Hotel Metropole Interlaken

Hotel Metropole stands at Höheweg 37, a few doors from the Victoria-Jungfrau, and is the town's high-rise hotel, with 14 floors and 96 rooms. Its selling point is the view, since the hotel states that 84 of its 96 rooms look onto the Jungfrau. It is a four-star hotel by the Hotelstars Union rating, and the hotel's own site describes it the same way. The sauna and fitness room are included in the room rate.

The location is the first reason to book. The Höhematte is about a minute away, the Kunsthaus is close and Interlaken West station is about five to seven minutes on foot, with a free station pickup mentioned in its booking listing. From Interlaken West you can reach the lake boats, and from Interlaken Ost the trains to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and the Jungfraujoch route.

The rooms come in standard, deluxe and suite categories. Standard rooms are on floors 1 to 6, deluxe rooms on floors 7 to 14 and the two suites occupy the top two levels, so a higher floor means a better view and more cost. Some rooms have balconies, and some have none, so ask if a balcony matters. Reviewers note fans rather than air conditioning, which matters in summer heat but not in November.

Breakfast is not included in the room price, and a listing quotes a buffet at roughly 25 francs per person. Parking is on site, outdoors or in an underground garage with an electric car charging station, with a daily fee for guests. The hotel suits couples, solo travellers and families who want a central base with a view, and mid-range budgets that want a four-star feel.

It is a large hotel with an older building, so noise from corridors or a lift can reach some rooms, and a higher room away from the lift is a good request. Check-in has a time limit at night, so tell the hotel if you arrive late.