The Märchenhotel Braunwald, A Fairytale for Families in the Swiss Alps

Can I share with you my happy place? My dream vacation spot in this season of life? My family’s favorite hotel?

It’s truly a fairytale.

Residing in a quiet corner of Switzerland’s Alps, the Märchenhotel Braunwald is an extraordinary family hotel that we have had the pleasure of visiting twice now – staying 2 nights in 2022 and 5 nights in 2024. Already, I am already dreaming of the day we return, as it holds a very special place in my family’s heart.

Owned and operated by the Vogel family for generations, the Märchenhotel is full of enchanting details that set it apart from other hotels. From fluffy animals around the property to slides at every turn, from great food and a warm staff, to the most epic scenery surroundings, I could spend hours touting the unique features of the Märchenhotel that charm guests to no end.

Märchen (also written as Maerchen) means “Fairytale” in German! True to its name, the Märchenhotel is a family hotel that strives to serve and delight young families with touches of whimsy and magic. I believe there are 6 key factors as to why the Märchenhotel is truly a fairy-tale come true.

1. ENGAGING CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING & ON-SITE ACTIVITES GALORE

As a family hotel, there are so many awesome activities for children, many of which are facilitated by dedicated and caring staff members. There is a chaperoned kindergarten room for the littlest ones. There are indoor play-spaces that my girls absolutely loved. The outdoor playground is just awesome. There is an indoor pool with a wicked waterslide, as well as a toddler splash pool. Furthermore, there are various scheduled activities throughout the day – like taking the llamas for a village walkabout or going roller skating after dinner. Truly, kids are welcomed to play… and spoiler alert… they play hard!

But children aren’t the only ones who play! I still can’t get over how many slides there are around the property! I made it my mission to go on every single one, and my favorite has to be the slide in front of the hotel that swooshes up and over the goat yard.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: In my opinion, the Märchenhotel is best suited for families with children ages 3ish-10ish. Plenty of families with babies, toddlers, and teens come, too! Yet, I think one of the greatest gifts is to be able to let your children roam freely, which obviously they need to be old enough to do so! During our first visit, Waverley wasn’t quite two years old and she didn’t like to be left alone in the Kindergarten; but by this past summer, at nearly four years old, she made friends with other guests and happily scooted off to play. (It should come as no surprise that Heidi Rose, at almost-five and almost-seven years old, didn’t think twice about leaving us behind to play with new friends or participate in the after-dinner programs.) As parents, it was such a treat to see our kids thrive in a safe place where they can have fun without us around every moment.

2. THE DINING EXPERIENCE

First of all, the hotel rates are for your room and half board, meaning breakfast and dinner are included. (Alcoholic beverages, additional purchase from the bar, and lunch at the Clariden Restaurant are not included.) The food is fantastic and features local or regional products.

Second, each family has their own designated table in the main dining room where breakfast and dinner are served. In the mornings, you’ll find the most incredible breakfast buffet and families can come and go during operating hours. You can order coffee, freshly-cooked eggs and bacon from the waitstaff, too.

Third, as parents, our favorite element that sets this hotel apart is the dinner service. When you are on vacation with your young family, how often do you want to enjoy a nice dinner with your spouse, but the kids just aren’t cooperating? Well, at the Märchenhotel, you can eat dinner kid-free and guilt-free!

Every night around 6:30pm, immediately following Story Time and Wine Tasting, children are invited eat to dinner in the children’s hall, called The Hall for Kings. After dinner, the hall is converted into a play space where chaperoned activities take place each night. If your children are old enough, they are welcome to play around the property while adults eat in the dining room. It’s a win-win for everyone!

*Children are welcomed to eat dinner in the main dining room with their families, if that is preferred. Or they can pop in for an extra bite, because they know exactly where to find you!

3. THOUGHTFUL AMENITIES

The hotel provides so many great amenities to make your stay more enjoyable.

The thoughtful amenities begin immediately upon guests’ arrival in Braunwald, a carless mountain village. The Märchenhotel Express, an electric minivan, meets guests at the Braunwaldbahn station so they don’t have to huff up the hill with luggage. Upon check-in, the receptionist serves welcome drinks, and oftentimes, owners Nadja or Patric Vogel will greet guests personally in the lobby… which is absolutely mind-blowing to me!

During our stays, we were so appreciative of the strollers and hiking backpacks that are free to borrow from the hotel, as our girls needed some extra support on some of our hikes and walks. In the dining room, I was grateful baby Waverley had her own STOKKE high chair and a cloth bib at meals! Also, can we acknowledge that in a post-Covid world (when it feels like so many services were cut and have stayed out of service), it is a rare gift indeed when you can have bathrobes, slippers, and towels for a walk down to the pool?

I don’t know if the Märchenhotel staff would call them amenities, but the animals around the property really add to everyone’s enjoyment. Waverley loved feeding the bunnies and the goats in particular. Heidi Rose had fun going to the chicken coop to collect eggs in the morning! I’ve got some good stories about the goats, that I’ll share in my next post, when I tell you about my one-on-one interview with Patric Vogel. Stay tuned! ;-)

4. A WONDERFUL STAFF

The staff of the Märchenhotel is very friendly and accommodating. If you stay for a few days, you definitely get to know staff members, and they are just the sweetest.

While most staff members are from around Europe, the receptionists, wait staff and childcare team do speak English. So, you and your children will have no problem communicating with the fabulous employees of the hotel.

No one exemplifies hospitality more than Nadja and Patric Vogel. Yes, they are the owners of the hotel – but they are also the head of staff and working around the property. Not only do they take turns leading the evening Wine Tasting for adults and reading the fairytale, they also participate in the dinner service. You can tell that they do this because they have a heart for serving others, and it’s beautiful to watch.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: At its heart, the Märchenhotel is a family-run hotel, created by Swiss people for Swiss people (initially). Of course, they welcome guests from all over the world now. However, owners Nadja and Patric Vogel are committed to honoring the founding of the fairytale hotel, which began with a story told to a crying child in Swiss German in 1976. Thus, they keep some special events (like the nightly wine tasting and fairytale-telling) in the German-language. Their message to international guest (which you can read here) is heartfelt and sincere.

5. THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF BRAUNWALD

With a spectacular view of the Glarner Alps, the hotel’s position in Braunwald gives you amazing access to nature. The view from the infinity pool and from the adult-only spa on the top floor are both rather captivating!

As I’ve already shared in this article, I absolutely adore Braunwald. It is one of my favorite places in all of Switzerland!

6. THE ROOMS

The Märchenhotel offers several different room layouts. Even the most basic of rooms have bunk beds for the kiddos, but there are larger rooms with multiple beds. For those who followed my family’s adventures at the hotel on Instagram, you’ll understand just how incredible the suites are!

Both times, we have stayed in the Infinity Paradise Suite, the premiere lodging of the entire hotel. The Infinity Suite has three bedrooms with two bathrooms, a living room, a slide from the upstairs bedroom (!) down to the entryway hall, and a private patio with a jacuzzi and sauna – as well as access to the goats! We were completely spoiled with our stay, because it’s truly the best.

MY HAPPY PLACE
Honestly, I could go on and on with why I love this hotel and why the Märchenhotel is my happy place. I hope that this article sheds some light on what makes this such a special hotel for families, and paints a realistic picture of what you can expect from your stay. If you’re ready to book a room after reading about our experience, please consider allowing me to plan your next trip to Switzerland and get you set up with your own magical stay at the Märchenhotel Braunwald!

Disclaimer: Because I loved our first visit in 2022 (which we booked on a whim, like the day before we arrived, and then upgraded to the oh!-it-is-available Infinity Suite upon arrival), I knew we wanted to go back this past summer. My mom was also going to be traveling with us, so we needed to sleep three adults and two kids. As such, I reached out to the hotel to ask for a small discount on the suite in exchange for social media coverage and these blog articles. They were gracious enough to work with me. But you guys know that I would be singing their praises no matter what! It only took me 2+ years to get around to it, baha! ;-)

As for me and my family… we are thinking of returning to the Märchenhotel during the winter to give the snowy season of Braunwald another go!

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN TO SHARE…

Have I convinced you to visit the Märchenhotel in Braunwald yet? Would you splurge for the Infinity Suite? Would you travel for this view? Have you stayed at another amazing family hotel that I need to know about?

Tweet

Share on Tumblr