Le Bristol Leukerbad in Leukerbad

We chose this hotel mainly for the pools and thermal water area, but overall the experience didn’t feel like a real 4-star stay. There are four pools: one indoor (warm but small), one outdoor at around 31°C, a cold pond-like pool at around 22°C, and a wooden Japanese-style soaking tub with what seemed to be salty water around 38°C. Unfortunately, cleanliness was disappointing: there were dead flies on the stairs between pools, a weord smell in the indoor pool area (probably due to the toilets being too close), and the windows and walls inside were dirty. There was no way to get drinks at the pools, no bar, no staff. The pools were also smaller than they looked in the pictures. There was no cleaning staff visible during the day. The view from the outdoor pool was beautiful, but we ended up going to Therme in the city instead and only used the hotel’s pool once, even though we had planned to go daily when we booked it.
We stayed in building no. 2. The room was very spacious and bright, with a balcony with chairs. The bathroom is very small and there were only 2 bottles of water in the minibar. A nice detail was the bag with robes and slippers, including for our child.
Reception staff were distant: they spoke very fast, giving the impression they wanted to move on quickly. They were much more friendly and warm with other guests (using names, etc.), which made our interaction feel colder by comparison. However, restaurant staff were kind at breakfast.
In the hallway near the fitness and kids playroom area, there were two toilets that were constantly left open by staff. Even though we tried to keep the doors closed, they would open them again. This caused a strong, unpleasant smell of cleaning chemicals in that part of the building, especially uncomfortable near a children's play area.
The restaurant and lobby were both beautiful and clean - very pleasant spaces and well maintained. Breakfast was okay: reliable, clean, and decent food quality. However, it was exactly the same every day, with no variation at all.
We paid 1,000 CHF for 3 nights, and honestly, it didn’t feel like a 4-star experience. At best, I’d say it was 3-star level.