Faern Arosa Altein – a contemporary alpine escape

Standing on a hillside within the beautiful national park resort of Arosa, Faern Arosa Altein is part of the Faern Resorts portfolio, a collection of resorts in the Swiss Alps dedicated to creating high altitude living wellness destinations with innovative food and beverage concepts, in some of the most loved Swiss mountain resorts. The Run for the Hills design team worked with Faern to redesign the picturesque 126-key hotel. Designed as a sociable haven for guests returning from a busy day on the mountain, the contemporary alpine interiors feature tactile upholstery, sheepskins and cosy woollen armchairs. Tailored mesh panels, ribbed glass column lights and antique brass fittings add an urban twist to the hotel’s modern charm.

A Wes Anderson-inspired wooden reception desk nods to the hotel’s heritage and complements the stunning architectural arches within the cosy-chic lounge and hotel foyer. A sweeping marble staircase encourages guests down to explore the hotel’s Zus Brasserie and inviting cocktail bar, Alchemilla Parlour. The interiors palette is grounded in alpine neutrals, forest greens, burnt rusts, and golden sun ochres, warmed with characterful timber furniture and joinery. Tabletops feature light and dark terrazzo stones and berry-red marble swirls. The tailored joinery is softened by fluted banquettes and sofa-height dining set-ups, accessorised with rustic ceramics and scattered Slim Aarons artwork, a nod to the retro village of Arosa.

“The hotel is deeply atmospheric and steeped in history,” said Anna Burles, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Run For The Hills. “We felt privileged to fashion its next chapter. Working closely with Faern Resorts CEO Romain Semmel, we developed our interior concept to honour its heritage, whilst also creating a fresh lifestyle escape for the next generation, channelling the spirit of chic millennial high-altitude living,”

Image credit: Romain Ricard

The hotel’s guestrooms offer a mix of comfort singles, doubles and larger deluxe corner suites for groups and families. Many have spacious balconies, with uninterrupted views over the valley and rooftops of Arosa. Inside, Run for The Hills’ guestroom design concept is unashamedly boutique-inspired. The soft curves of the custom headboards and contemporary joinery styles are punctuated with characterful lamps. The rooms are infused with alpine zig-zag textiles on the armchairs, which are paired with statement Swiss green cross, woollen bed blankets for extra warmth and cosiness.

The bathrooms are contemporary chic, featuring black-framed showers and brassware, washstand basin and terrazzo floors. The decorative palette is organic and rich, with a mix of timbers, woven panelling and rich clay paint colours creating a warm, elegant atmosphere. The final palette speaks to the hotel’s setting, as timeless tones from nature are accented by textural upholstery and sheepskin balcony seating to create a layered, modern mountain style.

“We created a design language for guestrooms of differing sizes; a suite of joinery designs which could flex for the varying styles and orientations of rooms,” explained Michael Smith, Associate Creative Director, Run For The Hills. “Bed sizes and storage solutions may vary, but we looked to connect them with signature features and maximum guest comfort touches, to make each room a relaxing retreat.”

Image credit: Romain Ricard

The hotel has several distinct spaces for both dining and drinking, including the stucco ceiling Grand Dining Room Zus Brasserie. Surrounded by large windows, this spacious room provides exquisite mountain and village views. The nature-inspired material palette features warm and organic tones, rich timbers, bouclé and wool upholstery fluted banquette sofas in forest greens, berry reds and bark browns. The structured dining chairs combine angled forms with Deco-inspired curves. These are given a contemporary twist with graphic art and mirrors suspended from ironwork rails that reflect the stunning views beyond. The Rustic Buffet adjoins Zus Brasserie, set under a statement decorative tree that celebrates the full height of the beautiful arched space, framed by the swirling marble staircase.

The hotel’s buzzy après ski rooftop restaurant and bar, Alpensand Panoramic Restaurant & Social Club, boasts breath-taking views of the Swiss Alps, sun-drenched by day and twinkling clear views by night. Offering an all-day à la carte menu, the light-filled indoor drinks and dining space extends out onto a magnificent balcony with uninterrupted views of the valley and village. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy a refreshment in the sun and an unrivalled location for après-ski sundown aperitifs and winter warmer cocktails. Alpensand channels 1970s décor, updated with alpine-inspired wallpapers from Mind The Gap’s TYROL collection, cosy Romo upholstery and a vintage collection of tongue-in-cheek mountain resort artworks. These are paired with cushy velvet sofas and deep, comfortable armchairs to provide a great spot to socialise and relax with friends.

Image credit: Romain Ricard

Alchemilla Parlour Bar, the hotel’s lower ground level social lounge set within the historic panelled Library Room, provides evening drinks, inventive cocktails and small plates for guests and locals. A beckoning, sumptuous space with richly upholstered cocktail armchairs, black-veined stone drinks tables and group nook sofas, Alchemilla is the perfect spot for retiring after dinner. In keeping with Faern’s spirit of joyful celebration, creativity and playful rebellion, the art is full of personality, channelling the spirited style of 1970s alpine fashion photography and surreal collage.

Image credit: Romain Ricard

The hotel boasts the town’s largest spa destination, with pools, water jets, steam and sauna, as well as pampering treatments for after a busy day on the slopes. During the winter season guests have access to heated boot racks in the ski room, with close access to the main lifts and an expansive ski and snowboarding area with sledging, snowshoeing and cross-country trails for those who don’t ski. In summer, Arosa is home to numerous lakes, picturesque hiking routes, mountain biking, parachuting for adrenaline junkies, and superb golfing experiences. Guests can play tennis on the two outdoor courts or take a dip in the outdoor pool. The hotel also offers breakout spaces, toddler and teenage games rooms, meeting spaces and a cinema room.

Main image credit: Romain Ricard