Hotel Rex Zermatt: Seven Days of Sleeping Under the Matterhorn

On the misty morning of my arrival in Zermatt, a light rain fell like smoke. As I turned the corner pulling my suitcase, Hotel Rex's light brown building with wooden carvings suddenly came into view. Warm yellow light diffused through the floor-to-ceiling windows, like a freshly brewed cup of hot cocoa, instantly soothing my travel fatigue. Pushing open the glass door, the receptionist handed me a warm towel with a smile, "Your mountain view room is ready. Would you like to rest there first?" The elevator walls were covered with old photographs documenting the hotel's history since its opening in 1898. The brass handrails, polished by time, seemed to carry the warmth of a century when touched. My room was on the fourth floor. The moment I opened the door, my breath nearly stopped—an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows framed the magnificent snowy landscape of the Matterhorn without reservation. At that moment, the clouds were slowly dispersing, revealing the peak's sharp contours in the sunlight, with the snow at the summit glistening like pearls. The room was thoughtfully arranged: dark brown solid wood furniture exuded the rustic charm of the Alps, a wool blanket with traditional patterns adorned the bed, and the bathroom even had heated floors—absolute salvation for someone who had just come in from the rain. The best feature was the small tea table by the window. Every morning, staff would bring freshly baked croissants, and sitting there with hot coffee watching the clouds drift by was the very picture of "peaceful days." The hotel's service touched the heart with its attention to detail. When they learned I wanted to try hiking, the concierge not only hand-drew a route map but also thoughtfully prepared waterproof shoe covers and energy bars. Returning to the hotel in the evening, the front desk proactively offered warm lemon honey water, saying "this warms the stomach after hiking." Even the housekeeping staff remembered that I kept my notebook on the bedside table and deliberately left space for it every day. This feeling of being treated with such care added a sense of home to my journey in a foreign land. Breakfast was served in the sunlit dining room on the top floor, with layers of green mountains visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The aroma of freshly baked rye bread filled the air, homemade raspberry jam was perfectly balanced between sweet and tart, the chef at the egg station would smile and ask "sunny side up or scrambled?", and hot milk was served in patterned ceramic pots, creating a mist that blurred the view outside when poured into glass cups. One rainy morning, the restaurant even set up a hot chocolate fountain—strawberries wrapped in marshmallows dipped into it melted sweetly on the tongue, making even the rainy day seem lovely. The hotel's location is perfect—just a five-minute walk to the Gornergrat Railway Station, where you can take the red train through the snow-capped mountains, capturing postcard-worthy scenery with every shot. In the evenings, I loved sitting on the hotel's outdoor terrace with a glass of local wine, watching the sunlight gild the Matterhorn until dusk fell and distant chalets lit up with warm yellow lights like stars scattered across the mountains. One night it suddenly snowed, and I huddled under a blanket on the terrace watching snowflakes settle on the wooden railings, listening to distant cowbells—truly experiencing what must be "Swiss romance." After seven days, what I missed most was the moment of opening the curtains each morning to see the snow-capped mountains. On my departure day, the morning sun shone brightly as I stood at the hotel entrance looking back. Hotel Rex stood quietly in the morning light, snow glistening on its roof as if saying "see you next time." If you're looking for a place in Zermatt that offers both a sense of century-old history and closeness to nature, this place won't disappoint. After all, who could resist falling asleep under the starlight of the Matterhorn and waking up to the first rays of sunshine on the snowy peaks? Hotel Rex