From the pastoral hills of Appenzell to the medieval alleyways of the Jura, a new generation of boutique hotels is redefining the way wellness obsessives are traveling to Switzerland. Where the country’s most famous stays were once housed in grand mansions built for European aristocrats seeking Alpine glory, today’s most compelling new properties are doing something more unexpected: honoring centuries-old craft traditions while elevating their spa offerings to include everything from dedicated wellness floors to longevity-science programming like body composition analysis, cryotherapy, and dry baths.
Perhaps no property embodies this more than Huus Quell, which opened in October 2025 as one of the country’s first carbon-zero hotels. Located in the village of Gonten in Switzerland’s Appenzell region, a lesser-visited corner of the country nestled between Lake Constance and the Alpstein mountains, the 30-suite wellness retreat was designed by Rüssli Architects from locally harvested moon wood, a biodynamic larch harvested during the waning moon that yields denser, more durable timber.
Photo: Julien L. Balmer / Courtesy of Huus Quell
“I grew up here, and I’ve always felt that Appenzell represents something increasingly rare in Switzerland—it’s a place where traditions are still lived,” says Jan Schoch, owner and general manager of Huus Quell and Appenzeller Huus. “The landscape is softer, more pastoral, and daily life is still shaped by agriculture, craft, and seasonality.”
Photo: Julien L. Balmer / Courtesy of Huus Quell
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