My wife and I have been to the Hotel National three times over the last seven years. It is a fine “époque” mid-sized hotel in Davos that has a certain traditional Swiss charm to it.

Previously Hotel National was run by a local family, and had a very dedicated clientele who had been coming to the hotel for years. The hotel now is under new management (for over a year now), and the couple who are managing the hotel are doing a great job. (They used to run The Esplanade Hotel up the hill, which is now being converted to luxury flats).

The National is part of a small Swiss hotel group, and this has implications (both pro and con), but it also has resulted in a bit of upgrading and refreshing to the house.

They have updated the furnishing and décor of the guestrooms. Previously the rooms were a bit dated – but in a quaint Swiss way. The new “look” has kept the best features (the lovely old pine-wood walls and cupboards) but have updated the rest with more modern furnishings, flat screen TV’s and so on… nicely done. The bed was very comfortable with fine linens, and the new pillows and blankets give it some style. The rooms were spotlessly clean and tidy, and additionally they have also completely replaced all the older windows, so no more drafts and super quiet. (This was especially helpful when the snow removal trucks were working outside in the night!)

The public areas of the hotel have not been renovated – but they are still very comfortable – especially the lounge with a big fireplace and complimentary coffee and cake every afternoon at 4PM. (mmmm!)

They have also just opened a new “après ski spa” - a great addition! There are a couple (personal sized) whirlpools, a steam room, a dry sauna, and sunroom with big windows to the adjoining park. It is all very modern, quiet, comfortable, and well designed.

For our stay we took both breakfast and dinner as a package.

Breakfast is buffet style, and you can also order eggs cooked to your specifications. The buffet itself is very good, with different breadstuffs, cheese, meats, fruits, cereal, muesli…, all very fine. There is now a big ugly “self service” automatic European coffee machine – one of my few critiques – as we used to enjoy getting a nice pot of coffee and another of warm milk on your table… but I guess that is “progress”. This is not really a problem, but somehow it is indicative of the need to optimize costs, and doesn’t quite fit with the up-scale image of a 4 star hotel.

Dinners are five course affairs. The portions are on the small side, but with five courses this was perfect. The quality of the cooking was fine, and there was always a meat and vegetarian options (important for us!). The chef was trying to be (just a bit!) innovative, so it seems the kitchen is also being renewed a bit. The main course still comes under silver domes, which are all lifted simultaneously… so there is still some nice traditions remaining.

The service throughout our stay was excellent. Friendly, helpful, and genuinely hospitable, it is clear that the new team is making efforts to re-establish the Hotel National in Davos, and it is also clear that they are now trying to broaden their client base to attract younger and international guests. We had a number of nice conversations with the staff, including the driver who drove us to the rail station and who has been working at the National for 14 years. We were impressed with their hospitality and professionalism (this is probably obvious from this review!).

Hotels in Davos are very expensive at the best of times, and the National is not an “ultra luxury” hotel; it is an honest traditional Swiss hotel in Davos with a focus on hospitality. The combination of the new team and the old hotel seems to be a delicate balancing act. The team is trying very hard to upgrade the house, its offerings, and its stylishness, while still respecting and promoting the tradition of the place. My wife and very much enjoyed our time at the Hotel National, and will certainly go back again in the future.