Grandhotel Giessbach

We stayed here for 3 nights and it was lovely. Our room had a balcony that looked on to the waterfall and it was beautiful. ||The hotel lobby and sitting rooms are so beautifully done, with lots of seating areas. The actual hotel room we had was quite small but it did the job. Bathroom fixtures were great (we loved the shower!). ||We had a car so getting around to other places wasn’t an issue for us. We had the “Nostalgia Pass” which let us ride the funicular and the boat to Brienz. We then took the train up to Rothorn and back. It was a great excursion included with our room! ||I will say the restaurant menu was pretty limited. The food was food, but it was slow and the options were not very wide. All staff were fantastic though!

This historic hotel is beautifully situated above Lake Brienz, giving guests a gorgeous view of the unique blue waters. The staff were all welcoming and friendly, especially the breakfast staff, who went above and beyond each morning. ||We stayed 3 nights at the end of September 2025, the end of season, which meant that the more casual restaurant in the hotel stopped being open for dinner. It is difficult to leave the hotel at night, as there are no boats that run after about 1700, and even if you have a car like we did, the road leading to the hotel is a winding, single-track road and not something we wanted to experience in the dark after a dinner out. This left us with only one option for dinner each night in the "fancier" restaurant. No big deal, but keep that in mind if you are coming in shoulder season. ||We enjoyed the lake hike from Giessbach to Iseltwald, as well as multiple boat rides around the lake (complimentary with your stay at the hotel). ||We spent our evenings being serenaded by a live pianist in the bar, who entertained the room for hours. 5 stars! Overall we had a wonderful stay and enjoyed reenacting the Band of Brothers scenes from episode 10. :)

Unique Grand Hôtel in a unique place of powerful positive energy.|Authentic 19th-century interior in the suites. Great attention to every detail.|The beds, bedding, and bathrooms are particularly impressive.|Excellent service everywhere.|Truly outstanding breakfast.|The only minor note is the limited lunch/dinner menu at the restaurant during the colder season.

An incredible old-world Hotel in a stunning location. ||We've had Grandhotel Giessbach on our must-stay Hotel list for some time and we finally were able to stay at this incredible old-world Hotel recently. ||The drive alone to the Hotel would have you captivated including if you gain access ( if you're staying ) past the public carpark area on their private driveway which turns throughout the surrounding forest, gardens and property. |* Not that we needed to but you can also arrive to the Hotel via boat and their own funicular ( Giessbach Bahn ) which I'd imagine is equally as stunning. ||The Hotel is just incredible. It's surrounded by a breath-taking waterfall which you can traverse up and down through trails, endless forest & Lake Brienz. You could just imagine the old-world charm as someone's private residence back when. |You have the "Giessbach Bahn" funicular at your disposal which takes you to the lower "Giessbach See" which you can take boats to different areas of the lake from there also. ||The history throughout, the antiques, furnishings, paintings, views and the sheer grandeur of it all gives the hotel such an aura about it. You just find yourself wandering anywhere and everywhere you can. ||The rooms all have classic proper keys, are decent in size, well appointed, very comfortable, continue the Hotel theme throughout and as we chose the lake view, we had the waterfall to our left on the balcony and Lake Brienz right in-front of us.||The Hotel has two main restaurants to which we only dinned in one which was beautiful and has the waterfall as a backdrop. This is also the same area you have breakfast. The rest of the time we utilised the main lobby bar which actually had an excellent & decent food menu. They also have a live pianist playing each night by the looks so it's a great place to be. ||A huge thank you goes to the staff, from time of arrival right up until time of leaving, in any area we interacted, they were very attentive, helpful, polite and did everything they could to make our stay as great as it could be.|* It's worth noting, Grandhotel Giessbach appears to be a must-see and do daily stop for a lot of people exploring the area in general, so the sheer volume of people that come and go on a daily basis is decent. |That's why we felt, the staff need a special note of thanks. To cater to staying guests as well as incoming daily tourists, for us, they didn't miss a beat. ||Having stayed previously at Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne & Hotel Villa Honegg, you must try and stay at Grandhotel Giessbach, just an incredible Hotel that's right up there with the best in our opinion.

We had a truly wonderful experience during our stay. The reception staff were warm, welcoming, and always eager to help, while the restaurant servers and bartenders were consistently polite and professional. It’s clear that everyone here takes pride in what they do, and their positive energy really shines through to the guests. The rooms are spacious and beautifully decorated, with a timeless charm that feels like stepping into a classic film—unique, elegant, and comfortable all at once. The hotel’s setting is just as memorable, offering breathtaking views of the waterfall, lake, and surrounding hiking trails. Another highlight is the complimentary boat and funicular access, as well as Brienz Rothorn train which makes exploring nearby towns very convenient. Overall, a truly special and classy experience that we would happily recommend.

PROTIP: 3 outdoor restaurant spaces here. Elisa requires reservation. The main terrace is no reservation, but often full. I managed to find a table upstairs on the terrace outside the bar. Grandhotel Giessbach stands above Lake Brienz beside Giessbach Falls, built in 1875 as one of Switzerland’s first grand mountain hotels. Designed in a Belle Époque style with terraces and views across the turquoise lake, it was a landmark of early alpine tourism. Guests arrived by steamboat and ascended to the hotel on the Giessbachbahn, a funicular built in 1879 that still runs with its original wooden cars.

This is the most beautiful hotel we have ever stayed at. It’s a complete retreat away from the modern rush of life in a remote, incredibly serene and picturesque location over looking one of the best lake views you’ll ever see in Switzerland. Fantastic service by all staff who were welcoming, attentive. The view from the room was spectacular, food menu though small was perfectly curated and the wines were exceptional. This stay made us feel fully rested from a long day of travelling, and if ever you need to recharge and escape day to day life for some peace - this is the first place I would recommend. It is purely untouched, very traditional luxury.

I had the best day of my 33 years of life here! I arrived via boat with surreal views. My room overlooked the waterfall & I was able to climb almost to the top via trails. I had a day out of a fairytale and couldn't be more pleased with my stay. I only wish I had another day at the hotel!|The only improvement I would suggest would be the toilet hardware. My toilets flush did not work upon arrival yet, maintenance fixed it very quickly.

This place is a step back in time with lots of class. You almost feel like you're royalty staying here. Heck, it's such a landmark that visitors will come just to have a drink. If you are looking for an experience with your hotel stay, this is the place for it. The atmosphere is breathtaking. Listen to some live piano music while sipping on a cocktail in the lounge and taking in views everywhere you look with a waterfall on one side and the magnificent Lake Brienz on the other. During the day you'll see a trolley that transports guests up and down to a ferry on the lake. My only note is that the comfort factor may not be quite as high as some other places, but the charm more than makes up for it. The buffet breakfast was what dreams are made of. Cheeses from local pastures, honey straight off the comb, fresh pastries, the best coffee and espresso--and that's just a few of my favorites. You also have your pick of fresh fruit, cereals, pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, etc.

The Grandhotel Giessbach is an adventure back into the grand lifestyle of the rich and famous! After you take the Funicular to the top you are greeted​ by the most sumptuous​ of gardens of spring flowers carefully​maintained​ by a dedicate horticulturist​. Venture inside​ (although why would you when the Swiss Alps demand you to stay and pay homage to their almighty majesty) to find a most elegant of interiors harking back to the Belle Epoque of yesteryear. The main dining​ rooms, billiard rooms, bar, ​and restaurant​ are all well maintained and serve the most picturesque​ views of the majestic falls... even the water they serve comes from this. Don't​ miss taking the trails up and into the fall this is as close to Mother Nature herself as one might suspect. Don't​ miss the four-course​ dinner served in their dining room, and the MAGNIFICANT​ BREAKFAST served daily - this is an adventure in fine dining as one can expect​ from a GRANDHOTEL!

Beautiful location, wonderful hotel, TERRIBLE service. Bill number 4715. 4th of June. First of all she ignored our table completely for about 10 minutes. After I went personally to her to tell her we are waiting, she finally decided to take our order. (Attitude from the beginning!) We ordered two Cappuccino, together with cake from the display. It took her another while to serve the Cappuccino. Unfortunately WITHOUT the cake. She said, she would bring the cake immediately (which would make sense because the cake was standing ready in the display area). Another five minutes later my husband was starting dtinking his coffee because he gave up. I decided to wait for my cake. That was a mistake. We waited another 10 minutes before she finally showed up with the cake (no word of excuse). Well, my Cappuccino was cold. I asked her to bring a new one because that was the idea to have both together. In between our waiting periods I watched her having lovely conversations with elder people which, obviously, stood in the hotel. It would have been ALL ok, if you don't pay CHF 25 for two Cappuccino and two cake and expect a top notch service in a top notch hotel and restaurant. We would have even spent more money or stayed around for lunch if her attitude towards us (and other non residential guest) wouldn't have been so disappointing. I would highly recommend that the restaurant management trains their stuff in the perspective that the guest is the one to be served. Somehow the waitress got the wrong idea about her job and ruined our experience at this place. Cappuccino was good. Cake was nice either.

What can one criticize about Swiss nature? Yet another breathtaking corner discovered while staying at the Grandhotel.