Zero2Sixty

Guarda Val in Graubünden

by Art on

Scores

Rating
Facilities (45%)
3.7
People (35%)
3.4
Value (15%)
3.6
Location (5%)
5.0

We wanted a nice, alpine retreat for 3-4 days to enjoy winter in the Swiss Alps. A place that has a wonderful lodge, warm, comfy rooms, great food and wine. The nice thing about Switzerland is that description fits hundred of places and you can pretty much choose one sight-unseen and be sure of a wonderful experience. We did have a recommendation from a friend for this resort and so reservation in-hand, off we went!

Our room was large with an en-suite bathroom and a great tub placed with a view of the alpine splendor. Lots of storage for winter clothing, a Nespresso coffee machine and complementary soft drinks in the fridge made this a very comfortable place to enjoy some time. While the bed was very comfortable, the limited choice of pillows spoiled it a bit however, not enough to complain about the overall experience. Covered parking proved to be a bit win too as we had about 80cm of snow while we were there!

The signature Guarda Val restaurant has a well-deserved one-star Michelin rating. During our stay we ate there once and really enjoyed the service, the food and the rustic atmosphere. However, the menu only changes weekly and is limited to two choices of starters, entrees and mains. In my case, I found one of the choices to be exactly what I wanted and enjoyed all three courses immensely. We canceled our other dinner there as the other choices were not to my liking. The good news is they also have a wonderful ‘traditional Swiss’ restaurant with and excellent menu full of amazing food. We had their classic fondu twice and both of us agreed it was one of the best we've had in Switzerland. It came with a special bread that was made for fondu (see photo) and they used special local cheeses.

Snowy valley at Guarda Val One of the highlights for us was having incredible groomed walking trails all over the area firm enough to walk in just hiking shoes, snow gaiters and trekking poles. They also had groomed tracks for nordic skiing as well and I was tempted to get back into this as I did a lot of it when I lived in Colorado. The outdoor experience was great exercise coupled with fantastic views while you walk along the trail with the strategically-located bench for resting. It all added up to one of the nicest winter trekking we’ve ever had.

If you're into skiing, bob-sledding, ice-skating, hockey or any other winter sport, this area (Lenzerheide) is the place to be and the Lenzerheide Ski Area is an amazing place if you are into downhill skiing or snowboarding. Guarda Val has a regular shuttle service to the ski are as well as to the town of Lenzerheide.

We will certainly keep this place on our list not just to recommend to others, but to come back to ourselves.

Hotel info: Maiensässhotel Guarda Val, Voa Sporz 85, Lenzerheide, 7078, GR, Switzerland (website)

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