Best Western Hotel Bernerhof, Interlaken

They all told me that Switzerland is expensive.

But comparing the cost of the Bernerhof Hotel with similar hotels in the UK gives excellent value for money.

The Bernerhof is a 3-star hotel so its unlikely to suit the backpacker or the Windsors but it'll suit those who are looking for comfort and facility at a reasonable price. And that's mostly all of us.

I shared a twin room with a friend at £45 a night ...
...mountains in September from our private balcony, a very modern en-suite bathroom with a shower, and a room equipped with a cable television, telephone, modem connection and safe. The beds were comfortable and the room was spotless and well cleaned every day but there was street noise with the balcony door open.

The hotel is a 2 minute stroll from Interlaken West railway and bus station at the west end of the main street and is 5 minutes ... more

They all told me that Switzerland is expensive.

But comparing the cost of the Bernerhof Hotel with similar hotels in the UK gives excellent value for money.

The Bernerhof is a 3-star hotel so its unlikely to suit the backpacker or the Windsors but it'll suit those who are looking for comfort and facility at a reasonable price. And that's mostly all of us.

I shared a twin room with a friend at £45 a night each for a room with a view of snow capped mountains in September from our private balcony, a very modern en-suite bathroom with a shower, and a room equipped with a cable television, telephone, modem connection and safe. The beds were comfortable and the room was spotless and well cleaned every day but there was street noise with the balcony door open.

The hotel is a 2 minute stroll from Interlaken West railway and bus station at the west end of the main street and is 5 minutes walk from 20 or so restaurants, banks, tourist information, 3 chocolate shops and a host of souvenir shops. The souvenir shops all offer a range of cuckoo clocks, Swiss army knives, cow bells, watches, postcards and a variety of clothing bearing Swiss emblems.

The staff at the Bernerhof are very welcoming, which gives the hotel the air of a family-run business although it's not, and they speak excellent English so communication is not a problem. The staff freely give information about transport, current events and local attractions and have a variety of free maps and pamphlets to take with you.

Local attractions include Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, the 10,000 foot peaks of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains, breathtaking views of which are accessible by cog railway and cable cars, and the Reichenbach Falls where Sherlock Holmes dispatched the arch-criminal Moriarty to his well-justified demise.

Seemingly every available corner of the hotel is populated with interesting bronze sculptures and plants but they don't get in your way and they add a pleasant touch to the hotel.

There is a restuarant attached to the hotel that appears to special in catering for Japanese and Korean guests although the menu is of the steak-and-chips variety. The Maitre'd is a vibrant character who enjoys whipping groups of guests into a frenzy with a dj-style act and plenty of audience participation that seems to go down particularly well with Asian groups.

All-in-all I was very happy with the hotel and its service and I plan to return.

In comparison I stayed in a 3-star hotel in Bristol in August and it cost us £60 pppn, the staff were surly, the room and bedding was far from clean and the hotel clearly felt that we were getting excellent value for money.

Give me the Bernerhof any day! 

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