Last August, I decided to check off the number 1 item on my "bucket list: "go to Zermatt for the month of December." Because I'm a slightly physically-handicapped senior, single traveler, I wanted to stay in a small hotel or B & B that: was moderately priced in their "high" season," close to the business area, contained a restaurant with room service, had a view of the Alps, & included a regular breakfast in the nighly rate.

Friends of mine at the US Olympic Committee, suggested that there was one place that met all my needs: Beau Rivage. It's owned and operated by Max and Karin Julen. Max is the 1984 Olympic gold medalist in giant slalom. For some reason, when I learned of our connection, there was no question in my mind about where I'd like to stay.HOWEVER, though I checked availability for a single room for the month of December not only with THIS website but a dozen more as well, I always got the message that there was "no availability." I was trying to make my reservations for December in August, and I finally realized that I've lived long enough to know that the likelihood this hotel had no occupancy 3 months in advance was slight. I faxed Max with my needs and he emailed me back a confirmation. The lesson here is that if you want a particular property that unavailable online, don't give up. Either talk to the website over the phone (if they display a telephone number) or call the property yourself.

When you arrive at the Zermatt railroad station, call the hotel from the Tourist Bureau right outside the station (or by cellphone), Max will provide free transportation for you. If you take a taxi, you'll pay $12 for a 4-block trip!

This charming couple and their wonderful staff helped me feel right at home from the moment I stepped through the front door! There's nothing they won't do for you to make your stay comfortable and memorable.

The free ski buses stop right in front of the hotel to take you to one of many ski areas and you get a 10 percent discount at the ski rental shop right next door to the hotel so there's no need to bring any of your own equipment.The hotel's well-equipped spa is available almost 24/7 and after a day out on the slopes, what could be better to relax those muscles? By the way, you can leave that bulky robe at home because you have one and bedroom slippers supplied in your room!

My lovely single room had an unbelievablly beautiful view of the valley surrounded by the snow-capped Alps but many of the suites and double rooms have perfect views of the Matterhorn. Because every room in the hotel has a balcony, I was able to go to the grocery store and buy cheese and yogurt for my afternoon snacks which I kept outside in my personal "refrigerator." Another item I could leave at home was my hairdyer..there's one in every well-equipped bathroom as well as a well-supplied mini-bar. T"he room was meticulously and miraculously cleaned while I was at breakfast! Every day, I got fresh linens, a good dusting, and everything else I needed to keep the room fresh and inviting.One of the lovely staff members also made the rounds at night to see if I needed anything before I turned in.

The breakfast is not only hardy, it's sumptuous! You can opt to have eggs any way you like them with and bacon or ham, complimented by a variety of freshly-baked breads (including melt-in-your-mouth croissants), cereals, muesli, fresh fruit, yogurt, juices,jams, jellies, cheeses, spreads and coffee or tea. You simply can't get any better than THAT!

Because Beau Rivage is located on the banks of the river that runs through the town, you can easily find your way back home no matter where you walk. I walked miles and miles every day and, because I have NO sense of direction, I would either look for the river or the steeple of the Catholic Church just up the street from the hotel. I never got lost trying to find my way back "home."

Talk about incredible food! The restaurant on the street level of the property is unique in all of Zermatt! The chef cooks most meat courses over an open flame, wood-driven fire in the centrally-located fireplace. Fresh vegetables abound in mid-winter ! How much fresher can your trout be than being fished out of the huge tank of live fish after you order it and cooked right there in the kitchen? The restaurant was only open in the evenings when I first arrived, but on Dec. 23, it opened at 11 a.m. and stayed open all day until closing time around 11. After eating at a lot of other places in and around town, I realized that not only was this food the best food, but it was also the most moderately-priced.

Karin kept me well-informed about Christmas music activities in the area because I told her how much I loved seasonal music, however, there's not much to do in Zermatt if you're looking to be entertained. The movie theatre that had been renovated was closed; to my knowledge, there aren't any dinner shows showcasing Swiss yodelers or folk music or folk dance; and no tours of businesses like dairies.

You CAN hire a sled complete with driver, horses and jingle bells to take you on a short ride; go ice-skating or play hockey on two world-class rinks; take a wonderful 30-minute train ride up to the top of Gornergrat Mountain visit the Matterhorn Museum; or take a short tour of the fascinating graveyard containing the remains of Matterhorn climbers who died there chasing their dreams.

If you take the Gornergrat train, either eat lunch at the top of the mountain (which gives you incredible views of the Matterhorn) or get off at Riffleberg when the train stops to let skiers disembark at their favorite ski runs. My lunch of chicken nuggets and french fries was the perfect lunch while watching the skiers/snowboarders do their thing.

Although I speak only a few words in German, I didn't have any problem communicating with the staff, the tourists,or service personnel at stores in town. Many service workers speak English or at least they understand English and can answer your question in some manner you can comprehend. The afternoon front desk person spoke English, French, German, Swiss German and Russian! I was in awe of all the people I met there who spoke at least the first four languages!

Though the Roman Catholic services are offered daily in Swiss German (or German), the English Church opens for the year around mid-December with clergy from Great Brilain's Anglican Church and closes at the end of August.

This town is EXPENSIVE! When I've traveled previously, one of the mementos I always took home for friends was magnets for no MORE than $3 a piece (and that's the fancy ones). They're small and easily stuffed down into my overloaded "going home" luggage. Well, in Zermatt the're almost $10 each, so I bought a few just a few and some incredible Swiss chocolates.

I had been advised to take an ATM card rather than travelers cheques or credit cards (most have a foreign transation fee). The Swiss Bank is 50 yards from Beau Rivage and they were quite accommodating in breaking into smaller denominations the $100 bills that spew out of their ATM in the outter entrance.

Why would you want to stay anywhere else in Zermatt?

We would stay here again in the junior suite. Well worth the extra money because the view was spectacular. We could view the mountain from our jacuzzi tub! We had a great time hiking in the area. Food in the restaurant was quite good.

It was a lovely experience staying in this small hotel. The staff were friendly and helpful. They picked us up and dropped us back at the train station. The room was a suite with a view of the matterhorn. We are a family of five so we had a double bed, sofa double bed and closet single bed in the two rooms of the suite. The staff set up the beds each evening. The next door Julen/ Roc sport were very helpful at getting us out on the slopes and the bus stop to the lifts is at the back door. The food was very tasty and the restaurant staff a pleasure. They made our children feel welcome, yet still provided great service. The centre piece of the main course is the open fire grill, with serving of the elements of the food by the team of waiters/ waitresses with flair. We had half board and were always very content. The breakfast was reliably nice.

This place is an absolute gem in a town where there are plenty of places to stay. When you arrive in Zermatt via train (no cars are allowed in town), free transfer in the hotel’s electric car is provided or if you’d like you could walk to the hotel as well (approximately 5-10 minutes). The hotel has a rustic charm as you enter the lobby which makes you feel at home. The hotel is not too big as some of the others in the area.

While the main area looks like a log cabin with dark wood, the rooms are bright and airy. I stayed in a junior suite room with amazing views of the Matterhorn. The suite is very big with two separate balconies with seating overlooking the Matterhorn (one from the living room and one from the master bedroom). It was incredible to wake up and see the sun hitting the tip of the Matterhorn. The living room area has a Murphy Style bed hidden in the closets if needed. There is plenty of room to move, store luggage, equipment (i.e., skis). The suite has parquet floors throughout which gave it an extra clean feel. The bathroom had a Jacuzzi with sliding windows looking into the master bedroom. This setup was perfect for relaxing while still being able to view the incredible scenery. There is a restriction on the tub’s use between 10pm – 8am as to not disturb the other guests.

The rate for the room included a buffet style breakfast with plenty to choose from (eggs, bacon, cereals, cold cuts, bread etc.). Aside from breakfast, I did not dine at the hotel restaurant as there are so many places to choose from in Zermatt.

There is a ski room where you can wait for the bus to transport you to the lifts during the winter season. You can also walk to the lifts or to one of the trains (matterhorn gotthard bahn) which can take you up the mountain. I recommend the 15 minute ride up to Gornergrat Peak.

Beau Rivage is conveniently located to restaurants, shops, grocery store yet far enough from the night life. The price is fantastic for its location. Yes, there are other fancier and flashier hotels to choose from but if you want to relax, have amazing views and be away from the masses, this is the place to be. I plan to return to Zermatt and will not hesitate to stay here again.