Crans-Montana, Switzerland
Guarda Golf Hotel & Residences
Alpine Excellence
What it is
Open seasonally, this storybook 19-room, 6-suite retreat has sumptuous amenities: a high-tech spa with a hammam and pool, recliner-stocked cinema, and two luxe restaurants.
What it isn't
Lacking in activities. Jack Nicklaus designed the adjacent 9-hole golf course; other curated guest exploits include horseback riding, hot air balloon rides, and skiing galore.
What we think
If you conjure a Hansel & Gretel-worthy chalet when you picture the Swiss Alps, Guarda is your dream stay. Guest rooms are total confections, and tailored to traditionalists: expect gleaming carved wood furniture, exposed beams overhead, and Bulgari toiletries in the Italian limestone-sheathed bathrooms. We recommend booking one of the four 485-square-foot Junior Suites, complete with terraces and roomier bathrooms, plus jaw-dropping panoramas of the snow-crested mountains. Want to feel like you actually live here? Try the 2,421-square-foot Luxury Suite Apartments, which have separate living and dining areas with a gas fireplace and up to three bedrooms. Don’t miss at least a few nights of revelry in the billiard room or cigar lounge—squint, and you can practically see James Bond kicking back after a few rounds of golf.
You're here because
They roll out the proverbial red carpet for every guest, in every room type. Expect private transfers around town; an extravagant breakfast buffet (or continental breaki brought to your room); gratis nonalcoholic mini bar drinks; a boot warmer in the ski room; and more.
The Moment
You didn’t expect to find some of the best Mediterranean food of your life in Switzerland, but Restaurant FIVE is full of surprises. Your order tonight? Beetroot hummus; beef carpaccio with feta and fig; and a dessert so divine you’re actually swooning: chocolate fondant with a sour cherry heart and cardamom sorbet.
Restaurants & Bars
Restaurant FIVE - offers cuisines of the Levant and southern Italy
Guarda Golf Lounge - offers classic dishes, such as a club sandwich, burger, salmon tartar, homemade pizza and pasta
Les Alpes Bar - offers cocktails, wines and refreshing drinks
Location
A mere block from the main drag (and an outpost of Louis Vuitton) in this well-heeled alpine town. Geneva is about a two hour drive away.