Nine new hotels from Arosa to Montreux

Mona, Montreux VD

The Eurotel became a special landmark of Montreux 57 years ago, in the same year as the Jazz Festival. After a thorough facelift and careful renovation, combined with a new lifestyle focus, the 16-storey tower has definitely shed the patina of the 1960s.

The Mona Montreux was reopened on 24 March with four stars superior, only 154 rooms, a private marina and a sundeck with whirlpool. It is located directly on Lake Geneva, a stone's throw from the congress centre. www.mona-montreux.ch

Mad Retreat, Haute Nendaz VS

The Valais holiday resort of Nendaz is better known for its rustic chalets than for its high-profile hotels. However, the Mad Retreat, a wellness hotel with an exciting concept, has been welcoming its first guests since 19 July.

The facts: 45 rooms, saunas, yoga chalet, heated outdoor pool and purely vegetarian cuisine. Three meals a day are included in the accommodation price, as are activities such as forest bathing, yoga and Pilates. There are many quiet corners in this hotel, where wood is the dominant building material, guaranteeing peace and quiet for those seeking relaxation. And there is no noise from children. Anyone checking in must be at least 14 years old. www.madretreat.ch

Grandhotel Belvedere, Wengen BE

The Beaumier Group is shaking up the accommodation industry on the Lauberhorn: On 16 September, the first five-star hotel in Wengen opens, at least in part. The French have merged the Hotel Waldrand (built in 1898) and the listed Belvedere (1904) and operate the duo as the Grandhotel Belvedere.

The architects have combined the local and Art Nouveau elements that are so prevalent in the hotels with contemporary design. The 90 rooms and suites promise a great deal of cosiness, while the restaurants and bars offer a high-quality menu influenced by the region. The onsen-like spa, which is housed in a separate, very modern building between the two hotel sections and sets new architectural standards in somewhat sleepy Wengen, could become the landmark of the grand hotel. www.beaumier.com

Essential by Dorint, Interlaken BE

The name says it all. Since 1 April, guests at the new hotel near Interlaken-West railway station have been able to find the essentials they need for a successful stay between Lakes Thun and Brienz: 94 rooms and suites as well as 21 flats.

Breakfast buffet? Yes. Evening restaurant, wellness center, or extensive meeting facilities? No. Instead, guests are greeted by the suggestion of a rocky landscape in the spacious lobby—a stunning homage to the majestic peaks of the Bernese Oberland. The Essential by Dorint manages the balancing act between functionality and design, and the hotel, which is housed in a new development, is a welcome addition to Interlaken's hotel world. www.dorint.com

BelArosa Chalet, Arosa GR

This house sets new standards in terms of individuality: just in time for Christmas, a dozen chalets are opening in Arosa - all under one roof. The two-storey residential units with up to 210 square metres offer the advantages of a luxurious holiday home behind old wood façades, guaranteeing absolute privacy, but also the amenities of a five-star hotel. A team led by hostess Meike-Cathérine Bambach, who has already gained experience with a very special hotel concept at the Paradies in Ftan, provides the appropriate service. Sensational in the BelArosa Chalet: five infinity pools with a special view of the alpine surroundings. www.belarosa-chalet.ch

Sunstar Hotel, Pontresina GR:

No traditional reception, no cash transactions and no tedious half-board options – just seamless digital communication and the greatest possible freedom for guests: The Sunstar Swiss Hotel Collection launched an exciting future with the Sunstar Pontresina on 18 June. The former La Collina was completely renovated and a new building was added.

Guests, most of whom are younger and urban, can retreat to the 44 lofts and double rooms and two flats or hang out in the Mountain Lounge and on Pontresina's most beautiful terrace. Eva Leitner and Noémie Ruckstuhl, two young hotel managers, run the innovative hotel. All hospitality laws are not ignored at the Sunstar Hotel Pontresina after all: The breakfast buffet is more than respectable! www.sunstar.ch

Post Hotel Löwe, Mulegns GR

The cricket pitch has long since disappeared and the hotel's own power station is just a reminder, but the Post Löwe in Mulegns between Savognin and the Marmorera dam is a work of art in its own right and has been welcoming guests in five double rooms and two suites since last Tuesday.

Until the First World War, the hotel on the Julierstrasse welcomed international celebrities and princesses who wanted to get used to the altitude on their stagecoach journey to the Engadin in the Oberhalbstein. The stately ensemble gradually fell into disrepair and now belongs to a very active foundation that does a lot of good in the region. The reconstruction and renovation work cost almost seven million francs and was made possible thanks to contributions from foundations and mountain aid organisations www.origen.ch

B5 Boutique Hotel, Lugano TI

The unspectacular Albergo Stella on Via Francesco Boromini near Lugano's main railway station has been transformed into an urban design oasis with 20 curated rooms. Alexandra and Daniel Hahne's property is now called the B5 Boutique Hotel and forms a successful contrast to the more traditional hotel industry on Lake Lugano.

The Albergo was opened in 1923 and became a popular neighbourhood meeting place thanks to the bathing facilities for local residents. A new era dawned on 1 June. The local architect Dario Franchini has not only harmonised old and new beautifully, but has also equipped the B5 Boutique Hotel in such a way that it can completely do without fossil fuels thanks to massive insulation, heat pumps and photovoltaics. Insider tip: breakfast with Ticino delicacies on the beautiful terrace! www.b5hotel.ch

Appenzeller Huus Quell, Gonten AI

Wherever hotel entrepreneur Jan Schoch is, superlatives are not far away: his third project, the Appenzeller Huus Quell, which opens in December in Gonten AI with 30 rooms, will be the first five-star (superior) hotel in Appenzellerland. Timber construction luminary Hermann Blumer designed the Huus Quell. Wellness, lifestyle and culinary delights are the programme. It boasts the most beautiful yoga platform in the country and provides an instagrammable superlative thanks to the spectacular infinity pool on the roof. It also boasts one of the largest hotel wine cellars in Switzerland and one of the most sophisticated wellness concepts.

Day guests can also romp around in the outdoor and indoor wellness oasis with sauna worlds. Schoch's small empire, which includes the tried-and-tested Huus Bären and Huus Löwen, will now definitely become an outstanding holiday resort in Eastern Switzerland! www.appenzellerhuus.ch