7132 Hotel — Hotel in Vals

We visited the Therme Vals on August 8th and were looking forward to this trip to Switzerland since 15 years, after learning about the amazing architecture of Peter Zumthor's remarkable building in university.

When arriving, we were confused and disappointed of the entrance. Walking amidst 70s-style apartment high rises, appearing deserted, with the Therme nowhere to be seen, we entered the spa through the basement and were welcomed by a large dustbin and an uninviting entrance. Walking down a corridor that was probably not designed by Zumthor and didn't match his vision, we were greeted by a friendly woman that took our 60 Franc payment and gave us electronic wristlets for entering the bathing area. Finally entering Zumthor's spa, we walked through the entrance gate that was, to our surprise, broken. It is fair to say that we were already slightly taken aback at this point.

Nevertheless, the first corridor leading towards the changing rooms was a sight to behold. The changing rooms were marvelously designed as well, even though they have certainly aged since the opening in 1996. Entering the spa we were greeted by plastic signboards not worthy of the design of the building, telling us to leave our phones in the locker rooms. Throughout the building, you would discover these kind of small digressions from Zumthor's vision here and there.

The building itself is truly marvelous and a celebration of water, with many details and rooms that are worth to be discovered. I do not want to spoil this amazing experience here - you have to visit it yourself to experience it.

However, unfortunately our visit was totally ruined by the poor behavior of the visitors, which in the end must be accounted for as poor management of the Spa.

During our stay, we were confronted with: • A large group of young men (20-30), smoking marijuana and cigarettes in the outside area. Even following our complaints, this did not change. • Water pistols being used to annoy other guests, by said group. • Our towels being taken by strangers, three times. • A noise level due to the guests shouting, that was almost unbearable. This is explained by the plain stone walls used in Zumthor's design that rely on a quiet crowd. • An iPhone, of which the alarm was going off for 10 minutes straight, reverberating annoyingly in the main hall.

In summary, our visit to which we were looking out for since more than a decade, was utterly ruined.

The building could not be appreciated either, as it is hidden behind hideous high rises. Our only solace was the apologies of the lady at the front desk when leaving, who was visibly embarrassed by our complaints.

Zumthor's original vision was to build a serene Spa with a quiet, meditative experience, leaving room for introspection. Leaflets were even supposed to be handed out at the entrance, guiding the visitors in their behaviour (see Bauwelt 1997, Heft 14, "Fließendes Wasser, Geschichteter Stein"). Nothing of this was left 26 years later, unfortunately.

In summary, the visit to this spa left us disappointed. While the building is a marvel of modern architecture, the enjoyment of your visit can easily be spoiled by the crowd in the spa that is virtually unmanaged. Try to visit off season, when as few people as possible are there.

Two stars instead of one only because of the amazing...

Firstly, we want to apologise for the delayed time to write our review. We arrived on the 17th November and stayed in a Mayne Stone room (in the house of architects' building). From the moment we arrived, everything was nothing less than perfect. The staff were exceptionally welcoming and helpful throughout our entire stay. We were assisted by Jose upon arrival and checked-in by Sophia at the front desk, both of them were very lovely. The room was exceptionally beautiful, it is on the smaller side, but the impeccable design made it cosy and elegant. The bed was very comfy, the view from the balcony across the hotel site and Vals were incredible. One thing in particular which stood out to us which added immense quality to the room, was that you could adjust the brightness of all the various lightings to make it suit perfectly. The soaps provided are the best (and happen to be my favourite) it was everything we wanted. The one thing we did find peculiar though, which perhaps brought the elegance of the room down slightly was the large photograph (what some might call art) on the wall of another couples' feet. They're just sort of in your face. We thought it detracted somewhat from the beautiful lines of the stone behind it. We didn't think this was the best choice of "art" for that space. The lobby, the bar and the sitting areas were all exceptionally elegant and spotless. The fireplace at night was beautiful and warm. The pianist playing on Friday night was world class, there was a lovely ambience in the bar, the cocktails were done beautifully. The thermal baths (designed by famous architect, Peter Zumthor) is, of course, nothing less than an incredible experience. Breakfast was great, all the food was well presented and of good quality. The only negative thing here was that there seemed to be staff constantly over your shoulder. I appreciate that they're there to assist guests quickly, but it felt as though they were watching our every bite, we just wanted to eat slowly and look out over the beautiful mountains but the staff would remove the plates before we'd even finished chewing (something to be mindful of). We would definitely recommend this property and experience to everyone. It's unlike anything else in the world, a truly...

Quick review about the Spa & Bath visit: I was reading a lot about the "magnificent, internationally acclaimed architectural masterpiece", and must say my expectations were a little disappointed during my stay. I am not an expert but found the building not as exceptional as it is claimed to be. Maybe my understanding could have been enhanced through some explanatory signs, etc. Further notable things are: building seemed a bit run down, e.g., cracks in the wall especially outside no decor, very minimalistic, almost cold, and neglected (we did not even find clocks to check the time nor staff to ask) no opportunity to buy refreshments, etc., except a little water spender (hard to handle for older people, plastic cups run out 2 hours before closing, and were not refilled) = to compare Migros Fitness Park offers hot tea or vegetable soup for visitors free of charge as a frequent visitor of Asian bathhouses around the same price category, I was surprised that there were no additional free towels offered within the bathhouse. Someone took mine (because there is no place to store them) and I had to get my personal one out of the locker room (which I also found very small and rather dirty). overall not enough places to lie down or relax. most of the chairs were constantly taken or "reserved" by others, some of the "relaxing rooms" were pretty cold to lay down (it was snowing outside). tickets could have been divided into timeslots for external visitors. no one needs to spend a whole day there. why not make it less expensive if you just stay 3 hours. with the current state of the bathhouse, I would not want to spend the whole day there the overall "no photos/camera" policy I do understand. However, if no one is around, let couples take their pictures. After all, it is free marketing.

To conclude: The price-value is disproportional and the experience does definitely not live up to the expectation. If you are in the area and have a free afternoon check it out, otherwise do definitely not travel to Vals because of the 7132 bathhouse, there are better establishments within Switzerland. PS: I talked to friends about our experience, and found that there made the same "ok-ish" experience. Nothing...