Do you know the dilemma?
You want to relax for a few days, but neither the budget nor the vibe of a luxury hotel? These two points have usually kept me from a wellness holiday…until recently.
Because I was invited to enjoy a night at the recently opened wellnessHostel3000 in Laax. Find out why it’s my new favourite wellness hostel here!
Memories of red and white checkered plastic tablecloths
I must confess that the last time I was at a youth hostel was while I was in school. They are positive memories, but still I associated attributes like «very simple», «old-fashioned» and «red and white checkered plastic tablecloths» with my last hostel experiences.
What I encounter at wellnessHostel3000 gives my youth hostel memories a complete reset.
The new gem directly on Lake Laax ©Thomas Andermatten
Boutique hotel at a hostel price
Even from the outside, the wellnessHostel3000 looks modern and inviting. Inspecting the lobby and the meeting areas, any boutique hotel can pack up and go home! Cool designer furniture, panoramic windows, a billiard and table football table and a large wall of books invite you to linger, and you can get the drinks you need at the bar opposite.
We stay in a double room with a priceless view of Lake Laax and a private bathroom. It captivates with its stylish simplicity. The beds are already made and only need to be stripped before check-out. An XXL wardrobe, a salon table with a stylish rocking chair complete the Scandinavian-inspired interior. We immediately feel at home.
The rooms feature stylish minimalism ©Jesca Li
By the way, if you are travelling with your family, there are also family rooms with private bathrooms. A youth hostel wouldn’t deserve its name if it didn’t still offer dormitories: At wellnessHostel 3000 you can also book a 4- or 6-bed room with a washbasin, which are no less aesthetically pleasing and fresh.
The family rooms shine with a real charm ©Laura Gargiulo
Five-star wellness area
The icing on the cake of the wellnessHostel3000 is the «Aua Grava» wellness area, which extends over 735 square metres. I’ve rarely seen such an aesthetic and versatile oasis of relaxation. We find everything our relaxation-seeking bodies desire: A Finnish sauna, an herbal sauna, a steam bath, a KESE micropeeling room, a sound room and feature showers. My favourite is the fire bath, which is illuminated by soft coloured light and a high window, and the ice bath next to it.
The wellness area is so generously designed that people hardly get in each other’s way ©Jesca Li
But I would also love to pack up the hammock chairs, which are reminiscent of Corbusier loungers, and hang them up in my home.
The setup of the whole landscape is so generous that we hardly get in the way of other guests, even when it’s busy.
May I have one of those chairs for home? ©Jesca Li
If you have more time than we do, there’s also an inviting 910 square metre pool area with a 25 metre swimming pool, a non-swimmers’ and children’s pool and a water slide.
As befits a «real» wellness hotel, you can also book various treatments, massages, facials and beauty treatments. The sporty among you can let off steam in the fitness room or sign up for yoga and Pilates classes.
If there was a beauty contest for indoor swimming pools, Aua Grava would definitely win 1st place ©Jesca Li
Charming morning atmosphere
As my time is rather short, I decided to have a morning yoga session on my own at the idyllic Lake Laax, and then to fuel up at the generous breakfast buffet at the in-house restaurant «BiBlau», which I can also recommend for lunch and dinner.
The early bird gets the worm, and is rewarded with a magical morning atmosphere on Lake Laax…. ©Jesca Li
By the way, wellnessHostel3000 is not only ideal for a relaxing wellness holiday, but also the perfect starting point for activities such as the world’s longest tree-top walk, the «Senda dil Dragun», various hikes or an exciting ride on the Rhaetian Railway. If you want to learn more about it, you can do so here
All information regarding prices and availability of WellnessHostel 3000 can be found here.
There is even more wellness at the Swiss Youth Hostels
Do you know Laax like the back of your hand and would rather go somewhere else for a wellness holiday? No problem, the Swiss Youth Hostels run a second wellness hostel, wellnessHostel4000 in Saas Fee.
The world’s first wellness hostel is located in Saas Fee ©Dominik Gehl
In any case, I’m already looking forward to my next wellness escape at the youth hostel, a place where I feel comfortable and that fits my budget.
Weitere Tipps rund um Laax findest du in unserem Blogbeitrag “Der Connbächli-Weg, eine Familienwanderung durch den Zauberwald“.
About the author
Jesca Li is a blogger and journalist.
In her eponymous blog www.jesca.li, she tells stories from everyday life, takes readers on trips, gives fashion tips and conducts interviews with exciting personalities.
She gets her inspiration from traveling and observing people and nature.
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