. While many of the hotel rooms feature balconies, rooms on the first floor have patios instead. Since the hotel is perched on a hill overlooking Zermatt, even the first floor rooms have great views of town and the Matterhorn. There were a couple of chairs located on the patio and we had our coffee out here in the morning.
Back in the room, the bathroom entrance was located to the left of the bed. While it was a decent size, it was somewhat dated and covered in floor to ceiling pink tile.
The bathroom had dual vanities though counterspace was limited. There was a shelf above the sink that could be used for toiletries and also had L’Occitane single use shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and a nail kit for us to use.
The shower/bathtub combo featured one of those half glass walls similar to the Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic in Montreux which I dislike as the water has a tendency to spray out depending on the angle. There was also a reusable bottle of L’Occitane shower gel mounted on the wall.
Food and Beverage
The hotel had two food and beverage outlets and we utilized both during our stay. The first was the bar located across from reception. It featured a small, cozy indoor space as well as a large deck that overlooked Zermatt below and the mountains in the distance.
We had drinks here during our stay and found them to be reasonably priced, especially given the location. The outdoor terrace had great views of the Matterhorn as well as the hotel facade, which was covered in flowers.
In addition to the bar, the hotel also had a full restaurant on-site. The restaurant was located across from the elevators on the third floor of the hotel. We didn’t eat lunch or dinner here but we did visit the breakfast buffet which was set up in the restaurant each morning. Similar to the other hotels on our trip, the breakfast spread was quite extensive and included various meats, cheeses, pastries, juices, hot dishes, cereals and more. There were also complimentary sparkling wine and coffee drinks available.
Just like our room and the bar, the focal point out of the restaurant was the view of the Matterhorn.
Amenities
In addition to the restaurant and bar, the hotel also had a fitness center and a spa area. Since we only spent one night here, we didn’t have a chance to use either one. Also, in the winter, the hotel offers ski and snowboard storage though that wasn’t open during our stay in September.
Summary
While the room may have been a bit dated, we really enjoyed our stay at the Chalet Hotel Schönegg in Zermatt. The staff was friendly and the location was fantastic. Thanks to the tunnel access to town, you had the views that came with the elevation and the convenience of main street access to Zermatt. We would absolutely consider staying here again during our next trip to the area. Also, upon check-out, the hotel offered us a discount if we stayed at the Chalet Hotel Schönegg or any of their sister properties within the next few months. We were unable to make use of this but for those that are closer, this could be a benefit.
In This Trip Report
- Introduction: The Black Forest and a Trip Across Switzerland
- KLM B787-9 World Business Class (AUS-AMS)
- KLM Crown Lounge 25 Amsterdam (AMS)
- KLM Cityhopper E190 EuroBusiness (AMS-FRA)
- Frankfurt to Badenweiler via Deutsche Bahn
- Park Hotel and Spa KATHARINA Badenweiler
- Exploring Badenweiler
- Badenweiler to Montreux via Swiss Federal Railways
- Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic, Autograph Collection Montreux
- Exploring Montreux
- Montreux to Zermatt via Swiss Federal Railways
- Chalet Hotel Schönegg Zermatt
- Exploring Zermatt
- Zermatt to Zurich via Swiss Federal Railways
- Neues Schloss Privat Hotel Zurich, Autograph Collection
- Exploring Zurich
- A Day Trip to Liechtenstein
- Marhaba Lounge Zurich (ZRH)
- KLM B737-800 EuroBusiness (ZRH-AMS)
- KLM Crown Lounge 52 Amsterdam (AMS)
- KLM B787-9 World Business Class (AMS-AUS)
