Hotel Posta

Our family of 5 stayed at Hotel Posta for 2024 Christmas week. Our daughter had been studying in Rome and suggested a ski Christmas in Switzerland. We had never been in Switzerland to ski, nor anywhere in Europe for Christmas holiday, so this really was a head-first dive into the unknown! Firstly, I will praise the hotel manager , Andrea, for all the help and de-mystifying she did for us in the planning stage. We really knew nothing about how to navigate getting from Zurich to the valley where the Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis ski area is located , how to manage our ski equipment, as well as getting to and from various ski areas. Secondly, We had a passport crisis leaving the US, but when we arrived, exhausted, ON CHRISTMAS DAY, Andrea and her staff were waiting with open arms and wonderful local cuisine. I often feel that Europeans don’t quite “get” how exhausted and depleted Americans can be after arriving from an unavoidable overnight flight. The rooms were basic, but charming, (lots of exposed beams) warm, comfortable and well-supplied. Every morning at breakfast (also phenomenal) the staff was ready to tolerate our meager German and help us figure out our day. Thirdly, Andrea made considerable effort to adjust room accommodations to best fit our family, and offer us some economy. (Christmas week in Switzerland should never be expected to be a bargain, and, yes, it was pricey, but this a holiday our family will never forget). Fourth, this is small family-run inn, devoted to being ambassadors of the local lifestyle, cuisine and culture. I feel like these type of inns are a dying breed, and I fear that Vail Resorts (now owners of the ski complex) will gradually steamroll out the local flavor (the ski areas themselves were run quite differently than in the US, but that is another topic). I hope not! I hope Marriott and Hilton never find this valley! Fifth, the entire Surselva valley from Chur westward is spectacularly beautiful. The views each morning upon waking were so sublime! It’s important to know that the hotel is only a mile or so from where the Oberalppass road is closed for the winter (you can take the lovely Glacier Express train, which runs hourly through the pass to Andermatt), so , because of this very fact, the location of the hotel and village is very tranquil. There appears to be many many summer activity options in the area too. Yes, we could have opted to stay in bustling Andermatt, but that would have deprived us of the unique local architecture, cuisine , language of that region. We did not encounter any other Americans during our trip, for which I was grateful, for that would’ve detracted from the immersive nature of the whole trip. I would highly recommend to any EpicPass skiers looking for a unique experience.