l The hotel rooms are designed so that the views take centre stage
Sophia Loren lived there, Audrey Hepburn was married in the chapel, Charlie Chaplin was a regular visitor and Sean Connery’s James Bond dropped by in Goldfinger. Now the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne has been transformed to appeal to a new generation of visitors passing through the Swiss Alps.
The iconic resort has had a soft re-opening after nine long years of construction and renovations, with its Qatari owners claiming to have overseen “the project of the century.”
The refreshed resort, located 500m (1,600ft) above Lake Lucerne, includes more than 30 buildings, with four hotels, 10 restaurants and bars, a museum, a cinema, a 10,000sq m (108,000sq ft) Alpine Spa and an infinity pool overlooking the lake.
Developer Katara Hospitality has invested at least CHF550m (US$565m, €480m, £426m) in the project, which includes both new build and renovation elements.
The 102-bedroom, five-star Bürgenstock Hotel, designed by Rüssli Architekten, and the Waldhotel medical hotel, designed by Italian architect Matteo Thun, have been built from scratch, while existing buildings, including the Taverne 1879 and the Palace Hotel, have been retained but entirely remodelled.
The former Grand Hotel has been transformed into luxury apartments and the resort’s original chapel – where Hepburn wed actor Mel Ferrer – has been kept, as have the nine-hole golf course, ice skating rinks and Europe’s highest outdoor elevator, the Hammetschwand Lift, which brings guests up from the foot of the mountain.
MKV Design have created most of the hotel and spa interiors, except for the Waldhotel.
Speaking about their approach, MKV Design founder Maria Vafiadis told CLAD: “This resort used to be a destination that everyone in Central Europe knew about – from the aristocracy to cinema stars and politicians, so we had a lot of history to draw from.
“We also took inspiration from the lake and the water. In the Bürgenstock Hotel, the whole design is focused on the view, with all the rooms oriented to look onto the lake. You’re so high up, it’s like you’re in a helicopter – you get this sensation of flying. Because this can be a little bit intimidating for people, we’ve created an inviting, warm feeling of cosiness. The rooms are lovely timber boxes with a stone feature wall and a fireplace. You’re cocooned in the space, but you can enjoy the dramatic view from your sitting room or even from your bathtub.”
The resort’s spa – which will open later this year – has been enlarged by architecture firm Dierks & Sachs to almost five times its original size, with the extra space created by digging into the mountain itself.
The 7,000sq m (75,347 ft) interior space will feature floor-to-ceiling glass walls providing mountain views. Facilities include private bath chambers, a Turkish steam room, a panoramic sauna and a tranquillity room.
The 3,000sq m (32,291sq ft) spa space includes the resort’s famous original swimming pool, protected as a historical monument.
Aiming to introduce leading wellbeing facilities to provide ‘wellness without limits’ to guests, the concept has been driven by Bruno Schöpfer, hotelier and managing director of Katara Hospitality, who is responsible for some of the world’s best-known spas. He has previously said that “wellbeing is as much about the mind as the body, and this ethos is central to the design of the spa, creating a spiritual mountain-top haven.”
Vafiadis described the spa design as clean and modern, explaining “we’ve used local wood and local stone because we don’t want to distract from the location.”
“It had to be neutral and contemporary while making the most of the views,” she added.
The full grand opening of the resort will be held in Q1 2018.
The resort is situated 500m above Lake Lucerne. All of the guestrooms face the lake
Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer were married at the resort’s chapel in 1954.
London-based architecture and interiors firm MKV Design were responsible for most of the hotel and spa interiors
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
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