USP The spa is the star attraction at the Grand Hotel Bellevue set in the picture perfect town of Gstaad; expect post-skiing pampering with an Asian-inspired twist.

AMBIENCE Like the hotel, the spa is modern and minimalist while oozing indulgence. Dark wood and pale yellow walls team with a far-eastern theme, and the facilities hit the right balance between utilitarian and luxurious. If you can be tempted off the slopes this winter or you have ski-related aches and pains to be soothed away, look no further.

My visit coincided with a hinterland for tourism in Gstaad – post-summer and pre-winter sports, so the 2,500 square metre spa was almost eerily empty, with staff thin on the ground. But even in high season, there’s space to get away from it all. There are seven treatment rooms, a 16-metre indoor pool and an outdoor sauna area with its own freezing plunge pool. You’ll also find steam baths, indoor saunas, a gym, a hairdressers and relaxation rooms.

EXPERIENCE A Thai massage, which worked on the body’s pressure points and utilised yoga stretches, came first. My Indonesian therapist, Iwan, started by applying pressure to points up and down my legs and feet, before moving onto my arms.

Small and lithe, he used his body weight on my shoulders, neck and back. A series of yoga stretches finishes off the treatment – a must for skiers with cramped muscles after a hard day on the slopes. As an experience, the massage felt a little disjointed – although my tired shoulders were definitely looser afterwards. And James Bond fans will be thrilled to know that the very same hands Iwan laid on me have also, not so long ago, been laid on Daniel Craig.

I followed up my massage with a sojourn in the steam baths, where I was given a mango and coconut salt scrub and then slathered in honey. I tasted delicious. An algae body wrap, designed to purify and cleanse the skin and speed weight loss, finished off a day of pampering. I was smeared in a thick green algae solution, wrapped in a blanket and left to drift off to sleep on a heated waterbed. Alas, I did not wake up with the body of a supermodel, but my skin felt wonderfully soft and the treatments, combined with the fresh mountain air, left me with a radiant glow.

FOOD The small spa cafe offers light bites like crudités with dips or ham and melon. Or go for the hotel’s signature club sandwich, which is served with fries. Fresh fruit juices, tea, coffee and delicious fresh fruit are also available . If you’re making an evening of it, sample the menu at Prado, the hotel’s Michelin starred restaurant , where you might find venison fillet or sea bass with endives and local ham on offer.

IN CROWD “Very rich people, rich people, and Gstaad people,” says therapist Beatrice Feuz. Staff are eager to point out that the young and hip of Gstaad are drawn to the hotel, so as well as ski bunnies, snowboarders and Swiss celebrities – Roger Federer has stayed here – expect to rub shoulders with Gstaad locals looking to de-stress.

WALLET WATCH An algae body wrap costs £44, and a 60-minute Thai massage will set you back £77. Spa packages, which include access to the spa, a choice of treatments and a snack, start at £141.

A double room at the Grand Hotel Bellevue, including breakfast and access to the spa, costs between £215 - £265

The easiest way to reach Gstaad is to fly to either Geneva or Zurich, both of which are a two-hour drive away. Swiss International Air Lines flies to both cities direct from London City Airport with return fares including taxes starting from around £89; for further information contact: www.swiss.com.

NEED TO KNOW Grand Hotel Bellevue , Hauptstrasse, CH-3780 Gstaad (+41 33 748 00 00; www.bellevue-gstaad.com)
E-mail: info@bellevue-gstaad.ch

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