Hotel cervo
I’m a hotel designer. This is the best designed ski hotel I’ve ever been to. And one of the best designed hotels in the world. Hotel Cervo embodies being ‘cool’ without the tackiness of a W hotel. Its relaxing, different, and surprising. It truly is just the best hotel you could possibly stay at in Zermatt - here’s why.
Location: A-
It may not be smack in the center of the city, but it’s perched just high enough over the city, right at the end of a few ski runs, with some serious views over Zermatt and the Matterhorn. Plus, there’s an elevator and a tunnel that takes you directly into the town. Overall, we could not complain about the location.
Rooms: A-
So I’m not really sure which room in specific my mother ended up booking, but it was one of the funkiest rooms I’ve ever stayed in. There were two loft beds to go along with a queen size bed, a huge terrace with rocking chairs to take in the peek-a-boo views of the Matterhorn, and the finishing touches of the room itself was straight out of a magazine. Plus, they have clearly put a lot of thought into the clothing/storage needs of a winter vacationer here, with plenty of closet space and hooks for your jackets. All in all, a wonderfully thought out and gracefully appointed room.
Dining: A
Most immaculate breakfast I’ve ever had. Hands down. Ask me in 20 years. Answer will be the same. It isn’t immaculate in the sense that there’s a bajillion options like you’ll find in Vegas or Dubai breakfast/weekend brunch buffets. Its immaculate in its design, the choice of food options, and in the way in which the spaces are laid out. The breakfast is in a Moroccan-style restaurant by the lobby with (feel like I’ve said this too often but whatever) grand views of the Matterhorn, and the buffet portion of the breakfast is tucked away in its own room, complete with cut-it-yourself-with-intense-professional-meat-cutting-machines meats, cheeses, yogurts (with all the toppings you could want), fruits, jams, breads, etc. etc. And do yourself a favor. Have the bacon. I still think about it to this day. Its the best bacon in the world, no questions asked.
Beyond the breakfast, we had a burger and fondue at their apres-ski restaurant which were great. The truffle fries? Fantastic. There’s also an Italian restaurant which we didn’t try but looked super cute as well.
Amenities: A
A rock wall. Shuttle into town. Luxury vending machines. And an absolutely amazing spa complete with Mongolian-style yurts, aromatic teas, sauna, steam room, ice-bath (surrounded by snow to add to the chill effect) and a wonderful, heated infinity edge pool with sick views of the (you can guess at this point).
Service: B+
The service isn’t quite as on top of it as you’d expect from five-star properties, but they’re pretty close. They forgot about our arrival from the train so we were roaming for 20 minutes or so, and just generally speaking, they could have been ever so slightly more on top of their game. But, generally speaking, the service at Cervo was very good. The lady who runs the spa was especially great!
Scene
Loved it. One of my favorite parts of this hotel. Its posh and classy but with an artistic edge and quirk, which seeps into the clientele here. Its an eclectic mix of families, couples and groups of friends, and everyone was having a great time. And I mean, with a stay at the Cervo, how could you not.