Grandhotel Giessbach hosts seminars, conferences, company parties, weddings and family celebrations in five historic rooms, from a 12-person chalet-style room to a former ballroom for up to 150 guests. The Belle Époque hotel stands above Lake Brienz in Brienz, Switzerland, and opened in 1875.
Seminars and company events
The hotel lists seminars, conferences, congresses and workshops, as well as company parties. The Seeblick room, 40 square meters, takes 40 people in theatre layout, 38 in classroom layout and 28 in U-shape, with a built-in screen and large windows toward the lake. The small Ballenberg room, 12 square meters, fits 12 in theatre layout, 11 in U-shape and 10 in classroom layout. In winter, the larger salons can be used for meetings on request. A brochure for winter events covers seminar, dinner and team event offers.
Weddings and receptions
The hotel is available for celebrations of every kind, including weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, christenings and family gatherings. The former ballroom, the Salon Belle Époque, has its own terrace facing the Giessbach waterfalls. The Salon Davinet has a balcony over Lake Brienz. Staying overnight is recommended so that the guests enjoy the whole hotel.
Rooms and capacities
Salon Belle Époque, 150 square meters: banquet for 120 to 150, concert for 150, seminar in winter on request. Salon Davinet, 90 square meters, split in two with a bay window: cocktail for 90, theatre for 80, meetings in winter on request. Seeblick, 40 square meters: theatre 40, classroom 38, U-shape 28. Salon Giron, 30 square meters: cocktail for 30, seminars in winter on request. Ballenberg, 12 square meters: theatre 12, U-shape 11, classroom 10.
Accommodation
The hotel has rooms with lake or waterfall views, and direct bookers receive the Nostalgie Pass for local excursions. The number of rooms is not stated on the pages reviewed. The hotel recommends booking a room for event guests.
Catering
A current culinary offer for events is published on the site. The hotel runs the Parkrestaurant Les Cascades and the Elisa bistro and terrace. Menus and the event brochure are available on request.
History and setting
Architect Horace Edouard Davinet designed the hotel, which opened in 1875. The funicular, built in 1879, is the oldest of its kind in Europe, with an Abt switch. The non-profit Giessbach Foundation, created in 1983 by Franz Weber, saved the hotel from demolition. The park has a waterfall that is lit at night.
Getting there
The hotel is at Brienz, canton of Bern. Visitors by car need an online ticket to pass the barrier, and hotel guests receive theirs automatically. Between October 21, 2026 and March 20, 2027, the hotel is open Wednesday to Sunday.
