We have stayed at the Alex five or six times now. We would never stay anywhere else in Zermatt. Granted the decoration is weird enough to give you nightmares but we think that is the charm of the place. We go with our teenage sons and they bring a friend each - so four boys in one room aged from 20 to 16. The staff still manage to turn their beds down and get into the bathroom to clean even though it is pretty much an impossibility! The food is absolutely delicious and the staff are lovely, especially if you engage with them. It is terribly expensive everywhere in Zermatt, and we did once stay somewhere else when the Alex was full. It was a bit cheaper but so basic and unwelcoming that it wasn't worth the saving. We talk about staying at this hotel all year round and would definately recommend it.

My fiance and I stayed here for a week at the end of January 2011. It was one of the most romantic, perfect places we have ever stayed. The room was large but cozy, with a balcony view of the Matterhorn. The staff was so friendly and accomodating, speaking English, French and German. We ate dinner every night in the hotel restaurant downstairs and the food was simply incredible! Thank you so much, Hotel Alex for a vacation we will never forget. We'll be back soon!

****p.s. Huge Bonus: a beautiful, tranquil spa with jacuzzi, pool, multiple steam rooms, solarium and massage!

Hotel is nicely situated (essentially next to the train station & right off the main street), so very easy to get to & access the town. The indoor pool/whirlpool & in-room jacuzzi were especially welcome after a long day of skiing. Service is generally quite good, but not always consistent. Room cleaning/turn down was excellent, front desk was sometimes great & restaurant staff tried very hard, but was overworked. The interior decoration made the biggest impression: it's just bizarre. I'm an architect so can appreciate avant-garde or vernacular styles, but I didn't get it. Had a junior suite, but the parlor/sitting room was so uninviting that it just became a repository for our drying ski clothes.

The restaurant is quite nice (dinner & breakfast are included). The dinner menu/approach changes daily (had huge salad/appetizer buffet the first night, but was replaced the second night by 2 additional served courses), so lots of variety & interesting dishes. Food was well-prepared & wait staff really tried. However, there was a lot of inconsistency in service.

All this does not come cheap. Paid more than $500/night for double occupancy. Granted Zermatt is expensive & it included half-board, but not sure if there isn't better value elsewhere. If part of the price is based on the unique experience provided by the hotel setting/interior, I'm not sure I would pay for that privilege again.

PS. The double bed is 2 twins pushed together, so we kept on falling through the crack in the middle of the night. Supposedly it is a regional thing, but don't recall having it in Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna, etc...

We enjoyed our stay at the Alex and had a lovely relaxing few days with glorious weather. Our room was nicely appointed with a beautiful view of the village and the mountains, we were up on the 5th floor. We made good use of the swimming pool every morning which is a lovely facility and was very quiet, however our trip to the gym was less successful as it is not fantastically equipped. Unlikely to bother most people wanting a relaxing stay or a walking trip in the mountains! The breakfast buffet was not the best we have experienced but perfectly satisfactory. We did not experience lunch or dinner in the hotel. The slight let down for us with this hotel was the staff who just didn't seem particularly friendly or welcoming. There was no sense of warmth from the reception staff when we made an enquiry, and the breakfast staff made us feel a little as if we were intruding. The only big negative for me was the hotel's refusal to lend us an iron. This was apparently due to safety issues, something clearly every other hotel I have ever stayed at has disastrously overlooked!! They kindly offered to charge me a fortune to iron my shirt, an offer I politely declined. We very much appreciated the free internet though. Overall the hotel is in a fantastic location and we would recommend it.