Hotel in zona Oberbärglibach Wasserfall, Kandersteg

I had never heard of Kandersteg before and nor had anyone else that I spoke to about Switzerland but when I found this hotel on the Inghams website I decided to take a chance. I’m so glad I did! It is surrounded by mountains and just outside the small town and is both lovely, inside and out. We had two rooms, one ambience room for the children and we were upgraded to a suite, both rooms were spacious and very clean and had stunning views of the mountains. The inside pool was a big hit as was the snooker room and back from days out for tea and cake at 4pm a really nice little extra. Food was always going to be tricky as I’m the first to admit that I’m a bit fussy but the waiters were professional and friendly and always helpful with menu choices and swapping things around for us! Reception staff were very pleasant and picked us up and dropped us back to the train station when we arrived and departed. The only thing if I was being super picky would be the daily news, all written in German about the weather, things going on and menus for the evening. English guests seem to be the minority in the hotel which I am more than happy with but for when English guests are staying there, a copy in English would be really nice as we missed some of the important news for one of the evenings about a music night and then the waiters were surprised when we knew nothing about it! All in all a stunning location and perfect for day trips using the local buses, trains and cable cars

Firstly the positives. Great location, surrounded by mountains, very well appointed spa area, comfortable rooms, a variety of dining options and most importantly a very friendly staff. Good live singer in the evenings (does make for a rather retro 70s feel but fun!) We enjoyed our stay and would likely return and can recommend but also want to provide feedback in the hope it is useful for future improvement So why 4/5 and not 5/5? Due to comparing like for like, a property that is in the 5*L category and charges ＞800 chf a night (see reviews of The Park, The Chedi etc), details matter. The first night we went to the pre-booked restaurant (Spettacolo) and initially told we were booked elsewhere (Oh Vie) until I showed them the email confirmation - a table was found but our dietary restrictions were not conveyed. On the final night (4) we returned to Spettacolo - reservation was made for 7.45, we arrived promptly at 7.40. We ordered water (still) and two glasses of champagne- water arrived as sparkling 20mins later (we didn’t change), champagne 10 mins after that and still no menus. After asking for menus they arrived with the wine list - we waited and had to ask a passing staff member to take our order approx 8.20 (the table next to us had already been served wine, even though we arrived just slightly ahead of them) - order placed we waited for the wine, which required a further reminder. Then at 9.20 we received our main courses, no starters ever received - the waiter did apologize but by this time we preferred to move to the bar for French fries and cheese; we settled the bill and even though we mentioned that we would go to the bar, no help was offered to transfer our bottle of wine and we took it and the glasses with us by ourselves. These details matter and the hotel seems to lack that serious attention to detail, also in house keeping twice items were not replaced and once they forgot to leave floor mats. Finally, at a hotel of this calibre, one expects high quality cocktails, twice dry vodka martinis were anything but dry - hence the 4/5

Stunningly beautiful nature park with a beautiful hotel and lake in the middle. Whether walking around the lake exploring, or taking advantage of the hot tub, steam rooms or pool, this resort reeks of luxury. The staff was wonderful, very accommodating and the breakfast that was included was delicious.

We recently stayed 5 nights using Marriott points. Let me get out of the way that I am a Bonvoy Titanium Elite. Beware if you have elite status and book using points, you do not get get any of your usual benefits because the hotel is only affiliated with Marriott Bonvoy, not owned by Marriott. We were not thrilled to be charged 30 CHF pp for breakfast each morning for an average breakfast buffet but it was convenient and there were not a lot of other options around town since we stayed during the shoulder season. We found all of the staff to be extremely friendly and helpful. Specifically, Frederik at the front desk helped with dinner reservations and multiple other details that made our stay special. Another stand out was the tall gentleman with the beard at the bar (sorry I don’t remember his name) who not only made outstanding drinks but was over-the-top friendly and helpful on more than one occasion. The hotel charges 18 CHF per day for parking which I felt was reasonable since a valet parks and retrieves your vehicle as needed. The morning we departed, he even scraped the snow and ice off the windows before we started our slow, careful descent down the mountain. Our room was very comfortable perhaps the pillows being the only exception. We enjoyed the ‘just right’ mattress and good quality linens and towels, nice walk-in shower, Nespresso machine, balcony and daily water provided. We enjoyed the indoor/outdoor pool. Outdoor swimming with a winter mountain backdrop and a Prosecco in hand was something we’ve never experienced and found very exhilarating. The Cambrian is within walking distance of town and driving distance to several day trips. During our stay we drove to Unterdembirg waterfall, Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. As experienced travels, we enjoyed The Cambrian very much and would return but have experienced better in similar settings. That is why I give them 4 stars, not 5.

Sad to share that what used to be a proud, classic 5-star Swiss hotel experience now is reduced to an overpriced mediocre experience, at best. Through my stays during the past 15 years, I have witnessed a hotel fading to become a worn-down average 3-star hotel without proper staffing or attentive service, but fighting to stay in the five star range – at least when it comes to pricing. How about a 40$ simple gin & tonic in the bar? After you had to walk over to the front desk so they could try to locate a grumpy bartender. Twice! Breakfast was slow, even we were the two only guests. Ordered fried eggs and it took at least 15 mins for them to produce it. Coffee was semi-cold all three mornings. In general, the staff has severe problems communicating in English, so expect confusion and misunderstandings. If you are sensitive to mold, well, you should definitely choose another hotel. The pictures speaks for itself, this is next to the bed. In general, the lack of maintenance of the hotel is very visible. If you try the outdoor pool, look out for screws in the deck which have popped out everywhere. The so-called Turkish sauna barely broke out a sweat, and the ceiling was black of mold. Leukerbad is quite hilly, so dragging your luggage around is not ideal. We therefore ordered transport by the hotel minivan at 8:30 to the bus station the day before departure, to make our connection for journey back home. The transport was confirmed twice by the front desk. Checked out at 8:15 and sat down waiting for the transport, nobody came at agreed time (come on, this is Switzerland, right?), minutes went by, our bus was departing soon, went to ask the front desk, she was sorry, but the portier had took off with the van filled with luggage for a group that was departing later. No one could not drive us. She had no other suggestion, so instead of calling a taxi or try to help us in another way, she just continued doing nothing and yelled it was not her fault. We ended up running through the town with our bags and made our connection in less than a minute. A good advice; pick another hotel in otherwise amazing Leukerbad. Les Sources Des Alpes can no longer defend their stars – neither price. A 3-star at best.

Really lovely classic Swiss hotel. The staff are super and so friendly, nothing is too much trouble. The restaurant, Nico’s, has nice food but is quite fussy and not always what you want after a day in the mountains! It would be good if they did some simpler stuff - however there are other options if you walk into town. Would definitely recommend the hotel, and it’s a great base for all the walks in and around Kandersteg, and perfectly located for the x3 cable cars.