The Hotel Kirchbuhl in Grindelwald, Switzerland is an excellent place to stay. The service, accommodation and friendliness is like being at home. The location is breathtaking and perfect for winter sports or sightseeing.

I have been staying at this hotel and its apartments for so many years that I am almost too close to write a review. But the fact that we come back to this hotel every summer now for 7 years says it all. The location is wonderful -- away from the touristy main street, the best views of the mountains I've ever had, no traffic noise, and in the midst of meadows full of wild flowers for half the summer. I didn't like Grindelwald when I first stayed on the main street, I love it now!

The rooms range from brand-new, large, overlooking the Eiger with Swiss decor and balconies, to small, pokey singles in the back, but with their own baths and balconies. I think they range from 3 to 5 star, which is why I gave it a 4-star rating. I would not book the cheapest single, but I have had friends who stayed in them and were content. The hotel also has a number of apartments ranging from 3 to 5 star, and that's what we prefer for our long stays. They are comfortable, quiet, and all with superb views.

The food is one of the reasons why we can eat so often at the restaurant. There are 3 main restaurants, the Marmite with continental cuisine, the Hilty Stubli for Swiss favorites, and the Rose Room for people on half board. But there are actually 5 menus: the Marmite, the stubli, the daily five-course half-board menu that anyone can order, a seasonal menu, and an Asian menu. You can eat out on the terrace in the summer and the staff isn't terribly fussy about mixing the menus if people in your party want selections from different menus. They also have an excellent wine menu and at reasonable prices.

Although we have stayed in a deluxe room in the hotel, most of our experience has been in the apartments which are ideal if you want to do some cooking and/or have children or a family group. They are well stocked for making meals of spaghetti, pizza, and anything else you can buy in the village stores.

The hotel is 4-star and as many hoteliers complain, people often expect 5-star service from a 4-star hotel. We and friends who have stayed here have found the staff very flexible and very willing to accommodate any reasonable request. We find them very friendly and efficient, but there are apprentices, and if you run into someone who isn't totally fluent in English, French, or German, then ask to see someone else. The weak link in the staff is one porter as has been noted. He is someone who can't be fired, and if you run into him, you simply make your request and don't wait for service. A second porter is one of the hardest working people I have ever met.

The standards of cleanliness in the rooms and apartments are the highest you can find anywhere. When I move into an apartment I know that every shelf, every drawer, everything will be clean.

This is a leisure hotel, not a business hotel, but if you have need for internet access beyond the computers in the lobby, talk to the staff. On the other hand, what you don't find in most business hotels is access to washing machines. This is another advantage to staying in an apartment, and you have full access to all hotel services in an apartment.

The biggest drawback? Possibly the location. It's a walk of about a kilometer downhill to the main village street through meadows and a deadend road. Pleasant going downhill, but can seem a long way going back up. But you can arrange for the hotel van to pick you up -- or take you down.

The hotel does take groups, but what I like is that large groups are accommodated for meals in a separate dining room. You might on occasion run into a crush if you want breakfast at the dot of 7, but not often. You never feel as if you are staying in a group hotel.

From the beginning we have found the staff and the Brawand family to be hospitable, friendly, efficient, and all in all one of the reasons why we keep on returning year after year. And to our surprise, nearly all of the friends who have visited us here, also continue to return year after year!

We loved the views from our room. The restaurant was the weakest portion of the hotel. Oner disadvantage to small (2) travelers is the inclusion of larger groups travelilng. Service from the front desk staff was excellent.

Fantastic apartment with three bedrooms, kitchen, toilet level of 4 stars.

A superb view towards the snow in the summer time.
The village is very calm and nice for o relax, or exercise walking