Virtuoso Nominates Alpina Gstaad for 2013 Best of the Best Awards

Newest Luxury Hotel in Gstaad Recognized for Excellence in Design

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. July 26, 2013

GSTAAD, Switzerland - July 26, 2013 - Only eight months after opening its doors, The Alpina Gstaad has been recognized by Virtuoso®, the luxury travel agency network renowned for creating exceptional experiences. Gstaad's newest luxury property which debuted December 1, 2012, has been singled out for the Best Achievement in Design category in Virtuoso's seventh annual Best of the Best Hotel Awards.

The Alpina Gstaad is a contemporary interpretation of traditional Swiss architecture incorporating authentic local materials and time-honored Alpine style. Massive blocks of Ringgenberg limestone, the rich brown stone from local quarries, have been hand carved for the entrance and ground floor. Hundred-year-old fir wood, gathered from centuries-old Alpine farm houses, decorates the façade and lines the walls of the public rooms. The gabled roof, embellished with dormers and peaks, is of natural slate.

With its nomination, The Alpina Gstaad joins an elite group of fifty of the world's best hotels out of Virtuoso's extensive collection of more than 983 hotels, resorts, villas and private-island retreats in 100 countries.

“Virtuoso has been curating a portfolio of the most desired properties worldwide for more than 20 years,” commented Albert Herrera, senior vice president of Global Product Partnerships. “The Best of the Best Hotel Awards honor the most exceptional properties within this group, and it is our pleasure to recognize The Alpina Gstaad as a nominee for Best Achievement in Design."

While the editors of VIRTUOSO LIFE magazine, the network's award-winning publication, review hundreds of options to determine the nominees, it is Virtuoso's travel advisors who ultimately decide the winners in each category.

"Being proposed for this prestigious honor is a testament to the hard work of our entire team at The Alpina Gstaad," said, Niklaus Leuenberger, Managing Director of The Alpina Gstaad. "A nomination for a Best of the Best Hotel Award means our hotel has impressed some of the most valued professionals in the industry - Virtuoso's travel advisors - who demand excellence for their discerning clientele."

Winners will be revealed on Wednesday, August 14, at the Hotels & Resorts dinner held during the 25th annual Virtuoso Travel Week conference. Taking place at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, August 11-16, Virtuoso Travel Week brings together thousands of Virtuoso's member travel advisors and the world's best travel providers to participate in the industry's preeminent networking event. VIRTUOSO LIFE magazine will feature the Best of the Best winners in its September/October 2013 issue.

The Alpina Gstaad joins four additional luxury properties in the Best Achievement in Design category that recognizes the significance of outstanding architecture and design of a hotel or component therein, whether in new construction, renovation or historic restoration.
• Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve - Dorado, Puerto Rico
• Four Seasons Hotel Toronto - Toronto, Canada
• Hotel Maria Cristina, A Luxury Collection Hotel - San Sebastian, Spain
• Mashpi Lodge - Mashpi Rainforest Biodiversity Reserve, Ecuador

For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com. For more information and high resolution images of The Alpina Gstaad, please visit www.thealpinagstaad.ch.

About The Alpina Gstaad
Part of a $325 million luxury development which includes private chalets and apartments, The Alpina Gstaad is set on five acres in Oberbort, the exclusive hilltop area of the village which is in Saanenland in the heart of the Bernese Alps. The Alpina Gstaad has three restaurants: the first European outpost of MEGU, the renowned Japanese restaurant, a traditional Swiss stübli and Sommet serving contemporary cuisine. The luxury hotel has a bar and lounge, wine-tasting room, private cinema, cigar lounge, a ballroom and several boardrooms. The 21,500-square-foot Six Senses Spa includes a fitness center and an 82-foot lap pool. A large outdoor swimming pool is set in the gardens. The 56 spacious rooms and suites - all with balconies - range from 333 square feet to 4,305 square feet.