Grand Hotel Belvedere sits at 1,274 metres in Wengen, a car-free village in the Swiss Alps and a UNESCO World Heritage region, surrounded by the Schilthorn, Silberhorn and Jungfrau mountains. It’s the first and only five-star property in Wengen, and part of Beaumier, a collection of ten remarkable properties across Switzerland, France and Spain. Getting there is all part of the experience. From Lauterbrunnen, delegates will board the historic rack railway, a cogwheel train that has been climbing through the Alps since 1893, and a short twelve minutes later you pull into Wengen.
The hotel occupies two historic buildings that Beaumier has preserved and renovated. Across the two buildings there are 90 rooms and suites, all designed in a timeless Alpine style that draws on the artisan heritage of the Berner Oberland, with warm timber and Jungfrau views from the rooms.
For planners, the meeting and event offering is well thought-out. The primary meeting space is a 90 square metre room with natural daylight and mountain views, equipped with modern AV technology. Beyond that, the Brasserie Belvedere, with its striking Art Nouveau interiors, and the Restaurant Waldrand, a modern light-filled space with timber ceilings and forest-facing windows, both double as private dining and event spaces, giving event professionals a variety of atmospheres to work with. The Sonnenbad Terrace is available for al fresco receptions and sundowner events, and the hotel also offers full property buyouts across both buildings for groups that want the run of the place entirely to themselves.
The activity and wellness offering really sets Belvedere apart and solidifies its position as an incentive offering. The spa, inspired by Japanese onsen and offering Susanne Kaufmann treatments, features a sauna, hammam, heated indoor and outdoor pool, ice bath and a yurt for wellness sessions. Outside the hotel, you are completely spoiled for choice in terms of activities. The Jungfrau region offers paragliding, hot air ballooning, hiking, skiing, sledging, kayaking and rafting. The Wengernalp railway and cable car are a short walk away, opening up the wider Jungfrau region for guided mountain experiences and valley hopping across to Grindelwald. Yoga, pilates, cooking workshops, cocktail workshops and electric bike hire are all available on site.
The sustainability credentials are also worth taking notice of. The hotel is heated by bio-pellets sourced 17 kilometres away in Ringgenberg, uses a compost press that reduces waste volume by 90 per cent, has eliminated single-use plastic from all guest rooms and operates a refill system for amenities throughout.
Practically speaking, Geneva is around two hours by train and Zurich around two and a half, with Bern reachable in 50 minutes. The journey from the station to the hotel is handled entirely by the hotel team, and the car-free nature of Wengen means that once a group arrives, the pace immediately changes. That shift from work to leisure is one that can be hard to create organically, but here, the natural environment is ready to set the scene for you.
