Accommodations – Page 8 – European Traveler

Park Hotel Weggis

135 Years of Welcoming Guests

By Don Heimburger
Photos by the author and the Park Hotel Weggis

On the shores of beautiful, serene Lake Lucerne stands a tall, stately structure amid a lush garden of flowers and trees. I have passed it several times on a Lake Lucerne Navigation Company steam-powered paddlewheel boat, each time saying I would like to visit.

It is an intriguing complex of buildings, some hidden by the finely-appointed, trimmed mature greenery. At night, lights in the castle-like buildings, and outside on the grounds, twinkle a welcoming “hello.” The hotel is slightly elevated on the grounds, and thus it takes on an even more eloquent appearance.

The Park Hotel Weggis has been welcoming guests to Lake Lucerne since 1875.

This year, my time had come to finally “meet” this jewel on the lake. I made an appointment to visit the Park Hotel Weggis, located a 15-minute walk from downtown Weggis, Switzerland. A total of 50% of the clientele is from Switzerland, but I came all the way from the USA to visit, the hotel being that intriguing.

Weggis, home of the popular Rosenfest, a lavish July event in this town of 4,000, sits quietly and calmly on the shores of what author Mark Twain once said was the most beautiful spot on earth. While it may be bested by a few other spectacular sights around the globe, I have no doubt that most people would call Weggis a shining star when it comes to serenity and aesthetics.

The hotel looks out onto the lake and the Alps of central Switzerland, and thus this wish from Twain: “This is the charmingest place we have ever lived in for repose and restfulness, superb scenery whose beauty undergoes a perpetual change from one miracle to another, yet never runs short of fresh surprises and new inventions. We shall always come here for the summers if we can.” Twain lived for several summers in Weggis, traveling up to the nearby Rigi-Kulm, which is 6,000 feet above and to one side of the village. Three of the hotel’s rooms are called the Mark Twain suites.

With a warm breeze blowing across the lake, this area creates its own weather patterns which usually means warmer weather in the winter, and softer, gentler breezes during the summer. As a testament to this climate, palm trees and cactus grow alongside the beautiful roses the city is noted for.

BEACON ACROSS THE LAKE
It’s in this peaceful setting that the 5 1/2-acre, five-star Park Hotel Weggis shines a beacon across the lake to everyone, that this is a place to rest and relax, to have some fun, to dine or just get away from it all for a while.

In fact, the hotel has been doing this for 135 years, as in 2010 it celebrates more than a century and a third of being hospitable in this unique place.

The annex portion of the hotel was built in 1899. The hotel, with just 53 rooms and suites in the main building and two adjacent structures, pampers its guests, offers several dining choices and is big on wellness. The hotel has seven categories of rooms, and underground tunnels allow guests to reach various parts of the complex without going outside. The hotel is 30 minutes by car from Lucerne, and 35 miles from Zurich.

The list of awards the hotel has garnered through the years includes its selection as one of the 10 best vacation hotels in Switzerland for the past eight years, and the Hotel of the Year Award by GaultMillau in 2001. Its spa and wine selections have also won awards.

A total of 43 rooms in the main building were renovated between 2007 and 2010, and 10 more new “Adara” suites with generously-sized rooms were also added with large balconies, electric curtains, large Treca de Paris beds, Christian Fischbacher satin bed linens and bathrobes, Bose sounds systems and Panasonic flat televisions.

The rooms also incorporate B&B Italia and Promemoria Italian furniture, accessories from the Thony Collection, and fabrics from JAB and Carlucci di Chivasso. Each suite features its own wine cabinet with rarities such as Premier Grand Cru Classe from Bordeaux and Chateau d’Yquem.

The showers, in Foster, KOS Italia and Form-Laufen designs, match the green-clad marble walls with marble from the Greek island of Tinos in the Aegean Sea.

In the last 13 years, the Park Hotel has poured $100 million (Swiss francs) into refurbishing the property.The Denz family of Switzerland are the owners.

WELLNESS AREA OF HOTEL
The hotel prides itself with its extensive Wellness area for those who like to be especially pampered. With many upscale hotels and resorts paying more attention to this part of a guest’s visit, this is becoming a more prominent feature of hotel services. Under the leadership of Brigitte Bunder, body, soul and spirit are soothed as her team immerses guests in a peaceful, stress-free world for a few hours. The Park Hotel offers a 49 foot x 20 foot open-air heated pool which overlooks Lake Lucerne, and also traditional Tibetan massages (four employees of the hotel are from Tibet). A wide range of other treatments are available, such as body scrubs, hair and beauty sessions, and hot herb applications.

In addition, there are six Spa cottages which offer guests seclusion and privacy. These cottages are available for beauty treatments, fitness exercises, massages and a range of different therapies. The cottages, equipped with whirlpools, sauna or steam baths, solariums, showers and waterbeds, can be rented individually. Designer furniture from Colombostile and Moroso are featured in these rooms. In the Wellness area there is also a library with a matchless view of the surrounding mountains.

One aspect of the hotel is its welcoming Japanese gardens located at the entrance of the grounds, which was the first public-opened Bonsai garden in Europe. Large Burgenstock limestone pieces, some weighing seven tons, make up the garden, along with a 100-year-old juniper tree and other plants. The trees in the garden were imported from Japan, and some have been shaped and cared for four generations.

A HIGH POINT: FOOD
Food is always an attention-getter at a luxury hotel, and the Park offers three inviting venues for dining, including the Annex with Chef Renee Rischmeyer. Being ushered into the Annex sets the mood for the evening, with windows that look out onto the lake and the Alps, or you can also sit outside on the terrace. In this restaurant, traditional French culinary delights with Mediterranean and Asian influences are prepared using fresh local market seasonal products. The wine steward is Christian Bock, who was awarded the Best Swiss Sommelier in 2005/2006 and Master Sommelier in 2009. His job is to offer selections from 2,600 in-house wines, a daunting task. (The hotel’s vinothek offers wine for purchase for guests.) The Annex has been awarded 16 GaultMillau points and one Michelin star.

I found dining in the Annex was “an experience” as much as having a meal. The lake, the low lights, the glow from the room, and the wait staff service, made the evening memorable. Later did I realize there was soft music playing in the background, loud enough just for me to recognize it was there. It set just the right mood. My “parting shot” for the evening were the three delicious Swiss chocolates that were set before me; they did not last long.

Restaurant Sparks, with a capacity for 60 guests, is unique for its venue as much as its food. This high-ceiling room with a large chandelier, large windows and comfortable chairs, lifts your mood just walking in. Large scale Luciano Castelli paintings depicting the four seasons adorn the walls. In the Sparks, Chef Florian Gilges presents modern and light cuisine, combining art and design in his natural dishes, which has been awarded 14 GaultMillau-points. The Sparks is where breakfast is served every morning for hotel guests; there are 25 seats also available on the fresh-air veranda.

One evening in the Sparks I started off with baked goat cheese with Mediterranean vegetables, beef paillard with Carnaroli risotto and glazed Trevisano, a skewer of fillet of beef on potato salad with clear gazpacho, apple strudel and vanilla custard, and nectarine and honey cream mille feuille on tonka bean ice cream. With the meal I enjoyed a Valais, Switzerland white wine from 2008 and a Figuero tinto (2004) from Spain, both delicious.

For even more hotel food delights, guests can stroll over to The Grape a short distance away, where the speciality is California cuisine. There guests–many of them locals–are offered a wide selection of California wines from the Napa Valley, and food selections from California include juicy grilled steaks. For kids, a space has been set aside in the restaurant to play Nintendo games.

For a nightcap, the Lalique Caviar Bar is perfectly located in the hotel for a great view of the lake. Caviar–of course–malt whiskies and cigars are on the menu, along with the great view. If you want a drink outdoors, you can go down to the water’s edge where the cozy Beach Bar Lounge stays open until late hours. Last, for special dining occasions where you want to make an impression, you can book dinner in the smart vaulted wine cellar. For large gatherings such as weddings, receptions or banquets, the hotel features the Aquarius Hall with frosted glass panels, dark parquet floors and special lighting effects.

OTHER FEATURES
At this hotel you can arrive by boat, as the hotel has its own boat moorings, as well as a private lakefront area, bathing beach and sunbathing lawn. Sitting outside next to the lake with a good book and a cool drink could very well be the thing to top off an afternoon.

For kids, there’s a billiard room, and the suites have their own kid’s rooms, as well as a play station area with television and Nintendo games. The hotel also hosts occasional entertainment for kids.

With its own boat moorings (the hotel owns three boats itself), a number of cruise scenarios come to mind including renting a boat for yourself and guests and have it pick you up from from the hotel dock, or you can bring your own boat and dock it at the hotel. Canoes, mountain bikes, fitness and exercise equipment is available, as is a 1959 Chevrolet Impala convertible, sometimes parked out in front of the entrance. Nearby is the Rigi Railway (access is via a cable car in Weggis), and the Mt. Pilatus Railway is also close by. Lucerne is just a short car ride or boat ride away.

According to deputy director Marc Eichenberger, who is new at the property, guests often arrive stressed from their daily routine, but leave relaxed. Eichenberger knows a bit about getting away from it all himself. He has taken professional classes at Cornell University in the States, and likes to vacation in Asia. Sometimes you’ll find him trekking (and sleeping in a tent) in the desert.

He holds meetings with his staff on a daily basis, discussing the “arrivals,” and weekly and monthly “theme” meetings and even twice a year “broad goal” meetings with the staff. A personable man, he has a sharp eye for detail, and walks from one part of the large property to the other with purpose.

He calls the hotel “a hideaway” for guests who can wander from their room, to a hotel restaurant, to the spa area or to the beach within minutes.

With upwards of 65% of the hotel’s business repeat customers, you know the property is doing something right. My trip complete, I hope to return to this jewel on the lake soon, but perhaps I’ll stay longer next time. One visit just isn’t enough.

IF YOU GO…
The Park Hotel Weggis is rated five stars superior. It is located 225 miles from Munich. The hotel’s address is Hertensteinstrasse 34, CH-6353, Weggis. Telephone is +41 (0)41 392 05 05; e-mail is info@phw.ch. To see the hotel’s rates, rooms and facilities from their internet site, go to www.phw.ch. The latest award issued the hotel was 1st place in 2010 by the Blilanz news magazine for the best hotel day spa.

The hotel is part of the Swiss Deluxe Hotels and the Relais & Chateaux collections.

Learning the ‘Art of Travel’ on the Orient Express

A luxurious learning experience complete with a guide from London’s National Gallery

The Orient Express is launching a series of special vacation packages called “The Art of Travel,” including tours to Venice, Paris and within England. Travelers will learn about the lives of artists such as Canaletto, Bellini, Titian, Veronese, Monet, Rubens, Turner and Constable while seeing the places that inspired their work and visiting the places that house their work today, accompanied by an expert from London’s National Gallery.

All tours include at least one night at London’s Goring Hotel and begin at The National Gallery, where a specialist will give a guided introduction to selected masterpieces before the journey begins. Trips include:

THE VENICE OF CANALETTO: This seven-day tour will give travelers the opportunity to view Venice through Canaletto’s eyes. Travel from London aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express through France, the snow-capped Alps and northern Italy. While in Venice, guests stay at the Hotel Cipriani and trace the footsteps of Canaletto, who is forever associated with magnificent Venetian views. Trips are limited to 20 people and depart on April 9, October 8 and October 22, 2011.

VENETIAN PAINTERS: This is a six-day tour that introduces the traveler to the great Venetian masters, from Giovanni Bellini and Titian to Veronese. Starting in London with a tour and dinner at the National Gallery, travelers will fly to Venice, where they will step back into the Italian Renaissance and explore great sights such as the Doge’s Palace, the Accademia and Ca’ Rezzonica with an expert from the National Gallery. The journey ends with a return to London on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. The trip is limited to 20 people and departs on April 30, 2011.

IMPRESSIONS OF PARIS: Also offered will be a series of five-day tours focusing on French Impressionism, where travelers will trace Claude Monet’s long, dynamic life and will learn about the birth of a new artistic movement, when painters first began painting in the open air to capture the effects of light. From London, guests board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and can marvel that two of the restored carriages aboard the Art Deco train were already carrying passengers when Monet was producing his last masterpieces. Departures are April 9, May 7, June 25, July 27, August 24, September 24 and October 22, 2011.

BRITISH PULLMAN: These tours combine the thrill of a steam-hauled luxury train, complemented by gourmet dining — brunch on the outbound journey and a three-course supper on the return — with delightful scenery and include visits to Bath’s finest art collections.

Collectors and Collecting: This trip is timed to coincide with the reopening of the Holburne Museum in May 2011 following a major restoration. After a guided tour of the museum, there will be a tour of “Beckford’s Bath,” including the eccentric William Beckford’s house and the grounds leading up to Beckford’s Tower. The trip will depart on June 28, 2011.
Thomas Gainsborough: This journey focuses on landscape paintings by notable British and European artists including Rubens, Turner and Constable. Highlights include the new exhibition “Gainsborough’s Landscapes: Themes and Variation,” at the Holburne Museum and a walking tour of artists’ Bath. This tour will depart on October 11, 2011.

For more information on “The Art of Travel,” visit www.orient-express.com/nationalgallery.

Zurich’s Hotel Schweizerhof

Convenient, high-class luxury

By Don Heimburger
Photos by Don Heimburger and courtesy Schweizerfhof Hotel

Especially if you’re traveling by train to Zurich, finding the famous five-star Schweizerhof Hotel isn’t hard. It’s right across the street from the ornate Neo-renaissance Hauptbahnhof, and a 12-minute ride from Zurich’s airport. A few steps out of the station, the hotel’s beckoning facade looms before you.

Not only is the Schweizerhof convenient, it’s highly rated. Trip Adviser, for example, shows it to be the third-rated hotel in Zurich, out of 124 hotels.

One Trip Advisor reviewer said, “I was very impressed with the outstanding service from all the staff, in particular the reception girls Carmen and Dominique, Michael (a porter) and Hans, who provided us with a private butler service and free champagne and chocolates! Okay, I did say we were on honeymoon, but it did not cut much ice anywhere else!”

He added, “This hotel is out to impress (you) and wants you to go back.”

CLOSE TO THE BAHNHOFSTRASSE
The six-story stone-front hotel is also only a few steps away from the famous Bahnhofstrasse, that mile-long elegant street dating from 1864 that’s a combination of Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, New York’s 5th Avenue and Los Angeles’s Rodeo Drive.

In good weather, locals gather early in the morning at the sidewalk cafe in front of the hotel to read their newspapers, talk about politics or the day’s happenings and order coffee and pastries.

With 114 rooms and suites, the Schweizerhof can provide an economy single room with a bath, a moderate single room with a shower or bath, or a standard-plus room, which affords a bit more space.

At a higher price, double rooms with a queen-size bed are offered, as are twin-bed rooms, corner rooms, a junior suite, and a premium deluxe suite. The rooms are decorated with Italian designer furniture, and bathrooms feature Italian granite.

The rooms are comfortable, with firm mattresses, plenty of lighting around the room, and the entire hotel is air conditioned. One great feature also is the triple-glazed windows: noise from the street below never was a problem when I was there.

The hotel offers high-speed internet service, flat screen televisions, beds are electrically adjustable and all rooms have a handy make-up and razor mirror. A mini-bar, hairdryers, trouser press, umbrella, safe, complimentary fruit plate, and pickup service from the railway station is also included.

In the morning, guests can enjoy a complimentary champagne breakfast buffet which includes a personal pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice, assorted juices,various breads, croissants, assorted jams and jellies, cold meats, fruits, yogurt, coffee to order, including expresso, and there is a menu card just for tea.

In addition, assorted cereals, crepes, Nutella, made-to-order eggs, including eggs benedict if desired, bacon and sausage are available. A special Japanese breakfast of miso soup, salmon, vegetables and fried potatoes is offered.

As an added touch of ambiance, little stools are available just to hold ladies’ handbags next to the table.

The staff is attentive to special requests and diets, and they make notes of special needs for the guest’s next stay. I was told that if I came back next year for breakfast, the staff would remember what my breakfast preferences were. Breakfast is served in a room on the mezzanine, with pleasant surroundings and a cheerful waitstaff.

While restaurants abound in Zurich, the hotel offers Restaurant La Soupiere, a traditional French-style restaurant serving seasonal, market-fresh cuisine and Swiss specialities. The Cafe Gourmet et sa Boutique du Caviar is a cozy, small cafe serving snacks, salads and caviar.

For meetings and business travelers, the hotel offers a number of meeting rooms and banquet facilities.

With style, this Zurich hotel serves a clientele that expects a little bit more, and they get it.

Jörg Rudolf von Rohr is the managing director of the hotel.

More more information, go to www.hotelschweizerhof.com.

Hotel Schweizerhof Zürich
Bahnhofplatz 7
8021 Zürich / Schweiz

Tel. +41 44 218 88 88
Fax +41 44 218 81 81

To learn more about Zurich, go to www.zuerich.com, or www.myswitzerland.com/en/zurich.html

The Bellerive Au Lac in Zurich

By Don Heimburger

Ah….walking along the wide pedestrian walkways on Lake Zurich’s east side in Zurich on a bright, sunny day, is worth at least one trip to your stress doctor. It’s a pleasant walk, and the view is great. Down the street called Utoqaui, right on the banks of the lake, is a first-class hotel called the Bellerive Au Lac, part of the Steigenberger Hotel Group.

Situated about a mile from the center of Zurich, you can take a local tram to get there if you come in from the main train station or the airport (about 7 miles from the airport). The Bellerive Au Lac is not well seen from the backside or the street the tram takes you down, so you may have to ask for directions. With 47 rooms and four suites, it’s not an exceptionally large hotel, but it does include two very fine restaurants and a bar, as well as a winter garden area. The food, and wine, is delectable in the restaurant, and the winter garden atmosphere is tops.

For meetings, the facility offers six conference rooms for up to 60 people and limo service on request. Fitness area, sauna, solarium and massage are part of the wellness offerings of the hotel.

TripAdvisor posted two reviews from people who stayed at the Bellerive:

“We had a nice stay in this hotel. Our room was updated, clean, and our room had a fantastic view of the lake and downtown Zurich. The hotel’s location is a 10- minute walk along the lake to central downtown Zurich. The hotel staff was very friendly and as helpful as you needed them to be. The breakfast buffet was more than acceptable as was the service. Zurich is a beautiful clean city and the views of the lake are spectacular. We will definitely stay in this hotel during our next trip to Zurich.”

And another review states: “Just back from my tenth or so stay at the Steigenberger. Once again, from the moment of check-in to the time of departure, the reception staff was magnificent. The room was spotless, as always, and stylishly comfortable. Views over the lake were amazing, especially with a summer thunderstorm rolling in. Breakfast hearty and comprehensive, interent access via wi-fi fast, though pricy. Looking forward to my next visit to Zurich, a trip always enhanced by staying at this great little hotel.”

Rates for one double bed, 1920s-style textiles and design furnishings, balcony, internet connection, air conditioning, satellite television, direct-dial phone, safe, minibar, complimentary fruit bowl, bathroom with hair dryer, bathrobes and toiletries, non-smoking room, was quoted as $415 U.S. dollars.

For further information, go to www.zuerich.steigenberger.ch or e-mail to bellerive@steigenberger.ch.

Corinthia Grand Hotel

By Don Heimburger
Photos by the author

In the sea of humanity which is Budapest, there is an oasis of calm and sophistication called the Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal.

Situated at Erzsebet krt 43-49 in the city center, this posh five-star hotel presents a grand facade, behind which lies 414 rooms, including 98 executive guestrooms on six floors, six junior suites, 22 one-bedroom deluxe suites and even 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments.

From the Grand Ballroom, which features 72 tons of inlaid marble (a centerpiece of the hotel), to the plush lobby, to the quiet and well-staffed restaurant, this well-appointed hotel is tops.

As Rick Steves has suggested, a top hotel is where he likes to stay when in a Eastern European city because of the service, food and cleanliness. Certainly the Corinthia fits this category.

SIX-STORY ATRIUM
As guests enter, a sweeping six-story atrium tops out with a glass roof, and a broad statue-lined staircase soars upwards to the mezzanine. Light-colored columns, delicate trimmed railings, large flower arrangements and pleasant desk personnel add to the atmosphere.

Relaxing at the hotel isn’t hard. It offers a Royal Spa, the first of which opened in 1886, with all the latest spa facilities and treatments, plus its own 50-foot-long swimming pool, saunas, steam bath, jacuzzi, fitness room, mud/seaweed baths and more.

The rooms are nicely appointed, with laundry and dry cleaning services available, tea/coffee makers in the room, iron and ironing board, and room service is available. Elevators take guests to their floors. Terrycloth bathrobes are available for guests in the rooms.

Languages spoken by the staff include English, Hungarian, German, French, Spanish and Italian. A concierge is available, as is a currency exchange, non-allergic pillows and a safe deposit box at the front desk. Parking is also available. There is a 24-hour security staff, complimentary access to WiFi wireless internet access, and internet access in rooms.

The breakfast buffet, one of the highlights of the morning, includes a variety of breads, croissants, muffins, coffee, champagne, hot and cold meats (bacon, sausage), eggs (scrambled and fried and made-to-order), fruits, pastries, cereals, juices, cheeses, baked beans, hash brown potatoes, pancakes, waffles, fresh vegetables, yogurts, and more. I came away fully satisfied with the morning breakfast. Service in the restaurant was always fast and friendly.

The Corinthia features five restaurants/bars, a nightclub, a number of retail outlets and 26 apartments for long term stays.

Room rates at the Corinthia vary depending on the season, but one night in May 2009 would start at about $245 U.S.

The hotel first opened for the Millennium Exhibition in 1896, where Josephine Baker, Heinz Rühmann and many other celebrities stayed at the time. Over the years, many famous writers and artists have been guests at the hotel.

During the last renovation, the hotel had a $100 million facelift that virtually gutted the entire building, leaving a beautiful hotel in the central part of Budapest.

For more information, contact www.corinthiahotels.com or www.corinthia.hu. E-mail is budapest@corinthia.hu.