The Tamesis
From the bucolic hills of Appenzell to the medieval alleys of the Jura Mountains, a new generation of boutique hotels is redefining the way wellness lovers travel to Switzerland. Where the country’s most famous accommodations were once grand mansions built for European aristocrats seeking Alpine glory, today’s most striking new hotels are doing something more unexpected: honoring centuries-old traditions of craftsmanship while elevating spa offerings that include everything from dedicated wellness floors to longevity science programs like body composition analysis, cryotherapy and dry baths.
Perhaps no hotel embodies this more than Huus Quell, which opens in October 2025 as one of the country’s first zero-carbon hotels. Located in the village of Gunten in Switzerland’s Appenzell region, an off-the-beaten-path corner of the country nestled between Lake Constance and the Alps, this 30-suite wellness resort was designed by Rüssli Architects using locally sourced moonwood, a biodynamic larch harvested during the waning moon, which produces denser, more durable wood.
Photo: Julien L. Balmer/Courtesy of Huus Quell
“I grew up here and I’ve always felt that Appenzeller represents something increasingly rare in Switzerland – a place that still retains its tradition,” says Jan Schoch, owner and managing director of Huus Quell and Appenzeller Huus. “The landscape here is softer and more pastoral, and daily life is still influenced by agriculture, crafts and seasonality.”
Photo: Julien L. Balmer/Courtesy of Huus Quell
