Lenkerhof gourmet spa resort

The Lenkerhof gourmet spa resort is a five-star superior hotel at Badstrasse 20 in Lenk im Simmental, in the Bernese Oberland, and it hosts weddings for up to 120 people with the guests sleeping, eating and relaxing on site. It suits couples who want a mountain wedding weekend with serious food and a large spa, and who are happy to pay hotel prices for it.

The house

The hotel describes itself as a mix of nostalgia, with elements from the former spa days of the «Bad Lenk», and modernity. It is a member of Relais & Châteaux and quotes that group's idea of "character, friendliness, calm, charm and cuisine". Its own summary of the atmosphere is candid: "stylish, but unconventional. Warm-hearted, but not plush. Excellent, but not out of touch." The site adds that its cuisine has been awarded by Gault Millau several times.

The site is published in English, German and French, and the English meetings and events page is a full page rather than a stub, which makes early planning from abroad straightforward. The site does not say in which languages the events team runs a wedding, though a couple writing in English will at least be reading the offer in English.

The wedding offer

The English page puts the choice plainly: "a free ceremony with panoramic views, an apéritif in the hotel park overlooking the Wildstrubel Massif, a festive dinner or a relaxed BBQ", and says the team designs the day individually. Elsewhere on the page it mentions "a humanist wedding ceremony with panoramic views", so the ceremony the hotel has in mind is a free, non-religious one outdoors. Weddings and outdoor ceremonies are listed for up to 120 people.

The event locations named at the hotel are:

• Restaurant Spettacolo, with 16 GaultMillau points, for banquets of up to 100 people.
• Oh de Vie, with Mediterranean cuisine and 15 GaultMillau points, for banquets of up to 40.
• The lobby bar and Cigar Lounge, the wine cellar, the panoramic terrace, the hotel park and the seminar rooms.

The events page also offers the Bergrestaurant Bühlberg as an event location with authentic Swiss cuisine in a restaurant for 180 people and a panoramic terrace at 1'664 m above sea level. For a larger party, or for a day with a more rustic feel than a gourmet restaurant, that is a second option offered through the same events team.

The services listed are event planning by the hotel's experienced team, "In-house floristry & in-house hair styling", technical equipment, childcare, accompanying programs and transfers. Having flowers and hair done in-house removes two outside suppliers from the planning, which matters when the couple is not in Switzerland to meet them. An "Open Bar" section describes a welcome with the bar team's "fine creations" as the start of the evening.

Couples who want the whole place can book "Lenkerhof exclusive": the page says that with an exclusive booking the whole house is at the guests' disposal, for a MICE event, a private celebration or a wedding weekend. No price or minimum is given.

Rooms and spa

The hotel has 83 rooms and suites, 77 of them with a south-facing balcony and views of the Wildstrubel massif. Room categories on the site are single rooms, double rooms, junior suites, suites and family rooms, and the navigation also lists barrier-free rooms, a Kids Welcome page and a page for dogs, which are the practical questions for a family wedding.

The spa, called «7sources beauty & spa», covers 2'000 m² with an indoor sports pool, a panoramic outdoor pool, nine different sauna treatments, a fitness room and aerobic pavilion, a refreshment lounge and a relaxation room. The name comes from the Siebenbrunnen, a place the site calls a place of power that inspired the spa. For wedding guests staying two or three nights, that turns the trip into a short holiday.

The home page shows how the hotel packages stays, though none of these are wedding offers. The Brunch 'n' Relax package, for example, was offered on set Sundays at CHF 555 for two people, covering a night in a double room with balcony, Sunday brunch from 11.30, Monday breakfast, spa entry, a transfer from and to Lenk station, the SIMMENTAL CARD guest card with free public transport, and the hotel's added value. Smart Deals offer 15% off for early booking.

Getting there

The events page gives the travel time as about 1 hour from Bern and 2 hours from Luzern or Basel, by car or train, and points to a separate travel directions page. Several of the hotel's packages include a transfer from and to Lenk train station, and the SIMMENTAL CARD guest card includes free local public transport. The site does not describe airport transfers, so guests flying into Zurich or Geneva should ask whether the events team can arrange them as part of the transfers it lists.

What the site leaves open

There is no wedding price on the site: no room hire, no menu prices, no package for a wedding weekend and no figure for exclusive use. The site does not say whether guest rooms are held at a group rate for a wedding. It does not describe a civil ceremony or a church wedding, only the free ceremony. The hotel's navigation has both Winter and Summer sections and a festive program, but the wedding page does not say whether outdoor ceremonies are offered in winter or what the plan is if the weather turns.

Contact is by phone on +41 33 736 36 36 or by email at welcome@lenkerhof.ch.

Who it suits

The Lenkerhof fits couples with a generous budget who want a free ceremony in the mountains, a gourmet dinner for up to 100, and guests staying on site with a spa to use the next day. The English website, in-house flowers and hair, childcare and transfers make it straightforward to plan from abroad. It suits less well a couple on a tight budget, anyone who needs a church or civil ceremony at the venue, or a wedding dinner for more than 100 at the hotel itself, although the Bühlberg restaurant takes 180.