Grand Hotel Victoria-Jungfrau (Editor’s Choice)
There is no hotel experience quite like that found at the great, grand Swiss hotels and the VJ is one of the greatest and grandest.

The Höheweg is dominated by the hotel’s long Belle époque facade, striped awnings over every window, and signature Victorian tower.

Inside are high, wide corridors, marble fountains, dazzling crystal chandeliers, and 10-foot high, wood framed, beveled glass doors that open to elegant salons.

The term ”swimming pool” doesn’t begin to adequately describe the VJ’s extravagant natatorium of Roman opulence and Art Deco ritz. Under an arching roof that opens to the sky, azure columns rise from the water. Each narrows to a black cylinder that supports a white, basketball-sized, light globe. Nearby are the hotel’s four indoor tennis courts. Outside are several more.

And, of course, framed in almost every window, floating in and out of the clouds, is the imposing mountain for which the hotel is named.

Guestrooms are sumptuous havens of elegance and comfort with every convenience. Many have huge, brilliantly lit, marble baths with separate showers and Jacuzzi tubs. Even the standard rooms, though a bit smaller, are posh.

There are three restaurants, the most ambitious being La Terrasse, a shimmering room of floor to ceiling windows, dazzling silver, gleaming crystal and snowy linens. Always there is a pianist and hovering tuxedoed servers. To be in this room on a summer evening, as the last of the sun lights the Jungfrau, is a lifetime memory.

The food is another story. It is expensive and we approach meals here with expectations that have not always been fulfilled. The cuisine is rich, substantial and ”Old World;” the service stiff and correct, though not unfriendly.

Victoria-Jungfrau’s less serious restaurants are the more contemporary, Jungfrau Brasserie, which features lighter fare of fresh Swiss products, and Pastateca, which serves Italian and Asian pasta dishes.

By any measurement, this is one of the world’s finest hotels. For most, it is a destination for very special occasions. Check the hotel’s website for discount deals. On offer at the end of February was a double room with breakfast and dinner in any of the restaurants for two persons for CHF 590 ($432) per night.
Contact: Grand Hotel Victoria Jungfrau, Höheweg 41, CH-3800 Interlaken, +41/033/828 28 28, fax 828 28 80, interlaken@victoria-jungfrau.ch,  www.victoria-jungfrau.ch
Daily Rates: Singles CHF 430-620, doubles CHF 530-850, not including breakfast.
Rating: Quality 18/20, Value 12/20  

Hotel du Nord (Editor’s Choice)
Although parts of the du Nord date to the 12th century, the feeling is much more late 19th or early 20th century with a loving blend of rustic charm and contemporary style. Fifth-generation owner Simone Engel, who took over from her parents in 1999, grew up in the hotel and has a passion for it and her hometown. Like her veteran staff, she’s personable, warm, and attentive.

Public spaces are bright and cheerful with special accents from shimmering candles to colors that match just right.

Guest rooms are generally spacious with a harmony of soft colors in upholstery, carpeting and drapery. Rooms 404, 406, 407 and 409 are top-floor doubles with balconies and mountain views. Bathrooms are midsize and offer a tub with shower.
Contact: Simone Engel, Hotel Du Nord, Höheweg 70, CH-3800 Interlaken, tel.: +41/033/827 5050, fax: 827 827-5055,  mail@hotel-dunord.ch,  www.hotel-dunord.ch
Daily Rates: Singles CHF 145-175, doubles CHF 190-300. Free parking and shuttle service to golf course.
Rating: Quality 15/20, Value 12/20

Hotel-Gasthof Hirschen
The Hotel-Gasthof Hirschen has been in the same family since 1666, and Frau Marian Graf - the cordial, ninth-generation innkeeper - has succeeded, during a recent renovation, in balancing history and tradition with modern comfort.

A step into the Hirschen is a step back in time. The 20 guestrooms come with modern amenities and lots of warm wood, soft-colored fabrics and rustic touches. Number 6 is a large double with view to the Jungfrau, while Number 26 looks over the garden terrace and lawn. The hotel’s farm produces meat, cheese, vegetables and berries for hotel use and general sale. The Hirschen is about a 10-minute walk from the Ostbahnhof.

Though the Hirschen looks better to us than it did on our first visit in 1994, the three ”suburban” hotels listed below are better value
Contact: Hotel-Gasthof Hirschen, CH-3800 Matten-Interlaken, tel. +41/033/822 1545, fax: 823 3745, gasthofhirschen@bluewin.ch,  www.hirschen-interlaken.ch
Daily Rates: Singles CHF 90-140, doubles CHF 180-260 
Rating: Quality 11/20, Value 10/20

Hotel Bären
Located in the quiet community of Wilderswil, the Hotel Bären, an inn since 1706, has a typical country feeling - nothing plush, but certainly clean, pleasant and tasteful. Antiques decorate public spaces, and bears are everywhere, from wood carvings and stuffed animals to painted pottery.

Most of the 50 guestrooms are larger than average and the slanting roof lends character to top-floor chambers. In addition to a sauna, TV lounge and small fitness area, guests can also make use of a self-service laundry room and free use of bicycles and mountain bikes. Rail travelers should note that the hotel is an 8-10 minute walk from the generally taxi-less Wilderswil station.

The included breakfast is one of the best and most complete anywhere.
Contact: Gabi and Fritz Zurschmiede-Melo, Hotel Bären, CH-3812 Wilderswil, tel.: +41 033 828 3151, fax: 828 3152, info@baeren.ch,  www.baeren.ch
Daily Rates: Singles CHF 78-130, doubles CHF 130-210 
Rating: Quality 13/20, Value 12/20

Gasthaus Steinbock
It’s just a three-minute walk from the Wilderswil train station, past historic houses, across the covered wooden bridge, over the rapids of the Lütschine River, past the early medieval village church, to the 14th-century Gasthaus Steinbock. Rooms are mid-sized and straightforward, but the character of the overall setting more than makes up for any shortcomings.
Contact: Gasthaus Steinbock, CH-3814 Gsteigweiler, tel.: +41 033 823 3001, fax: +41 033 823 3015, info@steinbockgsteig.ch,  www.gastro-genial.ch.
Daily Rates: Singles CHF 85-95, doubles CHF 150-160 
Rating: Quality 13/20 Value 15/20

Hotel Schlössli am See
For travelers seeking a lakeside location, the Hotel Schlössli am See in Bönigen offers good value on the Brienzersee. In this pleasant combination lakefront resort and medieval farming village, the Schlössli has been a landmark for more than a century. Guests can relax outdoors on a private beach or on the hotel’s extensive lakefront lawn.

The Schlössli’s exterior and public spaces are a bit past their prime, but guestrooms were recently renovated and are clean, comfortable and full of character.