Mountain Hostel Gimmelwald — Hotel in Lauterbrunnen

So, I’d like to write about the positives about this hostel: *if location and view is your priority then I don’t think you’d find anything better because anywhere you look from the hostel - the views are breathtaking! *the pizzeria is so so good! We had a pizza on our day 1 and wish we’d had them more but to be honest - priced at 21 francs it’s way too expensive. But, definitely give it a try at least once when you stay there. The hot chocolate as well! service and staff - the nicest people you’d find and they pretty much speak a lot of European languages and english as well. Super friendly and welcoming! bathrooms - they are large and even if they are shared ones the size is huge! Hot water is a blessing as a well. the culture - you get to meet a lot of nice people from all over the world and get to talk to them, have a drink and play some board games. a solid kitchen where you can make your own meals because trust me, even the hostel folks aren’t expecting you to order from them all the time given how expensive it is.

Cons: if you are claustrophobic like me, don’t choose the mixed dorm of 12 beds. They are stacked like coffins and I think my disappointment was huge because it wasn’t what it looked like in the picture. I saw older couples coming in & looking desperate to find a way out of this situation but private rooms are always booked out. *if you are a light sleeper - don’t even bother with the dorms. 3-4 people would be snoring on a single night & me and several others tried to sleep in the common hall. There are flies absolutely everywhere & irs disgusting. In the kitchen, in the toilets, the common areas, the dorms. I get that it’s a seasonal issue & maybe they can install some fly catching machines which I’ve seen in hostels in other countries. there are no lockers or rather there are no keys to them because apparently the guests lose them all the time. So you’d be shoving your stuff under your bed or all over the dorm and it’s chaotic with 11 other people along with you in a mixed dorm. I spoke to people from ladies & couples dorm & they had similar issues. no charging points near your bed. You’ll have to charge in the common areas or the charging points are in one corner of your dorm.

Goes without saying that if you are in for a vacation to sleep a lot of hours, then this is not your place maybe. It’s a hostel so unless you get a private room, your sleep is doomed & I got out of my vacation feeling more stressed because I didn’t get to sleep for 3 nights. The mixed dorm was a nightmare & I have stayed in hostels in other countries and I have never seen something so conjugated and boxed like this. To pack in so many people in such...

Gimmelwald is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I’ve visited in Switzerland — absolutely worth the journey. The Mountain Hostel itself has a lovely setting, great views, and a cozy atmosphere to relax with a coffee or beer.

Im an Indian traveller who visited this place just sit a drink on 16-10-2025. However, I had one disappointing interaction that I feel needs to be mentioned. At the reception/bar counter, a bearded guy with a heavy voice spoke to me quite rudely when I politely asked for a coffee. He said “I’m serving another customer, sorry” in a very dismissive tone, even though I had simply thought it was my turn. I later noticed he was much friendlier and smiling with other (white) guests, which left me feeling disrespected and singled out I know that culturally Swiss German people are good and direct, but this felt different and ruined my peace of mind.

This was the only unpleasant experience I had in my entire 7 days in Switzerland — otherwise, everyone was incredibly warm and kind. I hope the hostel management looks into this and reminds staff that all travelers, regardless of nationality or background, deserve the same courtesy.

Reply to the message after review.

Dear Owner,

Thank you for your response. I think I have my manners — I don’t usually post complaints, especially not on an international forum, unless something truly felt off.

First, you did not speak to me that day, and no one asked me to “stand in line.” I was simply waiting after the person ahead finished paying, assuming it was my turn. I politely asked for a coffee — not demanded, as you’ve chosen to describe.

Second, I don’t possess the special skill of identifying who the owner is by appearance — bringing that up as a “young female owner” seems like playing the victim card.

Third, let’s be clear — that English gentleman was indeed rude. The other two staff who later served me were polite and kind, and I even appreciated their warmth. There’s a big difference between saying, “Sorry, I can’t serve you right now,” in a dismissive tone versus politely saying, “Could you please wait a minute? I’ll be with you shortly.” Tone matters — and your staff’s wasn’t professional.

I’m not here to argue but to clarify facts, since your response painted me unfairly as “intense and demanding.” I stand by my feedback so that travelers, especially people of color, are aware that such experiences — subtle or not — do happen, even in places that claim...

Edited after Owner's response: WE NEVER WANTED A PIZZA REPLACED IR REFUNDED. WE DID NOT ASK OR UTTER A WORD ABOUT REFUND OR REPLACEMENT. My girlfriend and I recently stayed at this hostel in Switzerland, and while the location was stunning with its beautiful mountain surroundings, our overall experience was marred by a significant incident during our visit.

As vegetarians, we were excited to order two pizzas to enjoy a lovely evening outdoors. Unfortunately, when the pizzas were delivered, we realized that they contained pork and beef, which was a shock to us and yes we did not realise it until we eat the most of the pizza. We immediately informed the waitress about the mistake, expressing our disappointment and concern.

The situation escalated when the owner of the hostel became involved. Instead of trying to understand our cultural background and the fact that we don't consume meat, she reacted with anger and disbelief. Her response was not only unprofessional but also deeply hurtful. She was arguing that why did not we checked before eating and questioning and suggesting that we did deliberately where we neither asked for a pizza replaced nor we asked refund as we ate it 3/4. She was yelling and then now she is saying we were yelling.Lady please stop lying. After she left, her colleague said sorry to us and said she is the boss so he can not do much...Even he is scared of her it seems....We were made to feel as though our dietary preferences were invalid, and the owner refused to take responsibility for the mix-up. We were trying to explain that we come from a culture (India) we never even eaten pork and meat in any food and she did not even accept the fact that it is the case. At the end she started throwing money and trying to keep the money in our pockets and asking us to leave in the middle of the night saying it is her property. Me and girlfriend felt pretty bad and this was most raciest thing happened to us.

Moreover, it was concerning to learn that such mistakes in food delivery were apparently common at the hostel, but there seemed to be no genuine effort on the owner's part to address or rectify the issue.

Ultimately, we didn't seek a refund (we never wanted) but hoped for an understanding and perhaps a commitment to improving their service. However, the owner's behavior was so inappropriate that it overshadowed the otherwise scenic location of the hostel. Be careful with that short tempered...