A short three-minute trip on reputedly the world’s highest altitude tramway,  takes guests and their luggage  the few hundred metres between the Riffelalp railway stop above the village of Zermatt, and the recently re-opened Alpine style Riffelalp resort. High above the worries of the world, this resort sits on sloping terrain midway up the mountain, on the southern edge of a plateau, at the heart of the Gornergrat skiing/hiking district. Bordering a stone pine forest, the location offers a unique Alpine panorama, while benefiting from the favourable micro-climatic conditions of the plateau.
The first Grand Hotel was built between 1878–1884, when ancestors of the present owners (the Seiler family) erected a Victorian-style summer-only hotel, which was eventually damaged in a disastrous fire in 1961.  December 1, 2000 marked the opening of Riffelalp Resort 2222m, and once again became an elite destination for those wanting a luxury hideaway, high in the mountains, offering all the services and amenities of a modern five-star hotel. Its rooms, traditional and old-fashioned in style, yet have every modern facility, and most of them have a balcony and offer breathtaking views of the Matterhorn.
The public lounges are richly furnished with lots of gorgeous woods and warm colours.  The Piano Bar Lodge is the ideal place to start the evening. To finish off  a memorable one,  its restaurants in its homey atmospheres,  invite guests to savour  delicious set menus and à la carte dishes, or to  sample local specialties, such as Cheese Fondue and Raclette. For the romantic ones,  Les Terrasses offers candlelit high cuisine dinners,  a must for all gourmets.