The Backstage Hotel Vernissage in Zermatt is an eccentric hotel designed by artist Heinz Julen, a member of the infamous Julen family in Zermatt. He built a cinema 20 years ago, and just five years ago added to it with the Backstage Hotel in his unique and eccentric style. If you stay here, you'll want to be comfortable with a bit of craziness… in fact, quite a lot of craziness. Before you even enter the hotel, you get the feeling something is a little topsy-turvy - from the outside, the hotel resembles the form of a twist on a mountain chalet as it is fashioned in glass and steel.
The rooms vary from a Standard Double room (though they’re hardly standard) through to the quite bizarre, Cube Loft rooms. These Cube Loft rooms have high ceilings, and in the middle of which is a glass cube, from there you can remotely control the functions of the room, just like a command center. On the top level of the cube is the bed, and underneath is the bathroom and wardrobe. The stairs are in the middle of the room, and there’s a small living area. Furnishings tone down or dial up the craziness – depending on your taste – with the use of glass and metal, contrasting velvet and faux furs. All of the rooms have their own balconies, some also have views of the Matterhorn – a definite plus.The bathrooms are open to the rooms, and while there's a screen for the actual toilet, you will want to feel very relaxed or close with your roommate. The hotel rooms are solely recommended for couples.
Being in the Backstage Hotel feels as if you are living in some surrealist art work, and that is very much what Heinz was seeking. A great example of this is the wellness spa, which is unlike any other spa we have ever seen, is Heinz’s interpretation of the Creation Story from the Old Testament of Genesis. There are seven rooms, and each has a different experience, whether they be light or steam. There is a hot tub style experience, a sauna, video installations and a meditation room. There's a salt water floating pool, or you can even try lying down on the field of infrared heated glass pearls. You'd want to spend a bit of time here, this is not your typical, sort of 15 minute experience. And just like Heniz’s goal to make a spa experience that is actually an art installation, you almost feel like you are part of the performance. If a regular old massage is your thing, fear not - there is also a beauty treatment room where you can get different massages. The spa experience is complimentary for hotel guests.
There are plenty of other great things about Backstage Hotel. There is a ski rental shop on-site. It has its own cinema, an art gallery, and a restaurant called After Seven for fine dining and a cafe that serves cakes and coffee in the afternoon.
