What’s new? This December, the Swiss Alpine town Andermatt, in the Useren Valley, welcomes a sparkling new resort, The Chedi Andermatt. The hotel is the first five-star deluxe hotel in the area, not only that but the property will be the centrepiece to the Andermatt Swiss Alps project, which sees the sleepy village turn into a buzzing hot spot.
When the expansion is completed, Andermatt-Sedrun ski area will become the largest in central Switzerland. There will be over 120 km of ski terrain and 24 lifts, including two aerial gondolas, one combi-lift, four gondola cableways, 11 chair lifts and six ski lifts. Snow-loving families can expect the first phase of this expansion to be ready in time for the 2014/15 winter season.
The long-term plan also includes five more hotels, an 18-hole golf course, sports and leisure facilities and a selection of chalets and apartments for sale.
The Chedi Andermatt will have 50 hotel rooms, 107 residential units and 13 luxurious penthouses. There will be two restaurants, a wine library – perfect for a child-free night – and various bars that will all provide quality dining.
Activities: The town’s ice park will re-open on 30 November and will be enhanced to include a stage, sports bar, lounge and sun terrace. There will also be DJs, ice hockey tournaments and a live screening of the 2014 winter Olympic games. For those that love music, there will be live sets from the Unplugged on Tour series. Bands will play concerts across venues in ski areas as well as the village. There will be free entry and it will offer a relaxing atmosphere for friends and family after a tiring day on the slopes.
There are plenty of sport and leisure activities for the whole family. Take a ride on the Glacier Express to see breath-taking views of the Alpine countryside. Winter activities include Alpine skiing, snowboarding, freeride, cross-country, biathlon, ice-skating and curling. The resort has a wide range of slopes for beginners and younger children to slopes for those more experienced. Nätschen has sunny slopes and is perfect for families and casual skiers. Ice climbing is also very popular for risk takers. Lift passes are £40 a day for adults and free for children (seven and under).
THE LOWDOWN:
Travel time: The nearest airport is Zurich, which is approximately 1.5 hours from Andermatt
Getting there: EasyJet flies to Zurich from London Gatwick and London Luton from £69.98 return
Price: Stays from approximately £1050 per night for a family of four in a deluxe suite with a sofa bed and roll away bed.
More information: Visit http://www.andermatt-swissalps.ch/home.html