A relaxed alpine hotel near Gstaad blending Swiss-hut warmth with contemporary design: ethically sourced horsehair beds and one of the region's best spas.

HUUS makes its pitch in its name (huus means home) and it delivers on it with an easy, unstuffy version of alpine luxury. Set near Gstaad in the village of Saanen, it brings together the warmth of a traditional Swiss mountain hut and a clean, contemporary design sensibility.

It is built as a base for the outdoors. Gstaad’s roster of attractions sits within reach (skiing and water rafting, long days spent exploring the surrounding landscapes) and a return to one of the best spas in the Gstaad region is the reward at the end of each one.

The detail guests remember, though, is the beds. HUUS’s mattresses are made with ethically sourced horsehair, hitting the elusive sweet spot between supportive and soft; the hotel cheerfully claims they are the best in the world, and few guests leave inclined to argue.

The risk, as the hotel itself warns, is straightforward: a lazy Sunday morning has a way of stretching into a lazy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

For travellers who want the Gstaad region without the formality (somewhere relaxed, design-led and genuinely comfortable) HUUS is a considered choice, an alpine hotel that takes the idea of home seriously and the idea of pretension not at all.