A family tradition: Hotel Belvedere Grindelwald

»Here,« my father said, and he gave me a small ivory flute. »Take this, and don't forget your old father when you entertain people in distant countries with your music. It's high time you saw the world and learned something.«

Thus wrote Hermann Hesse in 1912, during his stay at the Belvedere.

Our great-grandfather's dream came true – and we are continuing to live it today!

Our great-grandfather Johann was the son of a poor farmer from the Bernese Seeland region. He worked as a seasonal labourer in Egypt in the winter and in Interlaken in the summer. In search of a permanent home, he was faced with a choice: return to Cairo or stay in Switzerland?

Before his return journey, he and some friends crossed the Alps from Ticino to Grindelwald. When he arrived at First and looked down into the valley, he knew: »This is where I belong!« He wrote about his impending decision in the hut's guest book.

The decision

He chose an undeveloped, sunny vantage point in Grindelwald – a location with a view of the valley and close to the village centre. He named his hotel »Belvedere«, which means »beautiful view’« This laid the foundation for our family tradition of «hoteliers since 1904». With the help of his four sisters and his brother, he got off to a successful start – guests stayed for the whole summer, as travelling was much more difficult than it is today.

The challenge of war

The two world wars hit the family hard. Guests stayed away, and the hotel was turned into a military hospital during the First World War. After the Second World War, the hotel credit commission declared the building a total economic loss. But our grandfather Fritz, who was living in London, returned with a determination: »My father's legacy must not end like this!«

The strong cohesion and tireless dedication of the family and staff made it possible to reopen the hotel in 1956. Fritz, his wife Elsi and our three great-aunts Rosi, Elsie and Cécile successfully continued to run the business.

Thanks to the natural warmth of our grandmother in particular, we attracted many guests from Europe and America. They were certainly also enchanted by the natural surroundings and became loyal regulars and friends of the family.

At the turn of the century

Despite the hard work of the second generation, our father Urs and our mother Sylvia invested around 20 million Swiss francs in the hotel over the years to bring it up to modern standards. They were actively supported by our aunt Susanne. Our parents were often ahead of their time – they were early adopters of the informal «you» form of address with all employees, built an outdoor whirlpool, offered vegan food and, in 2019, were the first hotel in the region to install a sustainable air cooling system in all rooms.

The story continues

Today, more than 120 years later, we are the fourth generation to continue our great-grandfather's dream, values and traditions, with the support of our aunt Susanne. Much has changed since then, but one thing has remained the same: we continue to welcome nature lovers from all over the world.

And one thing is clear to us: »This wonderful natural environment must be preserved for future generations.«

Carole & Philip Hauser, fourth-generation hoteliers