Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Switzerland / Zermatt / Mont Cervin Palace
Mont Cervin Palace
Zermatt, Switzerland · Independent · Grand Luxury
State councillor Josef Anton Clemenz opened this Zermatt house in 1852 with 14 beds; Alexander Seiler leased it soon after and bought it in 1867, and it still occupies Bahnhofstrasse as the village palace. Guests still arrive by the hotel's own red horse-drawn carriage from the car-free station. One hundred fifty rooms now spread across four linked buildings, carrying a Michelin One Key and the only Leading Hotels of the World flag in Zermatt.
- 150 rooms
- Opened 1852
- Neighborhood: Oberwallis
- Rooms from 215 sq ft (20 m²)
About Mont Cervin Palace
- Josef Anton Clemenz opened Hotel Mont Cervin in 1852 with 14 guest beds; the Seiler brothers bought the house in 1867.
- The hotel was renamed Mont Cervin Palace in 2004 after the sixth floor, once staff rooms, was rebuilt as suites.
- A fire on 9 January 1998 forced evacuation of the main building; normal operations resumed ten days later.
- The hotel's red horse-drawn carriage still meets guests at Zermatt's car-free railway station.
- It is Zermatt's only Leading Hotels of the World member and holds a Michelin One Key (2025).
History
In 1852 Visp councillor Joseph Anton Clemenz opened the Hotel Mont Cervin in car-free Zermatt with fourteen guest beds, an early lodge for travellers coming to see the Matterhorn. Alexander Seiler I leased it in 1857 and bought it in 1867, folding the house into the family company that would dominate Zermatt hospitality for four generations. After his death on 10 July 1891 his widow Catharine Cathrein ran the business until 1895. Alexander Seiler II, a lawyer and cantonal councillor, then formed Gebrüder Seiler with his brother Hermann and in 1908 converted the firm into a public company. At the 1909 peak the group, including leased houses, offered about 1,200 beds.
Queen Margherita of Italy stayed; the 1902 annex was named Villa Margherita for her. Hermann Seiler took over after Alexander II's death in 1920 and led until 1943, when Joseph Seiler II and Franz Seiler assumed control in wartime. Bernhard Seiler of the fourth generation became operating director for fifteen years from 1955. From 1982 Roberto and Christian Seiler ran the company. After further building works the hotel was styled a Palace in 2005; the Petit Cervin dependance followed in 2007.
Jelmoli Holding took 83.5 percent of the shares in 2007. After a brief non-family chairmanship in 2009, Christian Seiler presided until December 2011, when Credit Suisse acquired the group following the Jelmoli split. Multi-million-franc renovations followed in 2012, with the main restaurant and bar redone in 2017 and family apartments in 2019. That autumn Aevis Victoria SA, owner of the Bellevue Palace in Bern and the Victoria-Jungfrau in Interlaken, bought a majority of Seiler Hotels AG. Phil Collins marked his fiftieth birthday at the Mont Cervin.
The setting
5-minute walk to Gornergrat Railway. 4-minute walk to Matterhorn Museum.
Restaurants and bars
- Grill Le Cervin — Restaurant
- Joseph's Bar — Bar
- Le Restaurant — Restaurant
- Ristorante Capri — Restaurant · One MICHELIN Star
Experiences
- Incentive activities (paragliding, heliskiing, glaciology, sport climbing, gourmet tasting) — Original outdoor incentives such as paragliding or heliskiing, glaciologist, sport climbing or gourmet tasting, organised by the hotel's team on request.
- Horse-drawn carriage ride for newlyweds — Newly married couples can take a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride away from their guests on their wedding day.
Amenities
- Spa
- Indoor pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Kids' club
- Tennis
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
Open Mont Cervin Palace in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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