Kempinski Palace Engelberg

We had a truly wonderful stay at Kempinski Palace Engelberg as a family traveling with young children, and it exceeded our expectations in every way. The staff is fabulous! From the front desk, restaurants, and the kids club, we were truly impressed. From the moment we arrived, the team made everything feel seamless and genuinely welcoming. Traveling with a 6-year-old and a 10 months old baby can be challenging, but the hotel handled every detail with care, from room setup to dining arrangements. The location is incredible, with easy access to the mountain and activities, yet the hotel itself feels like a peaceful retreat. The experience was very well thought out for families, without compromising the level of luxury. Dining was also a highlight. Each restaurant offered a different atmosphere, and the team was always accommodating with children, which made a big difference for us. They deserve many Michelin stars! Breakfast was especially memorable, with a great selection and relaxed setting. What stood out most was the service. Every interaction felt personal and warm, and it is clear the team truly cares about creating a special experience for guests. It made the stay feel effortless. The property is such a beautiful destination, in our opinion, one of the best options for families looking to experience the Swiss Alps in a refined but comfortable way. We are very grateful for the stay and would absolutely return.

The service is excellent from the very first moment at reception and during check-in. Everything is well organized and handled professionally, and you immediately feel a genuine sense of care. The staff is attentive and thoughtful; in particular, the lady in red stands out for her ability to anticipate questions and needs in a very natural and unobtrusive way.

The Kempinski Palace is everything one dreams of when booking a 5 star hotel in the Swiss Alps. From the dreamy sheets and robes, to the infinity pool and hot tub with a wall of glass view of the majestic Alps, this place delivers. I arrived as a surprise to my parents (from NY!) and Lennart Gliss was at the welcome desk and was instrumental delivering the surprise with me by escorting me to their room and enabling me to join them in their accommodation for the night. Lennart is one shining example of the whole Kempinski staff (restaurant, spa, drivers and doormen) which I found all treat you in a sincere way as their guest, a rare experience in today's world. I could go on about the insanely incredible view from each room... I'm grateful for the very beautiful and memorable trip.

The hotel is located within easy walking distance of the train station - less than 200 meters. It is one of the more impressive buildings in Engelberg. The ambiance at the reception was also excellent, befitting a five-star hotel. The staff who checked us in ( this is the initial face of a hotel, remember) was really very condescending, but we ignored her attitude. During our stay many things fell short. Our room was good but each day the housekeeping staff behaved erratically. They would give us fewer towels, or not replace the coffee or milk. Items like slippers were placed randomly, and we had to hunt for them each time we came back to the room. One day we found the slippers placed in the bedside table shelf, underside-down, over our cosmetics and creams! Staff appeared not to be working off a checklist. Each time we had to ask the staff for the missing items (each day!) they appeared not to understand any English word at all! (Really?). We had much difficulty communicating. On the day we left the hotel, we settled our bill, but later that night while at another town, we received an e-mail stating that we had consumed a bottle of wine from the mini bar and asking us to pay 52 Swiss Franks through a link provided in the email! We felt assaulted by the accusation. Also, we did not know whether the e-mail was genuine or a scam, especially since it requested we use a link to settle the payment. We sent back two responses immediately, denying the accusation. The following day the hotel wrote apologizing and said that they would check with the housekeeping staff. Should they not have done this in the first instance? Guests should not have to tolerate all these ridiculous and irritating going-ons with staff in a five-star hotel. Management should train their housekeeping staff and check the competence and courtesy of all their staff.

This is supposed to be a 5 star hotel and the price level is accordingly. We stayed from Friday to Sunday. Arrival service and reception was great, but when we wanted to have afternoon tea it took very long time to get that set up. The afternoon tea itself was great, including great service. We had afternoon rests which every day was disturbed by turndown service at around 18. We asked them to come back at 20, but they never came back neither of the days. The breakfast is ok, but most of the waiters seam to be busy cleaning and setting up tables for lunch, leaving little attention for the guests. So all in all not a 5 star experience.