The Cambrian

Rooms

Lovely rooms and suites come in the same smart style – natural tones, clean lines, woollen day blankets created especially for The Cambrian. Chic bathrooms have creamy mosaic tiles, lovely walk-in power showers, exclusive toiletries by Grown Alchemist, and robes to pad about in.

The big 3 factors to consider are: the view; the size of the room; and whether it has a balcony. More than half the rooms overlook the valley – sometimes Deluxe Rooms do, sometimes Junior Suites don’t, so it’s not just the type of room (or price) that decides this, though south-facing rooms are your best bet (and worth the premium). It’s the same with balconies – some rooms at the front have them, some rooms at the back don’t, and while the view at the back is infinitely more impressive, the view at the front over town and up the mountain isn't bad either. In short, prepare to pay more for a bigger room, a little more for a balcony or a view, and a little more again for both.

Deluxe Rooms may be the smallest rooms, but they’re stylish and several have balconies and the view. Junior Suites are altogether bigger, about twice the size, with sofas and armchairs in the sitting area, too. Family Suites have a second room for children (sometimes on a mezzanine), and they’re up in the eaves with cathedral ceilings and white-painted beams. We stayed in one of these on our last visit and were blown away by the view from our balcony in the morning.

The Cambrian Suite is awesome, with 3 balconies, 2 bathrooms (one with a bath) and a separate living room, while the top of the line Snowdon Suite has panoramic views from the master bedroom as well as a twin and a single, each with their own ensuite, plus a separate living room.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Central heating
• Coffee / tea making
• Cots available
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Radio
• Safe box
• TV
• WiFi

Eating

Breakfast (included in the price) is served downstairs in the smart restaurant, or on the terrace in good weather. It’s a help-yourself buffet with fruit salad, muesli, freshly baked bread and croissants, plates of cheese and ham, bacon, eggs and smoked salmon if you’re hungry.

Cool little AXE Bar, located just off the lobby, offers a snack menu for light bites throughout the day, and is the perfect place for après-ski cocktails or aperitifs.

Dinner in Bryn Williams at The Cambrian is the main event, and in summer you can eat on the terrace with the valley spread out before you. The ingredients are as local as possible, and menus - choose between a la carte or a 3- or 5-course tasting menu - showcase Swiss and Welsh influences. Our 3-course set menu featured curried sweetcorn veloute, a succulent sharing steak and a deconstructed muscovado cheesecake that we couldn't stop talking about.

If you want to eat out, there are some good restaurants to try, though most are likely to involve a combination of cow bells, wood cabins or cheese fondues! For the latter try the lovely rustic Alte Taverne; Alpenblick, located next door to the hotel, has a casual bistro at the front and Michelin-starred cuisine at the back; or for special occasions head to Restaurant Hohliebe-Stubli, located a little out of town but definitely worth the trip. Restaurants are popular in the skiing season, so book ahead.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service

Activities

• The Swiss love to play on their mountains and Adelboden is no exception, with a full menu of Alpine activities, from plain old skiing and snowboarding to snow tubing, cross-country skiing and tobogganing, or even snowshoeing (winter hiking) or climbing up an ice face. The 72 ski lifts serve 210km of pistes and the winter ski pass covers all areas, with good reductions for families. In town you can go skating, try your hand at curling, or watch the ice hockey
  
• The locals' appetite for mountain adventure is undiminished in summer. Hiking is excellent - don’t miss the Engstligenalp and its spectacular waterfalls, or the Aeugi-Lowa trail for its magnificent high Alpine views. There’s something to suit every level, with blisteringly beautiful landscapes of soaring peaks, waterfalls, deep gorges, flower-strewn meadows, the odd hanging bridge
  
• The hotel's spa is a big attraction and comes with a cool indoor pool and a hot outdoor pool with jaw-dropping views across the valley. There’s a steam room and sauna, then 5 separate rooms with a vast range of treatments on offer (facials, manicures, body scrubs and massages)
  
• Mountain biking is popular, with over 80km of signposted trails - you can even bike down the FIS World Cup course. There’s family fun on scooters, too, with 45km of downhill runs, pony trekking, even llama trekking
  
• Or you can try your hand at mountain climbing, abseiling, hang-gliding, paragliding or zip-wiring across the river. There are guided tours of the valley and its villages, too, and ski tours in winter, with a stop for a good lunch on the way
  
• For something less adrenalin-inducing, try their cello yoga, where a live cellist accompanies your flow against a mountain backdrop

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Hiking
• Ice skating
• Mountain biking
• Paragliding
• Plantlife / flora
• Pool table
• Private guided tours
• Skiing
• Snowshoeing
• Snowsports
• Trekking
• Well being

Kids

Children are very welcome, and babysitting is available on request (extra charge). However, the hotel does have a grown-up vibe. There’s a stylish children’s room in the basement with a climbing frame and games. Ski school is available, and there are lots of family-friendly activities on offer in the valley in summer. Adelboden itself is accessible, and popular with Swiss families yet pleasingly not too hectic. The Cambrian is located in town so has good proximity to retail and sports facilities.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

The best options for families are the bi-level Family Suites which have 2 bedrooms (1 double, 1 twin), and extra beds can be added to the Junior Suites

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

Distances:

• Airport: 2 hours (Basel)
• Hospital: 20 minutes (Frutigen)
• Shops: 2 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The Cambrian is in the Alpine town of Adelboden, in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. The hotel sits high on the hill in the centre of the village, with big views south over a wide mountain valley, and within walking distance of the ski lifts.

By Air:
Fly into Bern (65km, the closest airport) if you can, or one of Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (Euroairport) / Zurich / Geneva (all around 170-200km, but served by more flights).

From the Airport
Take a taxi, take the train or hire a car.

By Car:
You're an hour from Bern and about 3 hours from Basel, Zurich or Geneva. Speed cameras are everywhere, and will fine you if you go even 1km/h over the limit, so beware! See our car rental recommendations. Valet parking is available at the hotel, charged by the day.

By Train:
The nearest railway station is Frutigen. From here you can take the bus to Adelboden Post, located just across the street from the hotel.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.