BUILDING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION AT LE GRAND BELLEVUE

From the lawn in front of Le Grand Bellevue, construction has begun on what will become the hotel's most significant expansion in decades. Yet according to the owners Davia & Daniel Koetser, the most important decision was not what to build, but what not to build.

The project has been almost eight years in the making. Original plans included four new chalet buildings, but despite already holding planning permission, they decided to return to the drawing board.

"We simply didn't feel good about it," he explains. "You would have been sitting in the Bellevue bar looking at a wall of buildings instead of the view towards the Lauenen valley."

The fourth chalet was ultimately removed from the project. The decision preserved both the hotel's panoramic outlook and the recently installed padel court, while allowing the central lawn to be extended over a semi-underground parking structure.

It also reflects a philosophy t hat runs throughout the development: investing in the hotel’s long-term future rather than maximising short-term real estate opportunities. "We're not building this to sell property; we're building it for the hotel's longevity."

The revised project consists of a free-standing chalet restaurant and two chalets with distinctly different purposes. One will house suites and connecting family rooms, addressing what Daniel describes as the property's most requested accommodation category. Many of the suites/residences will include kitchenettes, encouraging guests to stay for longer periods while still enjoying the services of a five-star hotel.

The second chalet also combines a limited number of highly exclusive luxury residences with hotel-managed services. Rather than creating standalone holiday apartments, the owners envisage homes that remain closely connected to the Bellevue experience, with concierge services, housekeeping and hotel facilities all on the doorstep.

Food also continues to play a central role in the expansion. Alongside a new “elevated casual-dining” chalet restaurant will come an ambitious culinary concept unlike anything currently found in Gstaad. During winter, an underground restaurant and bar will combine dining with live entertainment, while in summer, the purpose-built kitchens are designed to host international guest chefs and culinary pop-ups.

"Our leading position in the region for dining has resulted in so many chefs asking if they could come and cook in Gstaad," he says. "Until now, we've never really had the capacity."

Equally significant is a new wellness and diagnostics centre, where the Bellevue is partnering with a leading specialist in preventive medicine and longevity. Rather than operating a traditional medical clinic, the aim is to complement the hotel's existing spa with evidence-based health and performance programmes backed by physician-led knowledge.

Behind the scenes, the project has also evolved considerably. After changing architects during the planning process, the Bellevue brought in a larger multidisciplinary team with experience in complex hospitality developments. Local contractors and craftsmen will remain at the heart of the construction; however, Daniel sees this as essential.

"The quality you find here in Gstaad is exceptional," he says. "We're a local business, so we will build with local businesses."

Construction in the centre of Gstaad inevitably attracts attention, but he hopes the finished result will be judged not by its scale, but by its contribution to the village.

"Our responsibility isn't simply to build something new," he reflects. "It's to make sure the Bellevue remains relevant for generations to come."

For now, diggers and construction fences have replaced the Bellevue's sweeping front lawn. In a few years' time, the view will look different again, but not dramatically so. That, perhaps, is exactly the point. After eight years of refining the plans, the ambition is not to reinvent Le Grand Bellevue, but to give it the space it needs to continue evolving while remaining unmistakably Bellevue.