REVIEWS


BURGENSTOCK RESORT Bürgenstock, Switzerland


LOCATION: On a mountaintop high above Lake Lucerne. The property is a 90-minute drive from Basel airport, with stunning scenery throughout the journey. However, the best way to arrive is to take the train to Lucerne and then board a boat for a 20-minute voyage across the lake. From there, guests take the property’s impressive vÕVÕ>À q ÜV wÀÃÌ «ii`  £nnn q from lakeside to mountaintop.


FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I arrived late at night, so wasn’t able to fully appreciate the property while it was veiled in darkness. However, on waking after Þ wÀÃÌ }̽à Ãii«  Þ VÀi`LÞ comfy bed, I darted straight to my balcony to check the view: a vista of ÕÌ>à >` À}] VÜwi` }Àii wi`ð Ì > viÜ iÌà Ì LÀi>Ìi in the mountain air and felt like I was in a scene in The Sound of Music (albeit in a different country!).


THE FACTS: The Bürgenstock Resort encompasses four hotels spread across 60 hectares; a health and medical centre; seven restaurants and three bars; and 67 residences. It’s also home to three tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course, an ice-skating rink and a highly regarded spa. The property’s origins


`>Ìi L>V Ì £nÇÎ] >` LÞ Ìi £xäà and 60s, Bürgenstock had established itself as a magnet for rich Brits and Hollywood stars, with the likes of Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn living on the resort. The latter even got married, to the actor Mel Ferrer, in the >`À>Li ØÀ}iÃÌV V>«i  £x{° Fast-forward to the present day and the resort is basking in a new lease of vi vÜ} > iÞi>À Ë{{ä  renovation. Each of the four hotels has its own character and feel. The three- ÃÌ>À />ÛiÀi £nÇ >à > Ƃ«i vii but probably wouldn’t quite cut it for }i` ÌÀ>ÛiiÀð /i vÕÀÃÌ>À £än room Palace Hotel is more traditional  ÃÌÞi] Üi Ìi wÛiÃÌ>À ØÀ}iÃÌV Hotel is more lavish. Health retreat Waldhotel, where I stayed, has a clean and crisp decor and tends to attract health-conscious clients who stay for longer periods of time. The medical centre is located within the Waldhotel, but it’s so discreet you’d barely know of its existence unless you were having treatments. The centre offers diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative treatments such as ECGs, radiography, bone density testing and nutritional advice. The Verbana restaurant serves delicious dishes, with a focus on health and nutrition, but


guests can take advantage of a huge choice of dining options across the four properties. My favourite was Spices Kitchen & Terrace, which serves a mix of Chinese, Indian, Japanese and Thai cuisine.


EXPLORE: Head out on foot and make the most of the trekking routes. Beginners should start with the half-hour Felsenweg walk to the Hammetschwand Lift, Europe’s tallest


112 ASPIRE SEPTEMBER 2019


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