Luxe Stays // Burgenstock Resort, Switzerland
Like many of us, I get my travel inspiration from Instagram. And one day aimlessly scrolling through my feed, I saw this image pop up. And I just knew I had to organise a luxe stay! It took a bit of saving. But eventually, I arrived at the magnificent, very luxe, Burgenstock Resort, nestled high above Lake Lucerne.
The Arrival
Burgenstock is accessible by road but to gain the full experience of opulence you really need to arrive by boat.
I arrived into Lucerne by train on a perfectly blue-sky morning. The luxurious, high-speed Burgenstock Catamaran conveniently departs from the wharf directly opposite the train station. It’s a 30-minute trip across Lake Lucerne to the resort’s wharf. As a resident of the resort, you have a dedicated seating area and can go back and forth as many times as you wish during your stay. However, I sat outside on the top deck to take in the beautiful views of Lucerne.
The boat is full of day trippers, excited to hike around the mountain or have a relaxing day at the spa. Many from the boat hang around the wharf and start their journeys from there. But to get to the top of the mountain you take the Funicular. Built in 1888, it is the oldest electric funicular railway in Switzerland.
The luxe Burgenstock Resort has gone through a £440m facelift to reopen in 2017. But its history traces back to 1873 and its heyday was in the fifties and sixties. When the likes of Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn lived there. Arriving into the lobby to check-in was reminiscent of modern architecture with old-Hollywood style.
The Luxe Room
There are four hotels located on top of the mountain. I stayed in the lavish five-star Burgenstock Hotel building with its modern architecture, panoramic lake views on one side and mountain-view terraces on the other.
The room had every luxury you could imagine, complete with bay windows, cow-bell lampshades, large bath and an open fire.
The Food
Burgenstock is popular with day trippers. So there is a lot of diversity to choose from when it comes to time to eat. With seven restaurants and three bars there is French fine dining, a bbq grill, local taverne, Middle Eastern and Asian delights.
I ate lunch at the quaint and cosy taverne, specialising in hearty Swiss food. While dinner was had in the room as a storm rolled in.
The Pools
Now if you remember the Instagram photo I shared at the beginning of this article, it was the pool that piqued my interest in visiting luxe Burgenstock Resort. And as I’m on the search for the world’s best pools, I was not missing this opportunity.
Burgenstock has three pools – well three I could find! And yes, I did swim in each of them. First there is the rooftop Hollywood Garden Pool, this is located next to the Oak Grill and is a family friendly spot. A great location to chill with a book and work on the suntan.
Then there is the luxury Alpine Spa which is home to two of the most beautiful pools I’ve experienced. The Indoor Pool is consistently heated to 30° and is perfect for swimming laps after eating too much Swiss food!
But the pièce de résistance is the Spa’s Infinity Edge Outdoor Pool. Hanging off the top of the cliff, 500m above Lake Lucerne, this pool is heated to 35° and offers the most spectacular, unique panoramic views of Lake Lucerne.
The Experience
Staying at the Burgenstock is everything you would expect for a luxe stay!
But what I loved most is although it is a luxury five-star hotel, it still oozed the Swiss character – perfection, precision and punctuality. The service was friendly and professional. The décor and amenities of the room, facilities and spa were on point. And it was a true escape – breathing the fresh alpine air, hiking the mountain trails and just relaxing with the best views in Switzerland.
Do you love luxe pools as much as me? Don’t forget to check out my story on the top five luxury pool villas to self-isolate!
