Villa Hundert

Eye candy sets the tone of hotel Villa Hundert | Boutique Mountainscape, a decisively chilled design refuge of honeyed timbers and smooth noir accented interiors, a foodie basecamp and cabin-esque hideout for the lovers of keeping it easy, perched hillside overlooking Engelberg. Villa Hundert is the brainchild of a Canadian and a pair of Scandi mavericks who let Swiss-ness slip into bed with Nordic soul - a natural design kinship that creatively breathes in harmony with the fir-clad mountainscapes and life in the Alps. 

Charismatic hosts and passionate snowboarders John and Christian together with backbone CEO, Anna Lisa create the lifeblood behind the cabin rethink, filling the space with their jovial welcome and creative influence. The purity of nature is close to their heart and was the original draw to this part of Switzerland, and their innate use of textiles, natural materials, woods and seductive lighting, Villa Hundert feels naturally holistic - a place of smooth rhythm. 

This mantra of being natural captures the foodie offering and is where Villa Hundert headlines with an equally playful take on taste, texture and pleasure. Foraging, preservation and a quest to be original in concept, the plates celebrate the humble pickled veg to the freshly plucked herb – this is sustainable, sensory eating. 

Escorting the beauty of Engelberg, Villa Hundert is a soulful hotel sanctuary for design purists, the ski fraternity, adventurists and those seeking a comforting rendezvous with nature.  

With just nine bedrooms, staying at Villa Hundert is an intimate affair, a feeling which extends immediately as you arrive and are welcomed warmly by the Hundert team. The comfort remit is highlighted in the rooms, whose windows frame dramatic mountain views. A stylish yet cocooning interior design combines timber roofs, slate floors, tufted rugs with vast, linen-swathed beds, mid-century lighting and modern, white-tiled bathrooms.

On the walls are gorgeously evocative black and white photography of the mountains plus hardback design tomes, scattered around for your perusal. It's stylishly homely with extras like greeting treats with handwritten welcome-doodles and or something over all rooms have magical views, soft blankets and wood burners keeping you feeling cosy-luxe. On the upper floor, the Penthouse Suite will give you panoramic views and more space; ideal for private get togethers, especially with the sole use of a style-laden lounge.

Dining at Villa Hundert is a sensorial experience. Come down for dinner a little earlier to start proceedings in style with a drink, cocktail or Swiss wine on the terrace or by the fireplace, while you anticipate your meal. With a focus on local and seasonal, dinner presents itself as four-course plus menu, which changes every day. Depending on the season, your dishes and flavours will be adjusted accordingly with an innovative method of cooking that truly listens to the seasons of change. Spring brings a freshness from the forest, summer is sweet, autumn is smoky and rich while winter is defined by pickled and fermented food. Expect ingredients such as wild mushrooms, apples, artichoke, lamb, quince, pumpkin and dry age duck.

In summer, Villa Hundert is encased by verdant greens; come winter it is transmuted into a magical snow-scape. Either way, this tranquil bolthole seems to perfectly encapsulate the allure of Switzerland and its pristine nature.

Sitting above the pretty village of Engelberg in central Switzerland, 25 kilometres from Lake Lucerne, Villa Hundert occupies an elevated position of 1218 metres above sea level on a sunny southern slope. Stroll down to the heart of the old village to discover a Benedictine monastery, founded in 1120, where today monks still reside, clearly loving the peaceful vibe as much as Engelberg residents and visitors. And visitors there are to this picturesque village – in winter to ski, snowboard and snowshoe Titlis, Brunni and Fürenalp via ski lifts and the speedy Titlis Rotair gondola and in summer to explore the mountain paths, lakes, bike routes and via ferratas.