We have stayed at this hotel over 5 years as a group of 8 to just going as a couple previouse years have been briliant but 2010 they were not ready for us .We were on our own 4 days with work taking place around us the indoor pool was not ready and we were invaded with cycilists staying and taking part in a race not what you want to find 5 star hotel. Previous years after our holiday we have been sent information for the next year nothing has arrived this year! Iwonder why.

I've been using Tripadvisor a lot recently and felt I ought to give something back. Hence this 18 month old review.

Firstly I'd never call this a B&B, so I am not sure why it is in that section here.

When we went there in March 08 the deal was that you got 'free upgrade' to half board if you stayed for more than (about) six days. We are so glad that we did as the evening meal was excellent and varied enough to stop us being bored for the 8 days we were there.

Yes, the patron is in evidence all the time - and the perfect host.

The raclette restaurant was closed (end of season) when we arrived - but they opened it up for us as we had been looking forward to raclette and fondu as that is rarely on a menu in the UK.

Every time you entered the main door, or came out of the lift from your bedroom, one of the receptionists would get up from the desk to greet you and see if you had any special requirements.

Our minor grumble was the obsession of running the dining room chandeliers at maximum brightness most evenings as we prefer subdued lighting. However, there is a smaller dining room off the main area, where the lights were subdued, and once our preference had been recognised we were given a table in there each evening.

We'd planned to stay 10 nights and decided to curtail our visit to 8 as the snow was fading fast. There was no attempt to make us pay for the remaining two nights - which most British hotels would have tried.

This is a quality spot. It is smart and the guests are expected to be smart. But that does not mean it is stuffy - it is simply that you are spared shorts in the dining room for dinner and baseball hats in the bar.....

And, although the snow for cross country skiing was fading fast we still found plently of lovely walks - plus there is a nearby tunnel through the mountain so if it is not sunny in Kandersteg you often find sun the other end of the tunnel.

Tony

My husband and I have sadly just returned from a wonderful week at The Royal Park Hotel. This was our fourth visit following two weeks spent there for our honeymoon in 2004. We returned to ski and to celebrate our anniversary . We were amazed to find that The Rickli family not only remembered us but also remembered that it was our wedding anniversary. They very kindly let us have the suite that we had for our honemoon and on arrival in the restaurant on the first night we were greeted with roses and champagne. The Rickli Family are very kind, warm and quietly generous, and we thank them for making our anniverary very special.

The hotel is a haven of tranquil peace in a chaotic world and nothing is too much trouble for the staff. The food on this visit was the best so far and the service is to be enjoyed, it is impeccable and a lovely experience. It was always a joy to pass a few moments with Mr Rickli during dinner as he greets his guests each night.

Our room was beautifully decorated and remained spotless at all times due to the care and attention of the room attendants.

We went to Kandersteg to ski, its a lovely quiet village, the skiing is fairly gentle and there are rarely queues at the lifts. The new gondola is great, the old chair lift was lovely but the new one is an improvement in snowy conditions! The apres ski is quiet but there is always a friendly reception wherever you chose to quench your thirst.

My advise is - escape the rat race and treat yourself to a visit to The Royal Park.

I've stayed in Kandersteg several times and thought I'd treat myself to a luxury stay at the Royal Park. What a disappointment. The hotel thinks very highly of itself but its opinion is misguided. It's old fashioned in a bad way - there's a class system in the dining room so the lowly waiters can only bring water to your table for a senior waiter to pour into your glass and service is painfully slow. Staff are friendly but intimidated by the owners and while they keep telling you nothing's too much trouble, in practice everything's too much trouble. There's a spa and treatment rooms which remained closed throughout my one week stay. Allegedly you can make appointments with a "local" therapist who will come to the hotel at her convenience - not yours. The menu says vegetarian options available but clearly the chefs and the restaurant staff haven't read the menu as their "mushroom crepes" were scrambled eggs and the vegetarian risotto was a plate of rice. Desert buffet's good though.To cap it all, the elderly owner insists on touring the dining room to chat to the guests every evening. He didn't stay long at my table. I booked a suite (with a fabulous mountain view) which was spacious but overheated and had a shared open balcony so the people next door could see straight into my room and my bathroom unless I closed the curtains. I complained about the food on my last night and was ostracised at breakfast next morning for my trouble. Don't go if you are under 70 or vegetarian (and if you're over 70 and veggie, eat out - there are several better places than the RP dining room).