Swiss Design Hotel of the Year: CERVO Mountain Resort

Author: M. Pleasant

Instagram: @cervozermatt

cervo.swiss

Let me begin with the end. On our last day, after we had checked out, the light was so perfect I just had to run upstairs to the outdoor patio to take a few more photos from the deck. The pastel flags waving in the wind, the deck covered in colorful dried flowers and tiny vases, textured Moroccan cushions, with a view of the ever glorious Matterhorn. My partner waited patiently outside downstairs. 

They had a man playing acoustic guitar, which only further set the vibe, and he made the mistake of asking the guests, enjoying their cocktails in that perfect mid-September sun, if they had any requests. Big mistake, buddy. Big. 

I emerged from behind the Alpine car champagne bar and said, “Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.’” I’m pretty sure he wasn’t expecting that. My partner was waiting outside when he heard the first notes; he knew it was gonna be a while. 

When you think of a holiday, the best parts are those moments, those small captures in time where you feel most yourself, most at peace, when everything in the world is just right. There I was, surrounded in beauty and color, gazing at the mountains, the breeze blowing, then hearing my favorite song on guitar—it was a moment. Kudos to the musician, who was brave enough to try to make it into a beautiful ballad (nailed it), but I couldn’t help fighting the urge to jump up and down and go full 1980s video.

What Is This Place?

If I were going to design my dream home, this would be it. It’s true that design shapes your experience. It’s a secret wellness retreat wrapped in a luxurious bespoke design hotel. Few places can really nail the modern bohemian look and make it feel elevated, upscale, and well-executed at this level. The attention to detail at every level—the layers, texture, and color—is unparalleled.

They just got everything right. Every corner has handcrafted details, thoughtfully cultivated and presented in the most creative ways. It shows you that design shapes how you feel and experience not only the space but also your entire holiday, and the cuisine was the best we’ve ever had in Switzerland. Refreshing not to see eyes squint when you say the dreaded vegan, followed by gluten-free. A double whammy. 

Hello, Wellness

Usually, spa hotels in the mountains cause me anxiety. I spend all day taking a gondola up, getting lost on the longest path down, yodeling for sport, stopping for Apfelstrudel and wine, and by the time I make it back, the wellness areas are normally closed, and I feel like you never really get the entire experience. Plus, after 40, I really need the sauna after seven hours wandering the mountains (also drinking prosecco and eating pie). It featured the latest spa and sauna hours we could find in Zermatt—9:00 p.m.—giving you a chance to spend a full day on the mountain and not have to rush back. We even went after dinner—something you simply can’t find anywhere else. 

The Mountain Ashram Spa

The Ashram Spa, just the vastness of the wellness area (1,100 square meters), is so rare for Zermatt—a cold pool, sauna, steam, mountain view hot tub, with two unique Mongolian yurts complete with fireplaces, teas, snacks, candles, floor cushions, and magazines for complete calm. 

Perfect for your inner bohemian. I am embarrassed to admit this as a former yoga addict who writes about wellness, but I mustered up the courage to attend a morning yoga class, the first in years, and stayed for the meditation. I have this idea that I always need to be doing something, so making myself slow down enough to attend was a huge win. I was relieved that it was a seasoned teacher (we Americans can be judgy about teachers). A dark, candlelit room, a slow flow, and a stillness that I still run from. It was my French partner’s first yoga and meditation class. Thankfully, he loved it and made it all the way through. It was just the energy we needed on a chilly, cloudy morning. It felt like a warm blanket for the soul. 

The indoor spa is complete with a steam room and yoga, Pilates, and massage spaces, offering holistic therapies, singing bowl meditations, and Bhutanese detoxification baths. I really love to disconnect and leave my phone in the room, but this place is such a visual masterpiece that I had to slip it into my robe pocket everywhere because every turn is a frameable photo. 

Hold Me Back

In the morning, we would wake up and enter the Bazaar restaurant, a panoramic glass room with Matterhorn and village views, Moroccan pillows and cushions, high-end design, hand-carved furniture, and decorated bookcases. 

We chose the table beside the fireplace (who gets a fireplace at 9 a.m.?). It was the best breakfast we had experienced in 15 years. They are well-versed in plant-based dishes, but it wasn’t the same old “we have fruit and granola.” We had to move to a larger table because we ordered so much. Tomato shakshuka, dumplings with three sauces (for breakfast!), baba ganoush, hummus, avocado on gluten-free bread, mimosas, you name it. I pushed it and asked for raw onions (it’s a southern thing), sautéed mushrooms, and an oat milk cappuccino to round it out. We’d load up for a full day of hiking. 

A Rare Bird

Do you know the type of person who, whatever they do, they do it really well? 

Well, this hotel is that person. As a person who drops all her camera equipment and cracks her phone on the first day, I appreciate graceful precision. 

After staying in 11 places back to back for five weeks, I came to appreciate a team that really cares about everything they do—every single space has been thoughtfully crafted, an alpine car champagne bar, an elevated bohemian deck/restaurants—it’s a whole vibe. It makes you feel as cool as the decor. Plus, it’s in the center of Zermatt, hovering above the town in some suspended dream-like state, removed from the everyday, just steps away from an elevator that takes you down to a main gondola right by the river. You can ski in and ski out if you’re a winter bird. I am allergic to freezing temps, so June, September, and October are my favorite times. 

Private Deck with Outside Bathtub

If you want to blow it out in Zermatt, well, this is the place. Our suite was complete with a full kitchen, a large sauna (yes, in the room), gourmet snacks, and a fireplace warming the living room lounge that faces the star of every Swiss show, the Matterhorn. We had a private patio overlooking the town, complete with an oval-design outdoor bathtub and hand-poured scrubbing salts.