Le Petit, Zermatt (Hotels in Switzerland in general)

Member Name: Wease

Product:	Hotels in Switzerland in general
Date:	02/05/05 (1049 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Friendly, Value for Money

Disadvantages: Poor bathrooms, Small

Whilst wandering up Metzgasse from the church square in Zermatt two years ago I came across a very peculiar building. On first impressions it looked like a rather large block of cheese but on closer inspection I found that it was in fact a charming little hotel called Le Petit. I have since stayed here many times!

The hotel was built at the fork of a quiet path in the early 1930’s. This location provides it with a wedge-like shape – the mustard colour helps create the full Emmentaal effect. Overall it’s ample in size, featuring 20 bedrooms, a bar/restaurant and delightful sun terrace. In 2001 it was taken over by Crystal Holidays – part of the TUI group – and since then has been run as “Club Hotel” (beforehand the hotel was run independently by it’s Swiss owner Herr Theodore Feldmann).

**Ambience, Charm & Character**
The Crystal Club Hotel program features exclusive properties across Europe run by English speaking (and predominantly British) staff with the needs of the British traveller in mind. Le Petit prides itself on having a chalet’s friendliness with a hotel’s service and boy does it do this well! It’s atmosphere is warm from the moment you walk in with smiling helpful staff and the cosiness of the feature wooden panelling. The bar and restaurant is one area with no separate lounge to relax in which is a shame, especially as when full it is a real squeeze to fit everyone in. On a plus point it does allow you to integrate with other guests which adds to the warmth. Maybe they put prozac in the water – everyone is just so happy!

**Rooms**
There are 20 ensuite bedrooms in all spread over 4 floors. Each floor has 5 bedrooms of varying types. You can stay in single rooms – which are of a fantastic size, twins – there are only two traditional twins with the rest being Austrian twins which means there are two beds made up singularly and put on a double bed base – very common in Europe I believe, triples which involve an Austrian twin and another single bed and are great for a families with children, small doubles – some of which are quite small and traditional doubles. These feature a range of bathroom facilities from baths with showers to just showers.

The hotel really does live up to its name and none of the rooms are huge but on the plus side they do have plenty of storage space with all sorts of wardrobes, cupboards, drawers and shelves! Most are predominantly wooden panelled which adds so much character but does mean they can be quite dark at times, however, there is plenty of adequate lighting available to absolve this.

The rooms are very old fashioned and could do with a little updating, but it is difficult to see how it would be possible to modernise them without ruining their lovely features. The bathrooms could definitely do with refurbishment – I hear this is planned for Autumn 2005 – hooray! Most have cracked and ugly dark tiles, and the enamel on some of the baths is starting to come off.

None of the rooms really have great views because the hotel is facing East and West rather than North or South. Some rooms on the higher floors have slight views of the Matterhorn, but most overlook the nearby school and housing. The bonus is that the sun terrace offers fantastic views right across Zermatt!

There are so many varied types of room for such a small hotel it seems it is sometimes impossible to group parties or families together due to the reservations they have made. It is best to contact the hotel before booking so they can make a recommendation for you. I have done this and found the manager to be very helpful with my requests so it’s definitely worth doing!

**Restaurant & Food**
I booked the typical half board package which included breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner. The food provided really was fantastic. The hotel features an open kitchen which was exciting as we could see everything being prepared. The chef was so enthusiastic and it was nice to see how much care and time he took over our meals! I did hear that he was young Scottish chef of the year a while back and I’ll vouch for the fact that he could be running a rosette restaurant if it wasn’t for his love for snowboarding!

For breakfast we had a buffet and in the Winter they offer a simple 3 item cooked meal too. The buffet offered all sorts of yummy things from cereals and yoghurts to local meats and cheeses. I however was most impressed with the wide array of fresh fruit available. The presentation – especially of the watermelon which had been cut into an Aztec mask shape – was amazing.

Afternoon tea was a nice treat when we got home from a hard days ski-ing – on the days we managed to bypass the pub - with gorgeous homemade cakes and tea and coffee available.

Dinner really was excellent. A set menu with two choices for each course was handed out at breakfast and you chose for that evening. I’m not a vegetarian but I’m not a huge fan of meat either. Normally vegetarian food can be a bit bland in restaurants but the chef had really put some thought into his dishes. This applies to pretty much everything he did!

All meals are taken in the restaurant. The hotel isn’t particularly flexible on it’s meal times – regimented by the Swiss no doubt – but we found that the early breakfast made us get up and out to make the most of the day. The other thing we weren’t fussed about on one of our stays was the set seating plan. I understand that when the hotel is full guests must stick to their seats as otherwise not everyone would be able to fit in – there is only one sitting (the size of the kitchen would make it impossible to do two). One time we shared a table with a lovely couple and had great fun, but they had also been before and had to share with some rather odd men. It’s a bit hit and miss, it does mean you get to mix with the other guests though which is quite nice. If you’re not into socialising I suggest going out for dinner!

In Winter the staff have a day off in the middle of the week and all of the guests go out of the hotel to eat. We found this is a fantastic opportunity to try some of the many other excellent restaurants in Zermatt!

**Bar**
The hotel has a small bar but included in the restaurant. Having lived in Zermatt for a few years I was fully aware of the high bar prices so I was pretty amazed to find out how cheap Le Petit’s bar was. Some other guests were ranting and raving at having to pay 6CHF for half a litre of beer – approx. 2.90. But they soon found this was pretty much the best price going. A gin and tonic was a snap at 10CHF compared with nearer 20CHF in local bars!

What I really found superb though was the attentive and friendly service provided by both the hotel manager and the barman. They were always around if we had any questions about the resort or if we just wanted some lively banter!

**Sun Terrace**
On the hotel roof there is a lovely little sun trap with sun-loungers, chairs and tables. A great place to sunbathe or relax after a hard day out on the hills. It is the only one of it’s kind in Zermatt and worth it’s weight in gold! The hotel even hold BBQs up here in the Summer!

**Reception, Staff & Service**
There is not an official reception as the hotel is not staff 24 hours a day. However, the staff are always on hand to help with any queries. We found, especially where the manager was concerned, their attitude and knowledge of the resort was absolutely priceless. They were always happy to help and always around when you needed them most! They booked restaurants for us, gave us advice about the ski area – it had changed a wee bit since I lived there – were humorous and sweet. They really helped make the holiday for us!

**Location**
I would say Le Petit is perfectly located. It is just up a short hill from the main street and only a few minutes from all the liveliest bars, shops and banks. Zermatt is definitely not a ski in ski out kind of resort and a lot of guests complained about the walk to the lifts. It is a bit of a drag but the hotel isn’t too far from the free bus stop and in terms of the three ski lifts it is and equal distance from all of them – approx. a 10 minute walk!

**Suitability**
Due to the aforementioned hill, stairs everywhere and size of the lift (no more than two people can comfortably fit in at a time!) this isn't really a suitable hotel for badly disabled people.

For families the hotel is nice because of the ambience. But guests travelling with small children should really be aware... parents may end up with rooms on different floors to their children, the banisters on the very top floors have fairly wide gaps, the lift is only 3 sided etc etc plus there are no leisure facilities, games rooms, creche or nanny service - as in some of the other club hotels.

**Seasons & Stays**
Le Petit is open for the Winter ski season – Mid-December until Late April – and for the Summer from Mid-May until the start of October. In the Winter the hotel attracts guests who are there predominantly to ski – with the odd walker thrown in. Summer attracts a much wider variety of guest from the hardcore hiker to the elderly sightseer, from the mountain bikers to mountain climbers. Zermatt has so much to offer during the Summer months you really will bump into all types!

In Winter the hotel runs everything on a weekly basis with holidays running Saturday to Saturday. You can stay for 7 days – this is the most popular option or for as many weeks as you like!

Summer is a slightly different affair with everyday arrivals and holidays varying in length from 7, 10, 11 and 14 days. You can also stay for 3 or 4 night stays but these involve multi-centre holidays whereby you travel around to a few different resorts (a fantastic option if you can’t stick being stuck in one place for too long – though I know I for one could never get bored of Zermatt. Summer is a little less busier than Winter and therefore you can be a little more flexible with your stay - Crystal are always happy to try and tailor make a package to suit you!

**Prices**
These start at around £210 for a late deal during the ski season and go up to £900 for the week during peak times – school half terms. These prices include a half board package (Breakfast, Afternoon Tea & Dinner), flights and transfers.

During Summer the prices vary greatly depending on your package – whether it includes flights and travel etc, if it’s multi-centre. The prices always include half board catering.

These prices may seem expensive but when the package is compared to other hotels of this size in Zermatt then really it is great value for money. It is an expensive resort to work, live or play! But hey that’s all part of the beauty!

**Resort**
Zermatt deserves a whole separate review of it’s own – a short paragraph here really will not do it justice – but if you are looking for breathtaking scenery, fantastic outdoor activities, unbeatable snow-sure ski-ing, the home of Toblerone and of course the Matterhorn and want to join the suave, chic and famous then this is the place for you!

**Conclusion**
If you’re looking for somewhere friendly with an excellent atmosphere and great service, aren’t too fussed about facilities, want great food but don’t want it to cost the earth then you will just love Le Petit!


To book a holiday at Le Petit please go to www.crystalholidays.co.uk

You can contact, but not book directly through, the hotel using the following information:-

Le Petit
Postfach 366
3920
Zermatt
Schweiz

00 41 (0) 27 967 5902

petit.zer@bluewin.ch

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