Hotel Ferienart Resort & Spa

The Saastal, and particularly Saas Fee, is very picturesque. The Ferienart is centrally located in the village, and the views of the mountains from our balcony and the dining room were striking. The hiking trails around Saas Fee are incredible, and numerous. It was fun to go up to Spielboden and see the Murmeltiere ( Marmots), curious wood-chuck like animals that are very friendly and get up close and personal. The use of cable cars and postbusses were included in the stay, and we took full advantage of this to explore some of the surrounding villages and mountains. We went to see the Stausee one day, part of a hydroelectric facility, and learned of it's history through a movie at the visitor's center before taking a hike around it.

One day we went to Zermatt, a short day trip away, and were amazed to see how overcrowded and commercialized the town was. We were very happy to get back to the serenity and beauty of Saas Fee.

The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. After arriving at the bus terminal, we called the hotel and someone was there to collect us in a few moments. Check- in was an honest to goodness welcoming experience. We were sat down in the reception lobby and given a glass of wine, and a staff member offered us crepes which were being served as the afternoon sweet. When we were ready, we were given a full briefing of the services of the hotel, and were taken to our rooms.

Service at the meals was attentive, gracious, and unhurried. Most staff could speak English very well; on the rare occasion where this was not the case, there was always someone nearby who could help out.

The food was excellent and varied. It was also very plentiful, including the afternoon "snacks", and it took us several days to tailor our food intake to our calorie expenditure. The breakfast was incredible; the variety of options was astounding. We never had the champagne that was offered as we didn't want to fall off of any hiking trails.

The dinners were fun- every night there was a different theme. The menu was varied and the food was very good; the wine pairings for each meal were right on. We chose to eat every evening in the main dining room as it was an almost fairy tale setting, and a perfect ending to an active day.

The offerings at the spa area and gym were pretty comprehensive. This resort really has everything one could want for an active and/or relaxing stay. We were blessed with incredibly good weather the whole week of our stay, and so we were outdoors every day, getting back in time for a brief stay in the hot tub, steam room and pool until dinner time.

If the weather was bad, the indoor activites would have certainly been welcome.

Our room was very clean and what I would envision for an Alpine setting. It had a large bath tub which we never used because of the expansive facilities at the spa. The room included a back pack, which we found very useful, and a safe.
Outside of our room, and at various locations throughout the hotel, were baskets of apples, which were replenished daily.