As the last town before the Gotthard Pass, Andermatt, Switzerland, at 1437 metres became a popular spa town until the Gotthard tunnel was finished in 1881 and people stopped coming over the pass. In 1885 the Swiss Army then took over the location and it became a garrison town. During the 1990s the army started to leave and the town became a blank canvas for the next chapter. Enter the multi-billionaire Samih Sawiris who started a huge project to develop Andermatt, with the Chedi being the first new hotel to be built, the Chedi finally opened its doors in 2013.
Chedi Design
The hotel was designed by the architect Jean-Michel Gathy in an Alpine-Asian style, unlike any other hotel in the Alps. I was not sure how an Alpine-Asian style might look or if it would even work, but it works extraordinarily well. With a mix of clean Asian lines, open spaces, high ceilings, neutral colours and natural light the interior design really explores tranquillity and balance through its use of natural materials and textures of wood, stone and fabrics.
This Alpine-Asian mashup carries on through to the 119 rooms and suites of the Chedi. The Chedi covers quite a large footprint with various connected wings, so it feels more like a village of luxury houses rather than the traditional huge Swiss palace hotels. The rooms and suites spread across these different wings provide outstanding views of the surrounding mountains and Andermatt village itself from the Gemsstock, the Schöllenen gorge, the Nätschen and the Oberalp area.
Our suite was vast and felt like a large City apartment in the Alps, with dark Alpine wood furniture, leather armchairs and sofas and light Alpine timber walls, we were right at home.
The dressing room corridor leading to the very spacious bathroom made for a delightful experience when using the luxurious bath or vast rain shower to get ready for the evening; and of course the large amount of storage space is always welcome on winter trips with all of our equipment.
We had a tour of the various apartments at the Chedi, and the common theme was the homely feel of each space. From large timber baths and sinks in the bathrooms, cosy giant sofas positioned by 360 log fires to large family-sized dining spaces and floor-to-ceiling windows to let in the natural light and let one take in the breathtaking high altitude landscape this is uber luxury with a cosy touch.
Chedi Cuisine
With the choice of five different restaurants, there is something for everyone. ‘The Restaurant’ with 14 Gault Millau points has four visible kitchens serving European and Asian cuisine, the breakfast is served here and there is pretty much anything that you desire.
‘The Japanese Restaurant’ serves authentic Japanese cuisine including sushi and sashimi which has won the restaurant a Michelin star and 17 Gault Millau points. The Chedi also has ‘The Japanese by the Chedi Andermatt’ up on the mountain at the “Gütsch” mountain station at 2,300m, this also has a Michelin star and Gault Millau points too.
In the winter months ‘The Chalet’ is open and it serves traditional Alpine cuisine from fondue to raclette, make sure to book this for at least one evening. One can also order culinary delights at ‘The Bar and Living Room’ perfect for Apres-Ski, ‘The Lobby’, ‘The Courtyard’ and at the ‘The Pool’ bar as well.
Chedi Spa
The Spa and Health Club covers a whopping 2400m². The Chedi has an impressive 35-metre lap pool with a glass roof and plenty of relaxation beds as well as a 12-metre heated outdoor pool. Down below the pool area, the spa has an extensive selection of various saunas, steam baths, and a hammam as well as a collection of plunge pools set at varying temperatures as well as one of the coldest plunge pools I have experienced, great to get the blood flowing after a day on the mountain. Following on the Asian theme the spa treatments available delve into traditional Asian healing treatments.
Samih Sawiris is investing further in Andermatt alongside new investment from Vail Resorts, so the town and ski area are going to see some huge improvements and upgrades over the coming years. The Chedi like a figurehead is leading this charge with their style, design and service; they have certainly set the bar high for the next chapter of Andermatt.
The Chedi Andermatt
Gotthardstrasse 4
6490 Andermatt
Switzerland
