5-star hotel
Riffelalp Resort 2222m
If the brief is 'theme park,' Riffelalp Resort 2222m answers with an alpine reality that feels fantastical. The arrival alone—via the resort’s private crimson tramway, the highest in Europe—sets a Wes Anderson-esque tone before you even check in. Unlike the town-bound properties in Zermatt, you aren’t just looking at the mountains; you are living on them. The interiors eschew modern minimalism for a confident, heavy dose of local larch and stone pine, grounding the spaces against the thin air outside. The rooms are cozy, tech-forward (excellent WiFi and Smart TVs), and smell intoxicatingly of wood. But the real theater happens at the St-Trop Alp spa. Floating in the 35°C outdoor pool while staring directly at the Matterhorn’s jagged tooth makes every other infinity pool feel pedestrian. Dinner at Restaurant Alexandre offers a polished counterpoint to the rugged outdoors, with the Fillet of Simmental beef proving that high altitude doesn't mean lowered culinary standards. It’s an immersive alpine playground where the luxury is the attraction.
