The preferred choice of the stylish ski set for years, Zermatt’s Cervo Mountain Resort has never been a property to rest on its laurels. It comes as no surprise then, that the ever-evolving hotel has used this turbulent period to its benefit, with the complete upheaval and rebirth of both Cervo’s grounds and its concept.
The result is a newly honed global perspective that continues to embrace the surrounding environment in addition to the needs of the modern roaming nomad. Further cementing Cervo’s original spirit of adventure and exploration, the hotel reopens with a concentrated focus on sustainability, an enhanced culture program, and a new, unmatched consideration of both local and global landscapes. This, paired with Cervo’s expanded food and beverage concept, a new state-of-the-art spa, and a series of completely redesigned accommodations, ensures that the year-round resort remains a favored destination for modern explorers—those who act, travel, and discover consciously.
With the renovation, conversion, and extension of its pre-existing buildings, Cervo Mountain Resort has translated its revived spirit into a collection of contemporary spaces that maintain the principles the hotel was founded on when it first opened back in 2009. German interior design studio Dreimeta—led by Armin Fischer and Andrea Kraft-Hammerschall—has added 18 new rooms and suites, and remodeled a further 36 into modern interpretations of the Alpine lifestyle merged with a more outward looking perspective of the world, further enhanced by the distinct personalities attributed to each of the new room categories. Amongst the three new concepts— Nomad, Alpinist and Huntsman—warm colors, wooden surfaces, and natural materials coalesce with timelessly modern accents and views of the Matterhorn. Additionally, earthy materials, such as braided linen, Alpine timber and regional granite, are layered to create quiet and restrained rooms that act as private refuges and places of retreat.
Elsewhere, the overarching connection to nature and the surrounding environment reveals itself in the shape of a new wellness concept and several overhauled leisure outlets. Dedicated to deceleration and harmony with the inner self, the Mountain Ashram Spa offers meditation, coaching, and yoga sessions both in a new ritual room and on the mountain meadow, as well as massages and treatments inspired by international practices. Pranayama breathing exercises and herbal expeditions where guests are invited to forage Cervo’s garden for local herbs to be used during their treatments are two unique highlights of the spa menu. Easy access to Zermatt’s numerous pistes is possible thanks to the proximity of the Sunnegga Bahn, located right next to the property. Summer promises mountain biking, climbing, hiking, and wakeboarding on nearby Lake Schali with the Cervo-owned Schali Lago Cantina ensuring adventurers are entertained year-round. Inside the hotel, a newly installed climbing wall offers four courses and an unconventional route to the Nomad Lodge, with mountain guides from Zermatt on-hand for private and group lessons.
Three in-house restaurants are also reflective of the resort’s new merger of Alpine elements with a worldly vision, and each incorporates Cervo’s pronounced eco-mindfulness. At Bazaar, a lively eatery inspired by the bustling markets of the East, a largely plant-based menu is served in a space where guests may also purchase items from the interior décor. At Italian restaurant Madre Nostra, classic dishes are crafted with ingredients from local farms and fishermen in a further nod to the Mountain Resort’s reverence for the local and seasonality, while Ferdinand, with its Valais-focused cuisine, combines Zermatt mountain aesthetics with regional specialties made wholly from local produce. Further fulfilling a goal to actualize self-sustainability the revamped property and its village of buildings also now feature a newly implemented geothermal heat pump. This is supported by a heat recovery system that allows the hotel to generate up to 95 percent of its energy requirements for hot water and heating, and solar energy efforts by way of panels placed on the balconies of the new Nomad lodge. Together these concepts and operations punctuate Cervo’s position as a hub for the modern nomad for whom sustainability, a connection to nature, and a pursual of “glocal” experiences form the key pillars of fully immersive and responsible travel.
Location
Multifaceted and defined by the seasons, Zermatt is a chameleon-like destination that takes on a new guise depending on the time of year. In addition to its ideal conditions for winter sports, the area is notable for over thirty 4,000-meter peaks that offer unrivaled mountain panoramas, while Zermatt’s high elevation allows for skiing during the summer months as well. Local highlights include the Gornergrat Viewing Platform, a short train ride and hike away from the hotel; the Matterhorn Museum and Schali Lago (Lake Schali), Cervo’s spot for wakeboarding and water skiing located just 20 minutes outside Zermatt.
For guests arriving by air, Cervo Mountain Resort is best accessed via ZRH – Zürich Airport or GVA – Geneva Airport. The nearest international train station to the resort is Visp.
