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Ermitage Wellness & Spa Hotel or Golfhotel Les Hauts de Gstaad?
The Ermitage in Schönried and the Golfhotel Les Hauts de Gstaad in Saanenmöser have a lot in common. Both are family-run, both are open all year, and both build the stay around a spa and dinner in the house. The difference is emphasis. The Ermitage is a five-star where the spa is the reason to come: about 3,700 m² of it, with a 35 °C saltwater brine pool that runs indoors and out. The Golfhotel is a four-star superior with a smaller 1,000 m² spa, and it sits at Saanenmöser station, three minutes' walk from the Saanersloch lifts.
The Ermitage suits couples on a spa week and families travelling across several generations: suites go up to 87 m², most bookings include breakfast, a light lunch, afternoon cakes and dinner, and guided hikes and ski tours run on weekdays. The Golfhotel suits skiers, and families whose children want a kids' cinema and games after a day on the slopes. Half board, a free garage and the station on the doorstep make it easy to arrive by train or by car.
Schönried · 5-star
Ermitage Wellness & Spa Hotel
A five-star spa hotel in Schönried built around warm brine pools and seven saunas, with most meals included.
Choose it if the spa is the point: about 3,700 m², a warm outdoor brine pool and three-quarter board included.
Saanenmöser · 4-star superior
Golfhotel Les Hauts de Gstaad
A year-round four-star superior at Saanenmöser station, three minutes from the lifts, with a 1,000 m² spa and half board.
Choose it if you want to walk to the Saanersloch gondola in three minutes and still have a 1,000 m² spa and a 15 m pool.
Side by side
| Fact | Ermitage | Golfhotel |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Schönried | Saanenmöser |
| Classification | 5-star | 4-star superior |
| Rooms | Not confirmed | 57 |
| Skiing | Bus or car to the lifts | Lifts a short walk away |
| Pool | Indoor and outdoor pools | Indoor pool |
| Spa | Spa | Spa |
| Kids’ club | No | No |
| Gault&Millau 2027 | None | None |
| Drive to Glacier 3000 | 28 min | 31 min |
| Dinner | Three-quarter board in most bookings | Rates include half board, five courses from the menu |
| Dogs | Welcome | Welcome |
| Season | No closure published | No closure published |
| Book through | Hotel website | Expedia or the hotel |
Drive times are routed without traffic or snow. Checked October 2026.
Where they differ
Spa and pools
The Ermitage has the bigger water world: about 3,700 m², a 35 °C brine pool indoors and out, a 17 m outdoor sports pool and seven saunas and steam rooms in a mixed nude zone. The Golfhotel's 1,000 m² spa has a 15 m indoor pool of spring water at 28 °C, a sauna park with a hay sauna, and a separate sauna where swimwear is worn. Its sauna park opens only from 14:00 on weekdays.
Skiing
The Golfhotel is three minutes' walk from the Saanersloch lifts up to the Saanerslochgrat ski area, with a ski school meeting point five minutes away and a guests-only lunch deck at the valley station. At the Ermitage the lifts are close, but you do not ski to the hotel. It runs guided ski tours Monday to Friday instead, and cross-country tracks start at the door of both hotels.
Food
Most Ermitage bookings include three-quarter board: breakfast, a soup and salad lunch, the afternoon cake table and dinner in one of eight themed Stuben. The Golfhotel lists its rates with half board, and dinner is five courses chosen from a menu shared by three restaurants, among them the Bärengraben with its century-old bear murals. Both suit guests who are happy to eat in most nights.
Families
The Ermitage has family suites of up to 87 m², a playroom and a games room, though its sauna world is nude and 16 to 18-year-olds need an adult with them there. The Golfhotel has family rooms, a kids' cinema and games, and the ski school meeting point a few minutes away, which works well for families with children learning to ski.
Questions
Which is closer to the ski lifts, the Ermitage or the Golfhotel?
The Golfhotel. It sits at Saanenmöser station, three minutes' walk from the Saanersloch lifts. The Ermitage is close to the lifts in Schönried, but you cannot ski to the hotel, and it is about five minutes' walk from the station.
Do the Ermitage and the Golfhotel include meals?
Mostly, yes. Most Ermitage bookings include breakfast, a light lunch, afternoon cakes and dinner, although some room categories are breakfast only. The Golfhotel lists its rates with half board, with a five-course dinner chosen from the menu.
Can you wear a swimsuit in the saunas at the Ermitage or the Golfhotel?
Not at the Ermitage: its sauna world is a mixed nude zone where swimwear is not allowed. The Golfhotel has a sauna park and also a separate sauna where swimwear is worn, so it is the easier choice if you prefer to stay covered.
Sources: ermitage.ch, ermitage.ch, ermitage.ch, ermitage.ch, ermitage.ch, ermitage.ch, ermitage.ch, golfhotel.ch.