The Chedi - Andermatt

With Premium coach tours like this, something special always hangs in the air: expectation. It was particularly high among the participants and me alike. After all, we are heading to “The Chedi” in Andermatt – no everyday luxury hotel.

With two well-filled Setra coaches from the new Car Rouge fleet, we storm the Alps after a short stop at the Gotthard service area. Around early noon we are at 1,447 metres above sea level. This is where I did my military service some 29 years ago. After the Schöllenen Gorge, a quick glance to the left confirms that the barracks are still standing, though now surrounded by scaffolding.

Otherwise, the sleepy Andermatt of back then is barely recognisable. Of all people, an Egyptian entrepreneur named Samih Sawiris set out to implement a project that was first criticised and then widely acclaimed – and to do so sustainably. 96% of the population are said to have supported him, and around 80% of the 500 residential units have already found an owner. We also take a guided tour that brings the “Andermatt Swiss Alps” project closer to us. First by means of a model in the info centre, then in real life. At the freshly laid-out new piazza in the Andermatt Reuss holiday village, we then view two apartments.

A word on property prices. They start at CHF 10’000.- per square metre. The first apartment is on the 8th floor of the Radisson Blu Reussen, with a great view. What stands out about the architecture is that tradition, mountains and nature are combined with modern construction and technology. Materials such as wood and natural stone, which occur naturally in the mountains, are preferred.

You surely want to know how I liked the property and whether I would buy it? Since that is out of the question anyway given my current bank balance, I will remark first that for that kind of money I would rather have Lake Geneva in front of me. But that is only my opinion. The second apartment, on the ground floor of a residential building on the piazza, is available for three quarters of a million.

Next, we pop into the new concert hall, with a capacity for a maximum of 650 visitors. As Sawiris plays the piano himself and has a great affinity for music, the acoustics there should be among the best in the Alpine region.

After a little free time comes the eagerly awaited moment: check-in at “The Chedi”. #1114 is my home for the next night. My impression: you could stay here much longer. The eye-catcher is the seductively freestanding bathtub in the bathroom. The finest materials, quartz floors, various lighting compositions and the Asian touch delight me, as does the large balcony. Almost everything in the room can be controlled with an iPad. Only changing clothes I have to do myself. I do so straight away and head to the spa area to relax and swim. Wonderful!

In the evening, an aperitif and a concert in the Gotthard Hall of the Chedi with the “Stars of Tomorrow” are on the programme. Jardena Flückiger, herself a soprano and Car Rouge music tour guide, guides us charmingly through the musical menu, which offers highlights from operas by Rossini, Mozart, Puccini, Wagner and Bizet, among others. Long-lasting applause sends the musicians off. An appetisingly presented four-course dinner at “The Restaurant” rounds off the evening, which some guests prolong a little at the hotel bar.

The next morning we have time to enjoy the hotel’s amenities. This starts with the oversized breakfast buffet, which leaves nothing to be desired and is open until 11 am. In the finest weather, a short hike to the Devil’s Bridge and on through the Schöllen Gorge to Göschenen is then on the programme.

When the guests arrive at the legendary Devil’s Bridge, a picnic prepared by the “Devil’s Hand” is already waiting. Together with Loris Plozza, Daniel Dicke and Armin Portner, I look after the well-being of the travellers. We all enjoy a hearty tasting. A grappa or a limoncello must not be missing either, so that the walkers are fortified for the last stage to Göschenen.

Hours later, the Chedi is already history, and we travel back to our boarding points, thrilled and full of new impressions.