Edelweiss Lodge

I made this reservation knowing it was going to be the last days of a 6 day train journey through Switzerland. I selected this hotel because it was away from the city of Interlaken - and seemed to be in a residential area. The website was easy to navigate, and the prices were reasonable. Getting to the hotel was straightforward, take the # 105 bus from the Interlaken West train station - get off the bus at Wilderswil train station and walk about 100 meters. The hotel is actually two buildings connected by a central dining room. The hotel is dated - but it added to the charm the stairs creaked, the doors did not fit tightly in the doorway. The bed was comfortable, pillows soft and the bathroom/shower area had been updated. There were at least 3 restaurants within a 5-minute walk of the hotel. We were supposed to stay 2 or 3 days when disaster hit. On our first morning, my wife thought she had misplaced her purse with passport and credit cards. She believed she left it on one of three trains or a bus that we utilized the previous day. The management and staff jumped to our assistance, contacting Lost and Found at Swiss Rail, and making recommendations. Meanwhile, we are trying to get the authorities on the phone to inquire about getting a replacement passport, while at the same time trying to determine if we needed to cancel credit cards. Fortunately, after about 90 minutes, the purse was found - under a suitcase on a chair in our room. I cannot thank the staff enough for their assistance, advice and understanding. In the midst of all this we learned that our cable car activities for the day had been cancelled due to continuing high winds. That was the final straw - the hotel understood, cancelled the remaining day or two of our reservation and we departed. What makes this hotel so special to me is the staff and management - they really went out of their way, making calls for us, offering us coffee etc. They are just too nice. I hope to return to the area within the next 12 months to take the cable cars up to the nearby mountains and I plan to stay at this hotel and visit the other restaurants in the area.

We deliberately chose one of the few ensuite rooms in the Edelweiss Lodge with a balcony, which was very clean and spacious, with a slightly old fashioned feel. It's a lovely old traditional wooden building which does creak when people move around to use the shared bathrooms, but it didn't disturb us at night, and there's a lot to recommend it. The breakfast had a fabulous choice, including really super Bircher muesli with yogurt and fruit, and fresh fruit salad, and a wide selection of tasty bread, ham and cheese. We also ate dinner there most evenings as there was a good choice and it was better value than most places we saw, and we were offered a discount as residents of the hotel. The garden behind the hotel is stunning with a view of the Jungfrau, and we were able to eat out there several mornings and evenings, as well as using the outdoor spa. The hotel is only a couple of minutes walk from the railway station which is ideal for exploring the Bernese Oberland by public transport.