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With its castle-like tower and unique presence above Lucerne, Château Gütsch has been a landmark in the central Swiss city for more than one hundred years.It is no coincidence that the hotel resembles a certain German castle; Château Gütsch was modelled after Bavaria’s famous Neuschwanstein Castle. At Château Gütsch, though, the guests are the royalty in residence.

Accessing the hotel via an inclined elevator taking them up the hill, guests leave the 21st-century street below and alight in a fairytale stone structure that leads to the hotel. The intimate Reception room is more of an entrance hall in a fine home than a hotel lobby, and the staff welcomes guests as if they are visiting a home. The regal name may be associated with bigness, but Château Gütsch is small by modern-day hotel standards; with only 37 rooms, the place feels more like a private home in the countryside than an urban hotel. Part of the reason for this is Château Gütsch’s bucolic location adjacent to an expansive parkland where the scent of the trees and flowers is as intoxicating as the fine Swiss wines served in the hotel’s restaurant.

: Chateau Gutsch’s imposing exterior

: The dining terrace of Chateau Gutsch’s Lumieres restaurant

: The Rachmaninoff Suite’s large private terrace

As in historical hotels, rooms and suites at Château Gütsch come in various sizes and configurations. Although there is no bad room anywhere in the atmospheric hotel, one of the most indulgent options is the splendid Rachmaninoff Suite, where the comfortable living room and bedroom yield the vast and beautiful private terrace as the suite’s most impressive feature. Created to honour the Russian composer who spent much time in Lucerne, the terrace of the Rachmaninoff Suite gives its residents a private panoramic view of Lucerne below and the Swiss Alps beyond while they enjoy the composer’s works emanating from the deluxe Poet sound system.

: Chateau Gutsch’s Rachmaninoff Suite lives up to its name.

: A private events room at Chateau Gutsch

Come dinnertime, the semisecret staircase out the door of the Rachmaninoff Suite leads to Lumières, Château Gütsch’s stellar restaurant. Named for the lights of the city seen glowing in the night, Lumières reiterates the excellence of Swiss hospitality found throughout the hotel. A beautiful room (wo)manned by an amiable team of managers and staff whose attentive service enhances the dining experience, Lumières is an undoubted highlight of a stay at this special hotel. In the morning, the superb restaurant space becomes the venue for breakfast under the Murano glass chandeliers indoors or on the expansive terrace to enjoy an even better view of Lucerne.

Château Gütsch is a favourite venue for corporate events and private celebrations. Given the hotel’s special atmosphere, it is no surprise that weddings are especially popular here. Unfortunately, it is impossible to marry the hotel and live there forever until death do us part, but a fleeting romance can still provide a lifetime of memories.