HUUS may be just better than a house in Gstaad.

Gstaad is famous for its fabulous ski lifts, extravagant chalets, and of course, above all, a place with magical Christmas spirit. A village hidden in the Swiss Alps, somewhere between Geneva and the rest of the world - first appeared to me like something out of a Bond film. Well-curated luxury shops filled with globetrotters (Eurotrash) speaking dozens of different languages. Little church in the middle of the village hosting Midnight Mass (at 11 p.m.). So bluntly, this Christmas-infused international hotspot leaves you gushing for more of everything quintessential Gstaad. More snow in the sun (and diamonds in the snow), more Palace outings with truffle-champagne fondue to die for downstairs, more skiing, more Aprés-skiing, more fur, and more fine champagne (naturally). 

This year, I decided Christmas had to most definitely be spent in Gstaad. And since Christmas is typically a family tradition and has to be spent at home - I invited my parents along and found the most charming way to honor the “home” tradition by staying at the HUUS Gstaad (in exact translation home or house would be “Haus” in German, so we got it almost right). 

Entering HUUS is something out of a romantic novel. The wooden Chalet facade is seen from far up on the road, and valets greet you briskly as your car approaches the entrance. Inside, you find plush brightly colored sofas, gorgeously lit bar, modern fireplace emitting puffs of smoke, and Perrier-Jouet for a welcome drink. We settled in a two-story duplex overlooking the Alps and got ready for Christmas dinner downstairs. The HUUS arranged the 24th Christmas Eve dinner for the guests to be accompanied by a famous Opera singer duet featuring some of the most traditional German winter classics (and some English ones too). It was a full house with a crowd most elegant and delightful - singing along and cheering the singers on. We spent the rest of the evening visiting the infamous Midnight Mass in the village, tended to by the likes of Madonna, Valentino, and Greek Royalty. Later, we had drinks at the Palace Hotel and returned to our magical Christmas Chalet we called Home. I must say, there is nothing like waking up in Gstaad. Truth is, there’s nothing like going to sleep in Gstaad too (especially at the beautiful Huus) - but in this case, the former was also greeted by a breakfast like no other. When heading to the breakfast restaurant at the Huus, you head down instead of up, as if climbing inside the gorge between two mountains to get an even better sight of the canyon view. You get that Bond-like feeling again when looking up (and a cornucopia of all the breakfast classics when looking around). 

Bottom line is - everyone should be able to celebrate at least one Christmas in Gstaad. No better place to do it then Huus for sure. Except, my recommendation is to stay the whole Christmas week!