CERVO Mountain Resort

At the CERVO, time seems to slow down in the shelter of this valley. Having grown over the years, the establishment now has seven chalets with views of the Matterhorn that are just above Zermatt’s town centre. It’s the perfect vantage point.

Forget the mom-and-pop joints or the stuffy 5-star hotels. Despite the delightful softness of the Hästens beds, one doesn’t come to the CERVO to sleep. One comes here for a different experience, in an inviting and relaxed atmosphere, against a backdrop of meticulous attention to detail and highly dedicated personnel.

The CERVO’s motto, Beyond Exploring, is tied to the hotel’s founding mission, created by owner Daniel F. Lauber, to imagine the hotel of the future. Going above and beyond the fusion concept that’s popular in gastronomy, the CERVO has invented its own concept: “glocalisation”, a happy marriage between local and global. On one side: Alpine values and traditions, the peace that comes with intangibility and rejuvenation in a preserved village, steeped in the history of the local region. On the other: a wish to capture the quintessential influences that are driving today’s desires. Rather than travelling the globe and racking up CO2 like most digital nomads, why not experience something better, all under one roof?

Tables and philosophies
The well-named Bazaar sets the tone. Its eclectic orientalist décor vibrates with energy, encouraging gatherings while serving every good thing ever cooked between Istanbul and Beijing. No haphazard mixing here, more like an immaculate selection of mezzés and small plates with authentically exotic notes. Some known. Some less known. Some completely unknown. Almost all exclusively vegetarian.

At the CERVO, ecological consciousness is more than empty green washing. The produce is of the highest quality and hails mostly from the local region. And Madre Nostra (14 points), the locale’s highly reputed Italian restaurant — which is led by Roman chef Davide Cretoni — also boasts a new panoramic terrace, supports the right for all to access safe drinking water and uses systems to offset the meat dishes’ carbon footprint.

An ecological approach
Here, all staff members add their own personal touch, from the restaurant to the bar, reception, concierge, housekeeping or marketing. Each domain has its ambassadors, selected from the personnel to reflect on the hotel’s processes and how to make them more environmentally friendly. No plastic bags at the spa. Cocktail garnishes grown on-site. Everything counts. The resort even has its own Sustainability Manager!

A founding member of Responsible Hotels of Switzerland, the CERVO has reinvented itself over the years to be a pioneer of environmental consciousness, notably by installing a geothermic heating system and by recuperating residual heat, which meets 99% of the resort’s energy needs! As a result, the establishment has earned a host of specialised labels and partnerships like Ibex Fairstay, myClimate and Kind Traveler.

On a quest for harmony
Wellbeing is a fundamental concept at the CERVO, which comes to life at the Ātman Mountain Spa while the Matterhorn looms in the background. Exotic notes drive the offering, from a Japanese-inspired onsen, a Bhutanese therapeutic herbal bath with hot stones, a Tibetian honey treatment or Ayurvedic massages. Treatments here all embrace Eastern philosophies, in an eternal quest for beauty and harmony between body and soul.

Yoga and meditation (free for paying guests) go without saying, both on-site and occasionally at higher altitudes (with stunning views of the high peaks) during the mountain breathwork sessions. Even more invigorating, winter offerings include Viking-style sauna-ice bath sessions twice a week at the spa, and three times during the winter in the Stellisee Lake, at 2,537 m, surrounded by nature, with warm tea from Bazaar to offset the chill.

A sense of community
This quest for equilibrium is reflected in every aspect of life at the CERVO while keeping one priority in mind: to make the hotel (which is open all year, except in May) an integral, living part of Zermatt, where both visitors and locals gather and enjoy.

It all started years ago with an après-ski (happy hour, which starts around 15:30), with DJs and live musicians. People now also return for the Unplugged festival and the end-of-season party (“The Last Waltz”, on April 21). During these events, the CERVO is open to all, as it is during its artistic meetups, exhibitions and the “CERVO Derby” (February 22), which is a fun afternoon of old-school skiing. There are also many events that revolve around gastronomy, where gourmet tastings are held in partnership with invited chefs from all kinds of backgrounds. This winter, Zermatt’s high-altitude restaurants will take over the CERVO on March 3 for “Mountain Comes to Town”. These are just some of the moments that bring life to the space and amplify the many voices that have shaped this beautiful mountain region.

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