I don’t want to spoil things for you, but please do read up on my “signature treatment” tips! My favorite detail was certainly discovering “Matterhorn Swiss Mineral Cosmetics”. My girlfriend and I are immediately whisked away into our respective treatment rooms to enjoy a full-body massage, and a 90-minute facial, respectively. The name, which means “life from the source” connects pureness of the surrounding mountains with the healing power of water, both hot and cold. The “Vita borni” spa, located on the lower level of the hotel with a small, yet lovely outdoor sun area, may not be the largest mountain spa, but it is immediately, wonderfully inviting. Thanks to my job, I’m no stranger to beautiful spas, but I’ll admit something here that may surprise you: I’ve discovered that neither size nor high-tech treatment rooms define whether you feel at home there or not. My husband would argue that I’m simply making excuses to avoid a probable near-death experience on the mountain, but I take my job as a beauty journalist quite seriously and need to be well-rested and prepared to take in all that this historic hotel has to offer. There simply won’t be enough time for adrenaline and rock dust: We’ve not only got spa treatments booked, but are expected to arrive for dinner at “Loti”, one of the two Zermatterhof restaurants at 7 PM sharp. My friend and I have left our hiking boots at home, though. But this will soon change, as the sun is coming out and travellers will be arriving by train quite soon, most of them dressed in their finest mountaineering gear and ready to conquer Switzerland’s most iconic mountain peak. I am surprised, though, at how quiet and serene the small square in front of the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof is. Knowing this, I’m not surprised by the warm greeting as we disembark from the horse-drawn carriage that picked us up at the train station, a mere five minutes away. In the past 140 years, it has lost nothing of its luxurious comfort, all while keeping its historic décor and charm. Built in 1876, during Zermatt’s very first Renaissance as a hotspot for “summering” Europeans, the Zermatterhof immediately became the biggest hotel in town, with a (for the time) mind-boggling 94 rooms. It meets back up with the 44 right before Springfield.Having just been named “Hotel of the Year 2021” by Karl Wild of the renowned Swiss Hotel Ranking, the Zermatterhof quietly resides in the middle of town, right next to the beautiful church and just a stone’s throw away from the main, pedestrian-only street. GPS systems will have you hop back on the 44 to proceed into Springfield, but we enjoyed taking the 96 instead, which goes through Carthage before turning into a beautiful country road. Beautiful area, lots of room for the kids to run around, and very shaded. They do have an indoor restaurant, but it was closed while we were there (and we prefer picnicking anyway). We spent about a half hour walking through the gift shop, chapel, and museum, and then came back out front to the picnic tables for lunch. Wooden pews, wall to wall murals (even on the ceiling!) and stained glass on the outside. Through the tiny village is a beautiful landscaped walkway to the chapel and museum. There was a pretty strong musty smell in the gift shop (think: nursing home), but once you move past that area I didn't smell it so much. Almost like if you stood there long enough Belle would come strolling down singing "Bonjour!" My 9 year old liked perusing the store and my younger ones appreciated the larger than life figurines in the little "European Village" area, which kind of reminded me of the Paris hotel in Vegas. We still enjoyed our visit to the chapel, mostly because of the garden setting, the shaded picnic area, and the stained glass in the chapel itself. We have zero interest in the precious moments figurines. It's quirky, beautiful, and FREE, making it a perfect place for roadtrippers to take a break, stretch their legs, use the bathroom, and enjoy a picnic lunch. Not a MUST SEE, but a great stop along the 44 between Tulsa and Springfield, MO.
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