The Cambrian, Adelboden, a Member of Design Hotels

As a Marriott Titanium Elite member, I have stayed at many properties worldwide, and this was by far the most poorly managed and unacceptable stay I have ever experienced. The room was filthy and clearly not inspected. The electric kettle contained cobwebs, and the room smelled strongly of dog urine. These are basic hygiene failures that should never happen in any hotel, let alone one charging premium rates. Multiple core facilities were unusable. The outdoor spa—one of the hotel’s main selling points—was freezing cold and unusable, with other guests openly complaining. The indoor sauna was completely closed. The minibar refrigerator did not work. Staff conduct made the experience worse. After the stay, instead of acknowledging these clear failures, the hotel sent an accusatory email, showing a complete lack of accountability. This is not a 4-star hotel. It is a textbook example of poor cleanliness, broken facilities, unprofessional staff, and failed management.

This hotel was absolutely perfect, with breathtaking views and an overall amazing experience. The rooms were spotless, comfortable, and offered a stunning outlook. Swimming in the hot pool surrounded by mountains, with the cold air outside and such a crazy view, was unforgettable. The hotel bar and restaurant were also excellent. Staff are super friendly. Parking was easy and for free. I would definitely love to stay here again

We booked this hotel online several months in advance and paid for breakfast at the time of booking. We checked in on 24 December around 5pm. The front desk staff was polite and confirmed that breakfast was included. I then asked whether breakfast could be delivered to the room, and was told that our paid breakfast was for the restaurant only, and that in-room breakfast would require an additional charge. That was fine with us, so we agreed to pay extra. However, when we asked whether the restaurant breakfast could be cancelled or adjusted since we would be paying again for in-room breakfast, the staff refused outright and was unwilling to assist, offering no alternative solution or flexibility. We were simply told it was not possible. We also asked if it was possible to order one breakfast to share, as we usually do not eat much in the morning. This was also declined, and we were told that breakfast must be ordered one per person, which we accepted despite the lack of flexibility. The next morning on 25 December around 8:30am, we went to the restaurant, hoping to at least make use of the breakfast we had already paid for. We were told by the restaurant staff that because we had ordered in-room breakfast, we were not allowed to enter the restaurant at all. When I explained that we had paid for both the restaurant breakfast and the in-room breakfast, the response was reluctant and dismissive: “Then you just go.” Unlike other guests, we were not escorted to a table, and the overall attitude felt unwelcoming and uncomfortable. What disappointed us most was not the policy itself, but the lack of willingness to help, explain clearly, or show basic hospitality—both at the front desk and in the restaurant. It felt as though the focus was more on charging additional fees rather than on guest experience, especially considering the hotel did not appear to be fully occupied even during the Christmas period. That said, the view from the hotel is undeniably beautiful and truly spectacular, and it is one of the highlights of the stay. Unfortunately, the service experience significantly overshadowed what could have otherwise been a memorable visit.

The hotel is beautiful. It seems new. The staff were wonderful. The rooms are convenient. The bar food is delicious. The best location on the trace or if you go to the swimming pool to see the mountains. One thing I can not understand. Why the rooms doesn't have an A/C controller. ? The rooms were hot and we should open the windows to bring cool air.

We had a wonderful stay here! Starting with the warm welcome from the reception staff and also the guys at the restaurant/bar! The drinks were great! The room was spacious, cozy and the bed was absolute heaven. We had a such a good sleep! The view from our room was magical! We also had dinner, while the service was great, the food didn’t get us. But maybe we were just too tired. Breakfast offered a great variety, very fresh products and an excellent coffee! The spa and the pools were definitely a highlight. We can’t wait to go back this winter! Thank you guys!!

Superb rooms in a well-appointed, stylish hotel, with stunning views. The restaurant is top notch, and the Ax bar well supplied, including some exclusive beers. It's expensive, but this is Switzerland, everything is. We had a free upgrade due to an error with our booking, without asking. Staff were friendly, and very helpful. Pay attention when booking, because only one side of the hotel gets the best view, but this is clearly advertised, and very easy to work out. Likewise, if you want a balcony, ask for it when you book - I read some of the reviews complaining that they got the wrong room and no balcony, but that's your own stupid fault. Rooms are well-furnished, and bathrooms have the hotel's signature toiletries. The restaurant food is high quality, with either a set menu package or a la carte options, both from the same menu, and all prepared to a very high standard. Breakfast has a vast choice, and plenty of it. There isn't a lot in Adelboden itself, but you don't come here to go shopping, this place is all about getting outside and going up a mountain, and they've got that covered. Hotel staff very happy to help you do so.

We had an amazing stay at The Cambrian! The infinity pool with panoramic mountain views is absolutely breathtaking – one of the best we’ve experienced. The Family Suite was a little compact, but it comfortably accommodated 4 of us and felt very cozy. Overall, a beautiful hotel with outstanding views and a perfect family-friendly atmosphere. Highly recommended!

We just left the property this morning and I felt it was appropriate to write a very well deserved positive review immediately. ||To begin, we had a little bit of a confusion with our reservation due to miscommunication. The management was amazing. They were quick to get the matter resolved and made sure we were totally satisfied with the option that was being offered to us. The manager gave us utmost respect and kindness and made sure we were situated until our room was ready. |||The hotel is clean, cozy and lovely modern alpine theme property.|||The room we had was lovely with the most incredible view. Every morning we woke up to bliss. |||Breakfast was delicious. |||They accommodated every request of ours with a smile on their face. My heart gave a small prayer to a member who came up twice at 3 am to drop off my jet lagged kids chocolate milk as breakfast wasn’t open at that time. ||Would come back again because the customer service is outstanding. ||Highly recommend this hotel

My boyfriend and I booked this resort because it looked so nice and beautiful online. We took the train all the way from Basel Airport. Prior to that, I have called the resort and asked if we can do early checkin and they agreed to that. When we arrived, the checkin process was easy and the receptionist helped us bring our luggage to our room. I enjoyed our room and the view was amazing even though we didn't purchase the room with the better view. I enjoyed the breakfast. The server will come to you and ask if you want any coffee or tea. The breakfast is the same daily with some slight changes. I didn't mind that because I loved it! I wish that they offered a lunch or dinner buffet option. We ended up doing room service for dinner and it was quite pricey. We did enjoy the burgers that we order. I also like how the room cleaners would clean the rooms and refill the fridge everyday. The mini bar is free and they offer soda, water, and ice tea. We enjoyed the view and everything. I just think that the people who took photos for the resort or at the resort made it look better than what I experienced. I did really enjoy it, but it looked more amazing in pictures.

I can't say enough good things about the staff and our overall experience at the Cambrian. My husband and I booked a last-minute getaway. When we arrived, we were greeted by Frederick, who showed us to our rooms and gave us some recommendations for things to do over the weekend. Our room was fabulous-- we stayed in one of the panoramic view rooms. I will say that we spent very little time in our room as there were so many neat spaces to enjoy in the hotel. We spent quite a bit of time in the spa and in the pool, and if you are visiting, these are both a must-do while staying at the hotel. It was surprisingly quiet during our trip-- there were times when the pool was a busier but it was still enjoyable. Given the picturesque landscape, we were delighted not to be surrounded by people getting in the pool just to take "influencer" photos. The food was incredible. We dined in the restaurant on our first night which is when the black angus entrecôte and accompanying hollandaise stole our hearts. So much so that we cancelled our dinner reservations out in town for the second night to try other things on the menu. The ribs, the ribeye, the Aranchini, the mac, babaghanoush, the broccolini, the cheesecake... it was all so delicious. Straightforward flavors, fantastic food. Service provided by Vincenzo and Patrick was also wonderful. You can get a good drink anywhere, but it takes a special kind of hospitality to turn a drink into an experience. Bartender (and in our opinion, genius mixologist) of the Axe Bar, Phillip, made us a variety of experimental cocktails based on our tastes and it was an epic time. We came for one drink and ended up staying for quite a few. We truly enjoyed chatting with him, as well as the other bartenders Miguel and Kevin. My husband and I are the kind of people who usually end a trip early, because we'd always prefer to be home. This place made us wish we could stay another night, or even two. Good people, great food, fantastic drinks, and amazing views.

What a wonderful place. Marco was our waiter and you could not ask for better. Excellent service with a smile.

Stunning!!!! Worth to stay here at least 2 days :) I just can not get over the view. ONE God beautiful creation for sure. The Alps just to die for! I just want to stare the mountain at all time. The hotel lobby and lounge are so cozy. The pool got the best view as well. We are here in the month of July, so there are no snow BUT still gorgeous mountain view. SO GREEN compare to California. Definitely no need to worry about drout here in Switzerland. We got the top floor room with stunning view, small balcony overlooking the Alps. We have two rooms. One regular room for two person (with 1 balcony ) and the other room we got the corner room. The advantage of being in the corner, you got two different view. Both just to die for. The reception desk person is so sweet and kind. She took us up to our room and very friendly. The parking is so tight. Thank God for valet parking otherwise I will not know how to park my xc90 into tight space. :) Overall, this is one best hotel we have been to in Swiss and definitely want to go back here again.

We booked several nights here to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We were upgraded to a Junior suite with a Panoramic view of the Alps. We had a nice balcony overlooking the pool and village of Adelboden. Stunning! Our room was clean and had plenty of bathroom supplies and 2 bottles of water, also a coffee machine with cream and sugar. Housekeeping was provided daily and only one time they forgot to give us 2 bottles of daily complimentary water. Would be nice if there towels were larger and they offered more than 1 bath towel a person. I am sure I could have asked for an extra but I didn't. We had a nice surprise when returning to our room on our actual anniversary to a nice card and dessert from the staff. They do have a nice breakfast buffet daily but the only real thing that changed from day to day was the yogurt, from apricot to strawberry. It became a bit boring being there for 4 mornings. We also ate dinner there one evening. The food in the restaurant was very good but not crazy about the sharing plates, as these are more like single servings and so you really have to order many if you're hungry. The pool was amazing, I agree with another reviewer that the hotel photos are a bit misleading but if you take photos from the pool at the right angle yours will be similar. You can't say anything negative about the views from this place. The staff was great and always able to answer our questions. Lots of great things to do in this area. Parking is expensive at hotel but they have a public parking garage that is quite a bit cheaper.

I usually don't write reviews, but the terrible experience I had at this hotel makes this an exception. I booked this hotel for part of our honeymoon. I read the reviews and it looked like a great choice. Obviously, the pool looks incredible, but the photos don't show that it is now a deck overlooking other buildings. It's definitely not as pictured. That's not a big deal though. It was the "customer service" that really ruined this portion of our honeymoon. My husband and I thought it would be nice to go horseback riding in the area. So I went to the front desk in the morning and asked where we could go. They said they would make arrangements and let us know. They told us that we would be set to go at 2:00on and it was about a 20 minute drive. They said nothing about a cancellation policy. As the day went on, I began to feel like I was getting sick. I badly wanted to go and tried my best to suck it up, but by 1:30pm, I realized that it would not be the best thing. Therefore, I called the hotel and let them know that we were not going to be able to make it because I was ill. The lady on the phone said she was very appreciative that I coordinated of not just showing up. Again, nothing was mentioned about having to pay a cancellation fee. I figured if not when we first inquired about going, then at least this would have been mentioned at this time. A bit later, my husband goes to the front desk to ask a question and he was then informed by the manager that we were going to be charged a cancellation penalty. Nice of them to tell us after the fact. They didn't tell us how much it would be either. I spoke to the manager (who can clearly see that I am not feeling well), and explained the situation. She said that they are not in charge of the place and that she had no control over us being charged, but it would go on our hotel bill. If I would've made the reservations directly, we would've never been charged, but the hotel used us as their guests to take advantage of the situation and conveniently tack it on to our hotel bill. Upon check out, I noticed that the charge was the full amount. After some discussion, I was informed that the manager was in a meeting and could not discuss it with me at the moment. After some discussion with the receptionist, her colleague spoke to her and they both told me that since I was never informed of the cancellation policy that the manager would refund me a portion. But after reaching out to the manager through email, she told me that that wouldn't refund me anything. At this point, I then reached out for the stable and they told me that the hotel has known about the 100% cancellation policy for over a year. I was never told this when making the reservation, nor when cancelling. Therefore, the hotel should accept part of the responsibility. A hotel that cannot accept that they were partly at fault for an incident like this deserves less than one star. So much for customer service. Furthermore, the manager stated that "Swiss law" says that they dont have to disclose cancellation or change policies. I find that very hard to believe. What kind of business practice is that?

We had a really enjoyable experience (two nights) - friendly, helpful staff and top-notch food at reasonable prices. The spa area and swimming pools are as good, if not better, than some of the 'grand luxury' hotels - this together with the 'wellness' was a highlight. However, more attention to detail (like replacing glasses and water - and chocolates ) could be given when rooms were made up.