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Gstaad Palace or The Alpina Gstaad?
Gstaad Palace and The Alpina Gstaad are both five-star superior hotels on the slope above the village, both run a shuttle into Gstaad, and both end their winter season on 7 March 2027. Each has a full spa, pools inside and out and a kids' club. The real difference is scale and style. The Palace is the turreted grand hotel of 1913, with 90 rooms, six restaurants, four bars and a jacket rule at dinner. The Alpina, opened in 2012, is a large modern chalet of 56 rooms, each with its own terrace.
The Palace suits families with children aged 5 to 12, who get a kids' club with a weekly programme, and guests who want the full grand-hotel routine and a summer week by the 50 m outdoor pool. The Alpina suits couples and families with younger children who prefer a quieter, smaller house, a Six Senses spa with a 25 m pool, and two restaurants with 16 points in Gault&Millau 2027. Neither is on the slopes, so skiers at both start the day with the hotel shuttle.
Gstaad · 5-star superior
Gstaad Palace
The turreted grand hotel above Gstaad, run by one family for three generations, for families and guests wanting everything on site.
Choose it if you want the classic grand hotel on its own hill, a kids’ club for ages 5 to 12 and six restaurants to choose from.
Gstaad · 5-star superior
The Alpina Gstaad
A five-star chalet hotel above Gstaad with a Six Senses spa and a 25 m pool, for couples and families.
Choose it if you want a smaller hotel of 56 rooms, a Six Senses spa and two restaurants with 16 Gault&Millau points.
Side by side
| Fact | Gstaad Palace | The Alpina Gstaad |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Gstaad | Gstaad |
| Classification | 5-star superior | 5-star superior |
| Rooms | 90 | 56 |
| Skiing | Hotel shuttle to the lifts | Hotel shuttle to the lifts |
| Pool | Indoor and outdoor pools | Indoor and outdoor pools |
| Spa | Spa | Spa |
| Kids’ club | Yes | Yes |
| Gault&Millau 2027 | Le Grill 16 | Megu 16, Monti 16 |
| Drive to Glacier 3000 | 22 min | 23 min |
| Dinner | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Dogs | Welcome | Welcome |
| Season | Winter season from 15 December | Winter season from 11 December |
| Book through | Expedia or the hotel | Expedia or the hotel |
Drive times are routed without traffic or snow. Checked October 2026.
Where they differ
Rooms and size
Gstaad Palace has 90 rooms in a white castle with turrets, and the public spaces are generous because the hotel once had twice as many. The Alpina Gstaad has 56 rooms and suites in a chalet built in local stone and old wood, and every one of them has a private terrace. The Palace feels like a grand hotel; the Alpina feels like a very large private house.
Food
Gstaad Palace has six restaurants and four bars, led by Le Grill with 16 points in Gault&Millau 2027, plus fondue in a former bank gold vault. Men need a jacket after 19.00 in Le Grill and the veranda. The Alpina Gstaad has fewer places to eat but two of them score 16 points in Gault&Millau 2027: Megu, Japanese, and Monti, Italian sharing plates, with a Swiss Stübli as well.
Spa and pools
Gstaad Palace has a 1,800 m² spa free for guests, a 29 °C indoor pool and, in summer, the 50 m outdoor pool from 1928. The Alpina Gstaad has the Six Senses Spa, the brand's first in Switzerland, with a 25 m indoor pool, a hammam, hot and cold plunge pools and a heated outdoor pool in gardens by Jean Mus.
Season
Gstaad Palace opens on 15 December 2026 and The Alpina Gstaad on 11 December, and both close on 7 March 2027 while the lifts keep running. The Palace reopens for summer from 20 June to 5 September 2027. The Alpina has not yet published its summer 2027 dates, so a summer plan there needs checking with the hotel.
Questions
Is Gstaad Palace or The Alpina Gstaad closer to the ski lifts?
Neither is on the slopes. Gstaad Palace runs a shuttle into Gstaad, and The Alpina Gstaad runs a free shuttle from 9.00 to midnight to the Eggli, Wispile and Wasserngrat lifts. At both, every ski day starts with a short drive.
Do Gstaad Palace and The Alpina Gstaad have kids' clubs?
It depends on age. Gstaad Palace's Kids' Club takes children aged 5 to 12, and 3 to 5 with an adult. The Alpina's Tree House Club also looks after children, and those under 4 must be accompanied. Families with school-age children have the longer programme at the Palace.
Do Gstaad Palace and The Alpina Gstaad open in summer?
Gstaad Palace opens from 20 June to 5 September 2027, when its 50 m outdoor pool is in use. The Alpina Gstaad has not yet published summer 2027 dates, so confirm with the hotel before planning a summer stay.
Other comparisons
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