Riffelhaus 1853

I love to plan a part of adventure elopements here for my couples. It's a perfect spot for amazing views of Matterhorn and still a bit of luxury with jacuzzi and the possibility to have cakes delivered on the mountain and more. The staff are always very kind and accommodating.

This is our 4th day. Normally, I would give such a hotel 4 or even 5 stars. They have spacious and comfortable rooms, staff is polite, breakfast is standard but good and dinners are fine dinning style. And lets not forget nice sauna facility with Matterhorn view. BUT, we were looking for some rest and away from man-made noises. What was the whole reason to pick this hotel. From images and google maps, we thought that it would be a secluded hotel away from noises. However, from early morning till 18:00 everyday there i noise around the hotel and we could not even open the windows and enjoy the nature. There is a new construction (not visible in Google Maps) 200m away from the hotel and big construction machines are working there during the week. Hotel is just next to cable car station, and mechanism of cable cars are constantly making noise. Moreover, hotel has a small transportation vehicle to carry lagguages of visitors. This is making very loud mechanical sound while going to train station back and forward whole day. If you are also bothered with man-made loud noise and if you really want to stay here, I would suggest the corner rooms with Matterhorn view. Mountain view rooms (odd numbers like 207) exposed to noise more and there is no privacy because of the tourists around the hotel. If you dont mind these issues, it is nice hotel with good location for hiking. —————— UPDATE: Since availability occurred, we switched from room 207 to 302 for our last 3 nights. Julia from reception was quite helpful. Noise issue is not prominent in this room. And it has direct view to Matterhorn and Zermatt. Even though the new room is considerably smaller than the previous one, This view compensate almost every nuisance (but it comes with an extra price tag of +100chf per night). For the sake of this view, and slightly decreased noise nuisance, I increased my rating from 3 to 4. Though, I have to add that overall, considering everything, it is an overpriced hotel.

Switzerland is renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty, serene lakes, and world-class hospitality. This trip, I was joined by 12 fellow hiking enthusiasts to explore this beautiful country. From Zurich to St. Moritz, Lugano, and finally Zermatt, we were consistently impressed by the professionalism and courtesy of the hotel staff we encountered — their service truly added warmth to our journey. However, all of that changed the moment we arrived at Hotel 1853. To say we were shocked and disappointed would be an understatement. After hiking for more than four hours, we were understandably exhausted and simply looking forward to a nice dinner and some rest. Since our group consisted of 13 people, we had pre-ordered set menus in advance. As we had done at other restaurants, we politely informed the staff that they could begin serving the meals while we quickly finalized our drink orders — a small gesture that had always helped save everyone’s time and effort. However, the staff member named Katja responded in an extremely rude and dismissive tone, flatly refusing our request. She insisted that we must complete our drink orders before anything could be served. When I looked up at her, she glared back at us with a poker face and said, “It’s how we work,” in a confrontational manner. This level of disrespect and unprofessionalism was shocking — and entirely unacceptable. To encounter such behavior at a hotel known for its iconic view and supposed high standards was deeply disappointing. It felt as if she assumed we had no other options, simply because we were staying on the mountain. Rather than allow this single unpleasant interaction to ruin what had been a wonderful trip through Switzerland, I chose to forfeit my prepaid dinner and room, and caught the last train down the mountain. Later that evening, I enjoyed a delightful meal at a small French restaurant in Zermatt — where the food and the genuinely warm service reminded me of what Swiss hospitality is truly meant to be.