Hotel Alpina – Vals, Switzerland
A family-run village hotel where contemporary Alpine simplicity puts Vals — rather than the hotel — centre stage.
Why DNA Hotels Loves It
● A family-run Vals institution dating back to 1929, combining generations of hospitality with a contemporary approach to Alpine design.
● Its restrained use of timber, natural materials and clean architectural lines feels entirely at home in a village famous for taking architecture seriously.
● The location puts you within easy reach of Peter Zumthor’s legendary thermal baths, while offering a more intimate, understated alternative to the architectural spectacle of 7132.
The Other Side of Vals
Peter Zumthor may have turned this tiny Swiss mountain village into an international architectural pilgrimage, but Vals existed long before architecture lovers started arriving with cameras. So did Hotel Alpina. Standing in the heart of the village since 1929, Alpina represents a rather different side of Vals: family hospitality, mountain traditions and the reassuring intimacy of a hotel that belongs to its surroundings. Rather than trying to compete with the architectural fireworks down the road, it does something much smarter. It keeps things simple.
Nearly a Century of Hospitality
What began as a modest Alpine inn has evolved over generations, welcoming hikers, skiers and visitors drawn to Vals’ thermal waters. A substantial transformation in 2006 introduced a more contemporary architectural language while retaining the warmth expected from a traditional mountain hotel. The result avoids both extremes of Alpine hospitality. This isn’t a rustic chalet overloaded with carved timber and folkloric decoration. Nor is it an austere design experiment where you’re afraid to move the furniture. Instead, natural wood, uncluttered forms and restrained materials create interiors that feel modern without losing their sense of place.
Simple Rooms, Serious Mountains
The guestrooms follow much the same philosophy. Timber brings warmth. Neutral colours keep things quiet. Furniture is functional and unfussy, while windows and balconies turn attention towards the village and surrounding mountains. Nothing is fighting for attention. And in Vals, that’s exactly how it should be. The landscape provides enough drama outside, while one of the world’s most celebrated pieces of contemporary architecture waits nearby. Alpina simply provides a comfortable place to return to when you’ve finished exploring both.
From Village Square to Mountain Trails
Its central location makes the hotel particularly good for travellers who want to experience Vals as a village, rather than disappear into a self-contained resort. Step outside and you’re immediately part of everyday village life. Beyond it are hiking routes, mountain landscapes and, in winter, the slopes. And then, of course, there are the thermal waters that have drawn visitors here for generations. Peter Zumthor’s baths transformed that natural resource into architecture of international importance, making this remote corner of Graubünden an unlikely destination for design obsessives from around the world. Staying at Alpina gives you access to that world without requiring you to sleep inside it.
An Alpine Table
The restaurant continues the hotel’s connection to the region, with seasonal cooking grounded in Alpine ingredients and local traditions. It’s the sort of food that makes sense after a day outside: uncomplicated, generous and closely connected to its surroundings, accompanied by Swiss wines and the relaxed atmosphere of a family-run mountain hotel. There is no need to reinvent Vals on every plate. Sometimes good ingredients, careful cooking and a glass of wine are enough.
The Quiet Alternative
Vals presents an unusual choice for design-minded travellers. You can stay at 7132 and immerse yourself completely in the architectural universe created around Zumthor’s baths. Or you can stay somewhere smaller and more rooted in everyday village life, then visit the architectural masterpiece down the road. Hotel Alpina makes a compelling case for the latter. Alpina isn’t trying to become another architectural monument in a village that already has one of the greatest. Its appeal is quieter: almost a century of family hospitality, contemporary Alpine simplicity and a location that lets you experience Vals beyond the famous baths. Come for Zumthor, certainly — but stay here and you may discover that the village surrounding his masterpiece is every bit as important to the story.
