When I celebrated my big anniversary last year, I had planned to celebrate it in a special place. My plans – as it happens – unfortunately fell through. So when I was offered a press trip for Wandermagazin Schweiz to Peaks Place Apartment Hotel this year, I knew exactly what date I wanted to arrange. And so, at the end of August, we set off towards Laax in the canton of Graubünden, a popular destination for outdoor lovers through all seasons, from hiking and biking to skiing. In this article, you will find out how we spent our* birthday weekend here.
*I write “our” because another family member’s birthday is on the same day as mine. Sometimes that happens 🙂
NOTE: Our stay was hosted by Peaks Place Apartment-Hotel Wellness & Spa as part of a press trip for Wandermagazin SCHWEIZ. All opinions and observations are my own.
Where is Peaks Place located, and how can you get there?
A 20-minute drive from Chur (Switzerland’s oldest city) is the trio of attractive mountain villages of Flims, Laax, and Falera, forming a vast summer and winter sports resort together. There are no trains, but you can get here easily on the regular Postbus 81 from Chur in about 40 minutes. The Laax, Rancho bus stop is just a few steps from Peaks Place.
Peaks Place Apartment-Hotel Wellness & Spa is just outside the village center at Via Uletsch 1, 7031 Laax. You can’t miss it; it lies just at the roundabout upon arrival at Laax. Here are some sample travel times by car from the Swiss cities: Chur – 20 minutes, Bern – 2 hours 40 minutes, Zurich – 1 hour 30 minutes, Basel – 2 hours 20 minutes, Lucerne – 1 hour 45 minutes, Lugano – 1 hour 50 minutes.
Upon arrival, you can park your car directly in front of the hotel, go to check-in and then park in the underground car park. There is no need to book parking in advance. There is an electric car charging station available at the hotel for a fee.
Peaks Place Apartment-Hotel
As the name suggests, Peaks Place is an apartment hotel, so you book a whole apartment here, not a hotel room. Peaks Place is ideal for 2-8 people looking for the privacy of an ‘ own’ holiday apartment combined with hotel services and a spa. Depending on family size and space requirements, you can choose between 1.5k – 4.5k apartments. The hotel is open according to the seasons, i.e., in the spring in the “Bridge Days” (Ascension & Pentecost), from the end of June to the end of October, and in the winter season from December to Easter.
What are the amenities at Peaks Place?
Our spacious apartment was located on the third floor of Building D and had everything we could possibly need for our stay. I, of course, appreciated the well-equipped kitchen (including a dishwasher, cutlery, plates, knives, pots, pans, and tea towels), but also such “little” things as a Nespresso coffee machine with spare capsules, dishwasher tablets, storage space and hotel robes and slippers. Each apartment also has a spacious balcony where you can enjoy fondue.
Facilities for children
Whether for younger or older offspring, there is something for everyone. For the very youngest, there is a playroom with a kitchen, toys, books, and other play elements. For the older ones, there is a playroom with a ping-pong table and a foosball table. I suspect that our boys would have appreciated a PlayStation console, but they made do with fast Wi-Fi and played games on their mobile phones.
Our weekend at Peaks Place
Of course we had to be well strengthened for our planned activities. And that was the hotel’s restaurant , s’nani. The breakfast buffet included a selection of regional specialties, sweet and savory pastries, a variety of cereals and fresh fruit.
Il Trutg dil Flem
After a hearty breakfast, we started our journey by post bus from Laax, Rancho, towards Flims, Bergbahnen. Post buses from Flims to Falera are included in the hotel Guest Card. We boarded the new Arena Express cable car in Flims with the terminus at Nagens. From here, we took the famous Il Trutg dil Flem route – the “waterway” that runs from the source of the Flem River to the center of Flims. The biggest attraction is the seven bridges that artfully span the mountain stream Flem and offer the best view of the beautiful water spectacle. We had done this route three years ago, but only the lower part of it, so once again, we experienced something new. Most importantly: we finally caught a glimpse of the Sardona tectonic area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We had initially planned to end our hike at the middle station Startgels. Still, since we knew there was a nice swimming spot on the river a little further down, we decided to continue to the intermediate station Foppa, from where we took the FlemXpress cable car back to Flims.
Sportzentrum Prau la Selva
Just a 10-minute walk from the Flims Waldhaus bus stop, the Prau la Selva Sports Centre offers plenty of family fun for all ages. We spent an afternoon here at the rope park. The kids have been begging me to go to the rope park for a while now, so I was happy to be able to grant them this wish now. The rope park offers several courses of varying difficulty, and of course, there is an initial safety briefing. From the rope park, it was then a 15-minute walk through the woods back to the hotel.
Wellness- & Spa La Senda
After the hike and the rope park comes the rest. The La Senda Wellness & Spa offers relaxation and fitness facilities on 850 m². There are two saunas, a steam room, a sports pool, a relaxation pool with a whirlpool and massage jets, a relaxation room, an outdoor terrace, a gym and a fitness room. You can also book a massage.
Dinner at the hotel’s restaurant s’nani.
Dinner like Grandma’s, yet different? This is the motto of the chef of the s’nani restaurant, who prepares traditional recipes but in a new way. Using regional and seasonal ingredients, of course. Guests of the restaurant can choose from a short but exciting menu.
While waiting for the treats from the kitchen, little diners can keep themselves entertained with coloring books or cards. We had to skip dessert, so we were full. But much to my surprise, we didn’t miss it because we got it first thing in the morning – yes, I was able to celebrate my birthday in this lovely place, and it was very enjoyable (only I left the card with the staff’s wishes on the table and that’s a shame – maybe someone had found it and could send it to me?)
Hike in Rheinschlucht: Versam – Valendas
The next day (just on my birthday), the weather was not very good, but we went hiking anyway. On this easy hike, suitable for families with smaller children, you will discover the most impressive part of the Rhine Gorge. Still close to the Rhine and overlooking the fascinating rock formations, you will follow a hiking trail through the gorge towards Versam. Meanwhile, you can see the Rhaetian Railway or the Glacier Express pass by on their route through the “Swiss Grand Canyon”, and in summer kayaks and rafts can often be seen on the river. I’ll describe the hike in more detail in my next article.
Our impressions and practical tips for your stay at Peaks Place:
- If you book 6 nights or more at Peaks Place in summer, you can get a Familienpass for the whole family for CHF 150. This includes activities worth over CHF 650 in total. For example: day lift tickets for the whole family, 1x free entry to Lake Caumasee for the whole family, 1x free mini-golf for the whole family, 1x free entry to the rope centre for the whole family, 1x free Connschiffli per family, Swiss River Adventures: 100,- CHF discount for a half-day or full-day tour for the whole family and 1x pedal boat ride on Lake Laaxersee.
- If you decide to cook for yourself, there is a Coop shop right opposite the hotel where you can buy supplies (including fresh pastries).
- The hotel and restaurant staff were very helpful and friendly.
- Peaks Place is an ideal base for exploring the hiking and biking trails in the region. And in winter, it is an excellent base for your skiing adventures. The hotel offers its own shuttle bus directly to the cable car station.
- Overall, we really enjoyed our weekend stay at Peaks Place. The apartment was clean, spacious, quiet, and well-equipped. It was definitely worth spending more days here.
- At the end of your stay, remember to write in the “Peaks book” and send a free postcard to your loved ones (the postcards arrived in the Czech Republic, too!).
