Switzerland provides some of the best accommodation in the world, from the swankiest hotels through to outstanding hostels. Although there is everything you would expect of a country with over 150 years of Winter tourism experience, one uniquely Swiss option, thanks to the wonderful transport infrastructure and the countries compact size, is the opportunity to stay in a metropolis and “commute” to the slopes, visiting different resorts each day. Lausanne, Interlaken, Bern and Luzern all make good bases.
The Switzerland Tourism web site is, as always, a fount of useful information for the independent traveller. For general accommodation, information is available at My Switzerland. Switzerland Tourism also produce brochures which can be ordered at the web site or perused online for (Swiss Luxury Hotels), (Luxury Chalets), (Wellness Hotels), (Design & Lifestyle Hotels), (Typically Swiss Hotels), and (winter huts), amongst others.
For the budget traveller, the quality of Swiss hostels will come as a pleasant surprise. They are clean, efficient, inexpensive, convenient and offer a range of accommodation options from dormitories to en suite bedrooms from as little as around CHF30 per night. The two main networks are the (Swiss Youth Hostels) and (Swiss Backpackers). Not only are many of the youth hostels conveniently situated in ski resorts, there are several located close to the stations in bustling cities like Bern and Lausanne which make great centres to ski multiple locations. The youth hostel in the Cantonal capital of Valais, Sion, opens late in the season, but makes a great base for snowboarding and skiing in the canton.
Mostly inexpensive Bed and Breakfast (http://www.bnb.ch/) often offer rustic settings and fare, while igloos are a more unconventional option to get close to the mountains (http://www.iglu-dorf.com/).
The travel agents that operate package holidays to Switzerland are listed elsewhere, but the following provide accommodation only services:
- Inghams
- Ski Direct
- Swiss Travel Service from Neilson
There are many specialist chalet companies, such as:
Additionally there are a number of independent chalet owners who advertise everywhere from Craigslist to expatriate bulletin boards.
In 2008, the most popular locations for visitors in Switzerland to stay were:
| Location | Beds |
| Zurich | 11675 |
| Geneva | 10333 |
| Zermatt | 5881 |
| Lucerne | 5499 |
| Basel | 5208 |
| Davos | 5261 |
| St. Moritz | 4288 |
| Lausanne | 3753 |
| Bern | 3379 |
| Interlaken | 3030 |
| Lugano | 3036 |
| Arosa | 2838 |
| Grindelwald | 2923 |
| Lauterbrunnen | 2974 |
Source: Swiss Tourist Federation
