We stayed at Le Grand Chalet for 7 days. We had two adjoining double rooms, one for my husband and I and one for our teenage children(15 & 18). We have stayed in several different mountain towns in Switzerland and felt that this hotel did not measure up to our other experiences. In the summer, the hotel did not seem to be a cosy family hotel at all as I read in previous reviews. It was more of a hostel for groups of hikers and mountaineers coming and going on a daily basis.The owners were very nice and helpful, but were only there part-time. Their staff was not nearly as helpful or friendly. In the owners' absence, it was very difficult to get answers to anything (directions, suggestions for restaurants, activities, how to mail a letter etc.). Our rooms were of an adequate size and tastefully furnished. The views over Leysin and the mountains were lovely. The lighting in the rooms, however, was abysmal. It was difficult to read in the room at night. The lampshades also had burn marks on them. The bathroom was tiny (not unusual for Europe), but here, the bathroom door would not close if the toilet seat was down! There was also no light in the shower when the curtain was closed and nowhere to hang the wet towels that they asked you to reuse to save energy. Newspaper was stuffed into the cracks in the walls (for insulation I guess??). The hotel is quite isolated at the very top of the village. It is only a 5 minute walk to the closest train station, but about 20-25 minutes steep walk from the village center. There is a shuttle that runs every so often during business hours, but at night, a taxi is the only option. We found the food at the Grand Chalet to be quite a disappointment. Very expensive and quite average. One night the waitress forgot to process our order completely. It seemed to be perfectly normal to her that we were sitting there for the better part of an hour with no food on the table as she passed by our table again and again. Breakfast was also mediocre. If the food ran out on the buffet, the serving plates and bowls were not refilled. The coffee was self-serve from a vending machine. At best I would rate this a two star and would only recommend it for a quick overnight visit.
- Le Grand Chalet Leysin
