Where to sleep under the stars in Switzerland

The pandemic has sparked a lot of soul searching in the luxury hotel industry. A report this year suggested that while social distancing concerns remained, the smart money was giving fewer guests premium stays in unique locations.

After doing my own informal study of premium stays in unique locations in Switzerland, I discovered a flaw in this model. Although the location is unique, the views from a luxury hotel are just as impressive as the large windows.

The solution is clear. Free yourself from the walls.

That’s roughly the idea behind the Million Stars Hotel. Relaunched this summer (the international introduction of travel restrictions fell last year), Switzerland’s national tourism project lists around 50 accommodations of various types: from luxury suites on the roofs of city hotels to outdoor family hostels made of geodesic glass. Domes on mattresses on shopping trolleys.

What they all have in common is a first-hand view of the night sky. The goal, say the organizers, is to foster a closer connection with nature. Given the attractiveness of Switzerland outdoors, that makes perfect sense.

After the cabin fever in spring and a dreary summer when Great Britain seemed locked in a Tupperware container, I booked my stay in the southern canton of Valais, an area popular with Swiss holidaymakers. That’s one of the reasons why I loved the sound of the Million Stars Hotel – it highlights areas outside of hotspots such as Interlaken and St. Moritz.

The ascent from Mörel with the cable car shows what we are missing. Riederalp is a streetless village and consists of a kind of chalet, as you normally see it on cuckoo clocks. The airlift goes beyond his concert. The air cools down, your ears explode when you go over 2,100 meters, and then you feel a sharp pain when your jaw hits the ground. The Aletsch Glacier lies in front of us.

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