Although I’m the travel writer and hotel reviewer, as soon as we pushed open the door to our premier room in the Kempinski Palace Engelberg, my partner James, an ardent climber and skier, declared, “Oh yes, this could be the one.”

Ensconced in the Engelberg Valley, uninterrupted views of the Swiss Alps come standard with every room. Ours overlooked the Titlis summit to the south and the Hahnen and Wissberg mountains to the east. In the foreground, a sprinkling of Swiss chalet-style homes, with their widely projecting roofs and wooden balconies, were covered in a fresh dusting of snow. A red gondola ran from one side of our panoramic windows to the other several times a day.

“We are the storytellers of the destination,” Andreas Magnus, the hotel’s general manager, said. “It’s not just about the hotel, but Engelberg as a whole.”

With a population of roughly 5,000 residents (which balloons to 25,000 in high season), a sense of place is echoed in every shop in town. From the local cheese monger, housed in the Benedictine Monastery, to the main street coffee roastery, owned by siblings Oscar and Sophia, which shares space with a bookshop and papeterie, it’s obvious that the townsfolk celebrate and support one another.

Our four-day, three-night stay at Kempinski Palace Engelberg, the 129-room and suite Grand Dame of the town, proved enough time to explore, relax, and enjoy. Opened in 1905 as the Grandhotel Winterhaus and later renamed to the Hotel Europäischer Hof, it remains the first and only five-star resort in Engelberg.

The brainchild of famed politician and hotelier Eduard Cattani and his architect brother Arnold Cattani, the Grandhotel Winterhaus was purpose-built to awe. Constructed in the Belle Époque style—a blend of Victorian, Gothic, and Art Nouveau—the original structure boasted central heating (major 19th-century bragging rights), as well as rounded roof turrets and the single largest piece of Belgian-made glass, still located in The Palace Bar.

Now operated by the Kempinski Group, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2022, the property underwent a five-year renovation, which included a new hotel wing. It reopened in June 2021. The design aesthetic, created by London-based architecture and interior design firm Jestico + Whiles and executed by Eberli AG, blends tradition with modernity.

Here’s a closer look at the hotel’s standout features and amenities.

The Rooms

I cannot recall another property I’ve visited where every entry-level room (the boutique category) is located on a corner with windows facing two directions. From there, the rooms grow in size, each with brushed custom-made oak desks and parquet floors.

In our premier room, the bed overlooked panoramic windows with storybook-level views. Were there not a considerable amount of freshly fallen snow, our balcony would have provided comfortable seating for two.

The color palette, inspired by Switzerland’s seasons, includes muted greens and blues, invoking year-round mountain freshness. Think bluebird sky-colored rugs and sage green throw pillows with light brown leather accents. Each room features custom box-spring beds from Swiss manufacturer Elite.

The bathrooms, slate grey with white accents, are meant to echo a “wellness oasis” with a separate tub and shower as well as double vanities, a bonus bit of personal space when you’re traveling with a companion.

The finest suites, named Titlis and Belle Époque, parrot the building’s turrets with circular layouts and feature furnished balconies with panoramic mountain views.

Food and Drink

The Cattani Restaurant, the main eatery, is named after Eduard Cattani. Upon entering the space, it’s impossible not to look up at the custom chandelier, unquestionably the room’s centerpiece. It consists of handmade crystal “icicles” that evoke the relief of nearby Mount Titlis.

The complimentary breakfast here was easy yet elevated. Salmon gravlax with dill, a local cheese platter, pulpy, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and a daily duo of morning wellness shots made this French brasserie with Swiss influences a can’t-miss ritual.

While I tend to skip afternoon tea outside of Great Britain, you would be remiss to do so here. Family-friendly afternoon tea features a “Beauty and the Beast” tea set. For the adults, three-tiered platters are served in hanging birdcages. The Engelberger Valley Mountain cheese with Branston Pickle was a standout sandwich, while the freshly baked scones with homemade preserve, clotted cream, and lemon curd hit just the right traditional notes without being stodgy.

The most charming spot in the hotel is The Palace Bar. By day, it is a cozy, fireplace-laden space to read a book or watch the gondola, and by night—a cocktail bar with three types of Swiss gin and vermouth (you can try one of each if you order a Swiss Negroni, as my partner James did), respectively, and an in-house Blanc de Noir sparkling wine. Next door, Habanos Cigar Lounge offers a robust cigar menu, as well as an ideal spot to enjoy a whisky or cognac nightcap.

Activities and Amenities

Regardless of season, the mountains are always calling in Engelberg. In summer, cycling, climbing, and golfing are some of the preferred outdoor activities. In winter, Engelberg’s ski area offers 50 miles of ski slopes, with traditional downhill skiing as well as ski touring, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and plenty of off-piste adventures. The hotel’s in-house Palace Sports & Rentals features a ski room with heated lockers, a convenient way to start and end a chilly day.

If mountain activities don’t excite you, nearby Lake Lucerne (a 30-minute transfer by car) offers a variety of lower altitude goings-on, including glass blowing at Glasi Hergiswil. Founded by the brothers Siegwart in 1817, the Swiss factory that manufactures glass also offers an interactive museum tour and the opportunity to blow your own orb.

The Spa

Located on the top floor of the hotel, Kempinski The Spa offers a 24-hour gym, an infinity pool, and spa facilities, including a relaxation room with an open Himalayan salt, stone fireplace, and four saunas: the Finnish sauna for muscle regeneration; the bio sauna, with aromatic scents to cleanse and stimulate the respiratory system; the vivarium, a medicinal herb steam for bronchial tubes and lung health; and the traditional steam bath, to release muscle tension.

Guests looking to pamper themselves can choose from a robust menu of treatments and massages, from multi-service journeys like the Alpine recovery, which includes an herbal stamp massage and an express facial, to bespoke body treatments, like the detoxifying body, which uses zeolite rock to purify the skin. I opted for a cellular perfect detoxifying facial, which left my face radiant and refreshed, a tall order courtesy of the brisk winter air.

Family-friendly Offerings

In addition to kid-friendly afternoon tea, the Kempinski Kids Club (ages three to 12) offers a technology-free zone where kids can make handicrafts, bake, and sing karaoke.

Accessibility and Sustainability

The premier rooms and all hotel areas (except the pool area) are ADA compliant.

The hotel’s sustainability initiatives include processing all food waste into biogas that can be used for heating or fuel, offering locally-sourced food and ingredients, using groundwater to cool its rooms, and relying entirely on hydroelectric power.

Location

Engelberg is accessible by heliport, car (40 minutes from Lucerne and an hour from Zurich), and Zentralbahn rail, although transfers are necessary.

A 10-minute walk is Titlis Valley Station, which ascends to the top of the mountain for glacier viewing in the winter, and a cliff walk on the 10,000-foot suspension bridge year-round. Off-piste skiing during the winter and hiking during the summer remain popular activities. In town, the Benedictine Monastery is worth a wander.

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

Kempinski Hotels is a part of GHA Discovery, or Global Hotel Alliance. Kempinski Palace Engelberg is also part of American Express Fine Hotel and Resorts.

Starting nightly rates at Kempinski Palace Engelberg average CHF 650, or $720.