Riffelalp Resort 2222m (Zermatt)

At the initiative of Alexandre Seiler, a pioneer in the modern hotel industry, the Riffelalp Hotel, which at that time had 150 beds, opened its doors in July 1884 above Zermatt at an altitude of 2,227 meters. Many illustrious guests from Switzerland and abroad have stayed there: poets, musicians, princes, industrialists and statesmen. All of them succumbed to the charm of an exceptional mountain hotel with a unique view of the Matterhorn towering above at 4,478 meters. In 1898, after construction of second building, the hotel had 280 rooms – a record that remains unbroken to this day. he fire that devastated the hotel in February 1961 spared only the two buildings next to the chapel.

For some time now, the RIBAG (Riffelalp Immobilien- und Baubetriebs AG = Riffelalp Real Estate and Construction Company) has harbored the idea of rebuilding the hotel and reviving what must certainly be recognized as the great age of the Swiss hotel industry. A joint venture was created in 1997 between Seiler Hotels Zermatt AG and the Sandoz Family Foundation: close ties had always existed between Edouard-Marcel Sandoz (and later the Foundation) and Zermatt, where the sculptor took advantage of his stays there to gather in the Viège the stones from which he created some of his most outstanding works. he Foundation is the almost exclusive shareholder of RIBAG, which has now become Riffelalp Resort SA, and has become directly involved in the design and execution of this large-scale hotel project; it has also provided the project with the necessary financing.

After almost three years of work, made especially difficult by the altitude and transport problems, the hotel opened its doors on 1 December 2000 under the name of the Riffelalp Resort 2222m. After expansion in 2005, it now has 140 beds (65 rooms, five suites, two apartments) and offers refined and sophisticated comfort. In addition to two restaurants, two terraces and a typical vault, the hotel has a cinema, a bowling alley, a billiards room, a wellness and fitness centre with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a concert hall in the old English chapel. Riffelalp is regularly cited in the top rank of Swiss and international classifications, and is now one of the key addresses in the Alps, as well as being one of the prestigious “Leading Small Hotels of the World”.

With its commitment to Riffelalp, the Sandoz Family Foundation has actively contributed to reviving a witness to the economic history of Switzerland in one of the country’s most beautiful settings. For the Foundation, resurrecting the hotel is part of its effort to promote a form of hotel business stressing personalized service able to respond to the demands of an exceptional site and a particularly discriminating clientele. he project is also an expression of the essential values of tradition and modernity, of contemporary comfort allied with the art of hospitality and conviviality, to which the Foundation attaches particular importance.

The Foundation’s hotel activity is testimony to its spirit of enterprise and initiative, and to its desire to occupy a lasting place in the market for projects conceived as long-term investments. The Foundation is represented on the Board of Directors by Chairman François Landolt and Me Olivier Verrey.

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Foundation Pharmaceutical industry and agrobusiness New technologies Hotel trade - tourism Watch industry Printing industry Science Art and culture News Contact Separator Warning	Hotel Beau-Rivage Palace Riffelalp Resort Hotel Palafitte Youth Camp Hannover 2000	Riffelalp Resort 2222m (Zermatt) At the initiative of Alexandre Seiler, a pioneer in the modern hotel industry, the Riffelalp Hotel, which at that time had 150 beds, opened its doors in July 1884 above Zermatt at an altitude of 2,227 meters. Many illustrious guests from Switzerland and abroad have stayed there: poets, musicians, princes, industrialists and statesmen. All of them succumbed to the charm of an exceptional mountain hotel with a unique view of the Matterhorn towering above at 4,478 meters. In 1898, after construction of second building, the hotel had 280 rooms – a record that remains unbroken to this day. he fire that devastated the hotel in February 1961 spared only the two buildings next to the chapel. For some time now, the RIBAG (Riffelalp Immobilien- und Baubetriebs AG = Riffelalp Real Estate and Construction Company) has harbored the idea of rebuilding the hotel and reviving what must certainly be recognized as the great age of the Swiss hotel industry. A joint venture was created in 1997 between Seiler Hotels Zermatt AG and the Sandoz Family Foundation: close ties had always existed between Edouard-Marcel Sandoz (and later the Foundation) and Zermatt, where the sculptor took advantage of his stays there to gather in the Viège the stones from which he created some of his most outstanding works. he Foundation is the almost exclusive shareholder of RIBAG, which has now become Riffelalp Resort SA, and has become directly involved in the design and execution of this large-scale hotel project; it has also provided the project with the necessary financing. After almost three years of work, made especially difficult by the altitude and transport problems, the hotel opened its doors on 1 December 2000 under the name of the Riffelalp Resort 2222m. After expansion in 2005, it now has 140 beds (65 rooms, five suites, two apartments) and offers refined and sophisticated comfort. In addition to two restaurants, two terraces and a typical vault, the hotel has a cinema, a bowling alley, a billiards room, a wellness and fitness centre with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a concert hall in the old English chapel. Riffelalp is regularly cited in the top rank of Swiss and international classifications, and is now one of the key addresses in the Alps, as well as being one of the prestigious “Leading Small Hotels of the World”. With its commitment to Riffelalp, the Sandoz Family Foundation has actively contributed to reviving a witness to the economic history of Switzerland in one of the country’s most beautiful settings. For the Foundation, resurrecting the hotel is part of its effort to promote a form of hotel business stressing personalized service able to respond to the demands of an exceptional site and a particularly discriminating clientele. he project is also an expression of the essential values of tradition and modernity, of contemporary comfort allied with the art of hospitality and conviviality, to which the Foundation attaches particular importance. The Foundation’s hotel activity is testimony to its spirit of enterprise and initiative, and to its desire to occupy a lasting place in the market for projects conceived as long-term investments. The Foundation is represented on the Board of Directors by Chairman François Landolt and Me Olivier Verrey.
Last update : 07.04.2011 / 22:56