Hotel Cristal Flumserberg
29-room hotel in Tannenboden with the first ski lift beside the door
About this hotel
Hotel Cristal sits on Tannenbodenalpstrasse in Tannenboden, the village at the centre of the Flumserberg ski area above the Walensee. Skiers walk out to the first lift next to the building, and the BergJet gondola, which climbs from 1,397 m to the Maschgenkamm at 2,015 m, is a few minutes away, as is the cable car from Unterterzen. Rooms range from doubles and family rooms to the Cristal Suite. Meals are served in the Churfirstenstube and, in winter, also in the Chäs-Stübli for cheese dishes and the Arvenstübli, which has a fireplace and a lounge. The wellness area is small, with a sauna and a steam bath, and its use carries a supplement. Guests also have a washing machine, a meeting room with mountain views and free parking. In summer the hotel holds the Bikehotel Heidiland label, with a lockable bike room, a repair station and a washing area. Pets are not accepted.
- 29 rooms at Tannenbodenalpstrasse 3
- First ski lift beside the building
- BergJet gondola to the Maschgenkamm a few minutes' walk away
- Three dining rooms, two of them open in winter only
- Sauna and steam bath
- Free parking and a children's play room
Our take
Hotel Cristal stands at Tannenbodenalpstrasse 3 in Tannenboden, with a slope and the first ski lift beside the building and the BergJet gondola to the Maschgenkamm a few minutes away on foot. That gondola climbs from 1,397 m to 2,015 m, and from there the 65 km of Flumserberg runs reach up to the Leist at 2,222 m. The house has 29 rooms and three dining rooms; two of them, the Chäs-Stübli and the pine-panelled Arvenstübli with its fireplace, open in winter only. Wellness means a sauna and a steam bath, with a supplement to use them. I would book it for families and intermediate skiers who want to walk to everything. Anyone after a pool should sleep elsewhere, and dogs are not accepted.
- Come by train: the S4 stops at Unterterzen on the Walensee, and the gondola from there climbs to Tannenboden, a short walk from the hotel.
- The hotel has its own free parking; public car parks in Tannenboden are paid during the day.
- Start beginners in the Tannenboden practice area, where the small lifts and magic carpets are free, before moving them up the BergJet.
- Book the Chäs-Stübli for a cheese evening during your stay: it and the Arvenstübli open only in winter, and in summer the hotel runs no à la carte restaurant.
- Ask for a family room if you travel with children: the play room sits next to the restaurants, so they can play while you finish dinner.
Why we love it
- The first ski lift right beside the building
- The BergJet gondola to the Maschgenkamm on foot
- Cheese evenings in the Chäs-Stübli in winter
- Free hotel parking
Why guests love itA play room next to the restaurants and a ski lift beside the building make Hotel Cristal easy for families with young skiers. The free practice lifts and magic carpets of the Tannenboden beginner area are in the same village, and the BergJet gondola takes stronger children up to the Maschgenkamm when they are ready. Family rooms are on the room list, and there is a washing machine for guests. The limits are clear: the sauna and steam bath carry a supplement, there is no pool, and the dog stays at home. For a first family ski week in Flumserberg with everything on foot and the car parked for free, I would choose it; for an afternoon swim after skiing, I would not.