With less than a month until the December 1 opening of The Alpina Gstaad, finishing details and final deliveries are in progress to complete the first luxury hotel to open in the picture-perfect Swiss village in 100 years. Noted architectural firm, Jaggi & Partner AG, known for its design of hotels, spas and private homes in the mountains, began the project with the principles of traditional Swiss chalet architecture and, in conjunction with the interior design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates, fashioned a contemporary interpretation using local materials from the Bernese Oberland, stone from the surrounding Alps and weathered timber from centuries-old farmhouses in Saanenland.
These natural materials appeal to the senses, especially when paired with traditional craftsmanship, antique furniture and a judicious use of modern design elements, all adding up to a "cozy alpine hotel," according to Jaggi & Partner.
One of the most successful architecture and interior design firms in the alpine region of western Switzerland, Jaggi & Partner AG has been closely linked for more than 30 years with almost all the luxury hotel projects and many of the private chalets in the traditional and flourishing villages of Gstaad-Saanenland. Project after project has been realized with a sure instinct for the hotel's history, location, the expectation of its guests and original ideas under the direction of principal Stephan Jaggi. With his team, Elisabeth Wampfler in charge of planning for The Alpina Gstaad, Urs Kunz overseeing implementation and Klaus Breninger orchestrating the main features of the interior design, Stephan Jaggi has defined the 21st century hotel for Gstaad.
The overall Alpina Gstaad project includes the 56-room hotel, private apartments within the hotel and three chalets. Located on five acres in Oberbort, the exclusive hilltop area of the Gstaad village, the main building is reminiscent of the style that was favored for grand hotels in the early 20th century, such as the original Grand Hotel Alpina at the same location some 15 years ago. Alpine sports were still in their infancy in the Bernese Oberland and villages such as Gstaad were just discovering the potential of tourism 100 years ago.
According to Stephan Jaggi and Elisabeth Wampfler, there was a desire to retain the architectural language of the early hotel. The Alpina Gstaad builds on this tradition and, in the pioneering spirit of the past, has dared to be bold and ahead of its time adding cutting edge technology and new features such as carbon-neutral heating.