The Omnia, Switzerland

The E-car drives silently through the narrow streets of the Christmas decorated Zermatt, before it disappears without warning in the underground bat cave of the Omnia Hotel. The driver opens the passenger door without a word, takes discreetly care of the luggage and already picks up the lift. „You are expected“. Not more, not less. Barely noticeable, we glide upwards, below us now only the colorful lights of the 1,610-meter-high Matterhorn village.

With a gentle jerk, the elevator stops and none other than Bruce Wayne, aka Christian Eckert, hotel director of the exceptionally The Omnia, welcomes me with a glass of champagne and invites to his crackling fireplace.

The villains of Gotham City must stay outside just like the uncomfortable November weather, which accompanies me since arrival in the station town Täsch. Instead, the style mix of American lodge concept and Swiss hotel art immediately creates a unique atmosphere of laxity at its best. „That’s exactly what our plan is,“ smiles Christian Eckert, „the guests should feel at home here and reach all central areas such as the restaurant, the bar or the wellness area through our lobby“.

This exclusive residence offers just 30 rooms and, despite its design reduction, lives from its incredible cordiality, which Eckert lives up to like no other. So, the boss not only takes care of the fireplace or the bedtime chocolates, but also brings me personally to my 70m ² Matterhorn suite.

„When you wake up tomorrow morning, our very first home mountain will welcome you.“ And that should not be the only home-style assecoire, because the bourbon, standard in every room, is burned specifically for the Omnia in the US and has indeed a very special touch.

The suite has a spacious living area with fabric sofa and armchairs, 2 bathrooms, 1 bedroom and a large balcony with alleged Matterhorn views. We’ll see, because today, the snow trickles quietly out of a cloudy evening sky directly into the outdoor jacuzzi, in the pleasant 38 degrees Celsius boil. Outstanding, like the entire spa area with indoor pool, Finnish sauna and Turkish steam bath, which is wrapped in atmospheric ambient light and hangs like a beehive over the rooftops of Zermatt City.

This town is a dream come true winter sports resort whose shops, restaurants and bars line up along the perfectly manicured Bahnhofstrasse. That makes it extremely difficult for the guests to make the right choice, especially as you know that Executive Chef Hauke ​​Pohl is a real artist in the Omnia’s restaurant. He has 15 Gault Millau points on the lapel and enchants every evening with a 7-course menu to which Christian Eckert has invited me today. But as soon as he is out of sight, I change the process, become weak and decide for my own creation of trout, Viennese schnitzel and chocolate fireworks à la Ali, wonderfully accompanied by the Dutch Noelle, who has the right story for each course.

The alarm clock rings at 7.30 clock and I draw aside the curtains, always in anticipation of a dense fog bank, which was promised by the meteorological service today. Instead, my gaze falls directly on a fabulous piece of Toblerone with blood orange flavour, for which the morning sun is responsible here.

The Matterhorn Suite literally keeps its word and my way leads immediately to the fabulous ski area, where you will initially be spoiled for choice. Rothorn, Gornergrat or Matterhorn glacier paradise? Why not all of them? But please in order and so the electric taxi takes me for 12 francs to the Gornergrat Railway and then the rack railway beams me up to 3,089 meters altitude.

The route is already the destination, because the approximately half-hour drive offers spectacular views of the 4,478 m high Matterhorn and the 200 m higher Dufourspitze. This is spectacular and is only surpassed by the fact that you can still ski in this biblical winter landscape.

Even if not all the slopes are open at the start of the season, the triangle of Riffelberg, Sunnegga and Rothorn is great fun, which is topped by the Swiss motorways in the Matterhorn glacier paradise area. Entirely lonely you can carve your turns in the fresh snow here at over 3,000 meters, drink one or two mulled wine on the rustic-chic Adler Hitta and enjoy this insane 360-degree panoramic view.

Zermatt is something like the summit for skisport aesthetes, as well as The Omnia, which, with many personal moments and the unconditional attention to detail, sets a statement among the 5-star hotels in the world.
I say goodbye to Christian Eckert and his team, but in my heart, I will always stay here, at The Omnia, in Zermatt City, hidden deep in a valley in the middle of the Swiss mountains.

This article was published with the friendly support of The Omina Mountain Lodge.

Here is my article about the famous Badrutt´s Palace in St. Moritz.