- 🏔️ Where · Sunstar Hotel Grindelwald, a four-star hotel opened in 1971 at an altitude of 1,050 m, facing the north face of the Eiger (Bernese Oberland, Switzerland)
- 🎂 The occasion · The hotel’s 55th anniversary · the pool remained closed until late July 2026 for a complete renovation
- 💦 The spa · 1,200 m²: indoor pool, Roman baths with four climate zones, chalet-style sauna in the garden, steam baths, fitness room
- 🛏️ The new feature · a bubble massage bed facing the Eiger, also accessible to outside visitors
- 🎟️ Day spa · from 45 francs, or 99 francs with a four-course dinner at the Adlerstube
- 🍽️ Dining · the Adlerstube expanded to seat 120 in late 2025 · 211 rooms across 15 categories
The Sunstar Hotel Grindelwald has blown out its 55 candles with a brand-new pool. The 211-room property, opened in 1971 beneath the Eiger, has reopened its completely redesigned aquatic area this summer, the heart of a 1,200 m² spa featuring local spruce, bespoke lighting, a photographic mural of the peaks, and a bubble massage bed facing the north face. This rejuvenation follows the expansion of the Adlerstube restaurant in late 2025.
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A pool from 1971 reopened this summer
The aquatic area dates back to the hotel’s origins, having been expanded in 2004 along with the spa and seminar centre. Closed in the spring of 2026, the indoor pool reopened in early August following a complete overhaul: new tiling, suspended illuminated ceiling rings, local spruce woodwork, and a large photographic mural of the peaks surrounding the village. The hotel has not disclosed the cost of the works; the group’s 2025-2026 accounts report around one million francs invested in Grindelwald.
Surrounding the pool, the 1,200 m² spa retains its signature circuit: Roman thermal baths with four climate zones, a Finnish chalet-style sauna set in the garden, aromatic steam baths, sensory showers, and a panoramic relaxation room. Treatments use the Swiss product lines Binella and Alpienne. The sauna zone is reserved for guests aged 16 and over.
The bubble bed faces the Eiger’s north face
The standout feature is a single piece of equipment. A bubble massage bed, positioned within the pool, is oriented towards the north face of the Eiger, the 1,800-metre rock wall that towers over the village. The hotel presents this as an exclusive feature and opens it to outside visitors upon reservation.
The view is not merely a marketing claim: the Sunstar is located opposite the Firstbahn, 300 metres from the centre and 500 metres from the station, with the Eiger, Wetterhorn and First perfectly aligned with the bay windows. Premium rooms open their balconies onto the exact same panorama.
| Opening | 1971 · 55 years in 2026 |
| Rooms | 211, across 15 categories |
| Spa | 1,200 m² |
| Village altitude | 1,050 m |
| Adlerstube | 120 seats since late 2025 |
| Day spa | from 45 CHF · 99 CHF with dinner |
| Group hotels | 7, including Arosa closing at the end of summer 2026 |
Day spa from 45 francs, and dinner and spa for 99
The spa is not reserved exclusively for overnight guests. The Day Spa costs 45 francs for access to the pool, saunas and fitness room, available across two time slots: 10:00 to 14:00 or 15:00 to 19:00, with pool-only access priced at 20 francs (10 francs for children aged 6 to 15). Three packages include dining options: Sunrise Spa with breakfast for 55 francs, Sunshine Spa with lunch at the bar for 65 francs, and Sunset Spa with a four-course dinner at the Adlerstube for 99 francs. Admission is complimentary with treatments totalling 160 francs or more.
The Adlerstube expands to seat 120
The spa renovation extends a refurbishment project that began in late 2025. The Adlerstube, the hotel’s wood-panelled stube, has incorporated the former bar area to increase capacity to 120 seats, part of which can be privatised for private dinners or seminars of up to 45 people. The menu remains resolutely alpine: a one-kilo Swiss Angus tomahawk carved tableside, Grindelwald cheese fondue, a twenty-one-page wine list, and service daily from midday to 22:00.
The hotel also houses the Ambiance restaurant for half-board dining, three fondue chalets accommodating four to eight guests each, and a fireplace bar. It is managed by Christine Kretschmer and Andreas Thierbach, with Kathrin Ullrich heading the spa.
A seven-hotel group becoming six
Grindelwald is the largest property within the Sunstar Swiss Hotel Collection, founded in 1969 in Liestal and managed by Silvio Schoch. The group currently comprises seven hotels·Arosa, Brissago, Grindelwald, Klosters, Lenzerheide, Pontresina and Isola d’Asti in Piedmont·however, the Sunstar Arosa will close at the end of the 2026 summer season due to an inability to meet updated fire safety standards. The 2025-2026 financial year resulted in a loss of one million francs, the first in five years, alongside 177,700 overnight stays.
On the ground, the property maintains its commitment to sustainability: as a member of United Against Waste and a partner of Too Good To Go, it has offered carbon-neutral stays since 2008 and provides electric vehicle charging stations.
Our perspective
The Sunstar Grindelwald is not a grand palace, and that is precisely its strength. For under fifty francs, it offers access to one of the valley’s rare spas with a genuine view of the north face, in a village where top-tier hotels can be counted on one hand. The revamped pool gives a 1971 four-star property an advantage that not all of its pricier neighbours possess.
Yet broader pressures weigh on the brand. A loss-making group, a closing hotel, the passing of a major shareholder, and “strategic options” under review: the renovation of Grindelwald feels as much like a defensive investment as an enhancement. A situation to follow closely this winter, when the 99-franc Sunset Spa will reveal whether the day spa gamble finds its audience.
Practical information
- Sunstar Hotel Grindelwald, Dorfstrasse 168, 3818 Grindelwald · station 500 m away (shuttle service available), 35 minutes by train from Interlaken Ost
- Day Spa reservations: wellness.grindelwald@sunstar.ch · +41 33 655 78 33 · grindelwald.sunstar.ch
- Sunstar Bahnpass: 69 francs return train fare for stays of seven nights or more
Photo credit Sunstar Swiss Hotel Collection
