Hotel in Murren

http://www.edelweiss-muerren.ch/hotel/winterpreise.html
We stayed here (Hotel Eidelweiss). Our room was upstairs with a deck that had nothing beyond it but the spectacular valley below and the Alps above. Not a cable car line in sight, but our gorgeous view was obstructed by dense fog most of the days we were there.

The Alpenruh is a great hotel and a nice perk is that you can choose to take your included breakfast at the Schilthorn if you wish. However the ground level floors have views which are obstructed by big trees (trees are a good thing). The Alpina is perched right on the cliff with a dramatic drop off to the Lauterbrunnen Valley just beneath your room's balcony (if you choose a valley facing room). However, we always choose to stay with Denise at either the Chalet Fontana or her new apartment Geisstiliboden. She's a very nice British lady who will take good care of you and the views are stunning in every direction. You don't really need a view out your window because you'll be spending most of your time out IN that stunning scenery. There's not a view in any direction that's not just beautiful.

http://www.ferntree.ch/chalet/geisstili.htm

http://www.ferntree.ch/chalet/fontana_summer.htm

Marcia,

I've never stayed at Hotel Alpina but no Cable Cars here, so there should be unobstructed views. Chris can provide a better idea on the specifics of that hotel, and you could also check the Trip Advisor reviews.

Alpina is just next door to the Edelweiss. I agree that the Alpenruh is not the best at giving you a great welcoming feeling, but they do have a nice hotel, clean, good restaurant and a very nice patio for outdoor dining.

I would be surprised if any hotel in Mürren didn't have unobstructed views of the Alps. However, probably not every room in every hotel can offer equally good scenery.

Our room at Jungfrau Hotel had an excellent view, but as Tom mentioned there are bound to be some rooms at every hotel without a great view.

If your room doesn't have a great view step outside your front door.

My personal preference is the Hotel Alpina when I am in Murren because I like the view from the balcony straight down into the Lauterbrunnen valley, they have a nice breakfast and the prices have stayed reasonable over the years. Just as an FYI, both the Alpina and the Edelweiss are an easy walk from the BLM train station if you are coming up from Lauterbrunnen. The cable car from Stechelberg stops in Murren on the opposite side of town from these hotels making for a longer walk (especially with luggage). Some of the other recommended hotels are equidistant from either station. I found that most of the hotels have outdoor patios you can sit out on in good weather to enjoy those fabulous views everyone talks about!

I can vouch for the Hotel Bellevue. Though not all rooms have views, their patio is perfect for sipping your favorite beverage and staring at the Jungfraujoch. First class restaurant too, and Oti, the proprietor, will help plan your visit and hikes.

I stayed at the Edelweiss. I did not request an Alps view, and since I was in a single, I didn't expect one (usually the singles face the "wrong" way in most hotels, as they build the larger rooms on the side with the good view). To my surprise, I had a great alpine view, which was nice even though I spent little time in the room. Many of the larger rooms had small balconies; I don't usually like or use a balcony, but this would be one exception where I'd consider paying extra for it if I return.

A tip for booking in Switzerland: I found for several cities, including Mürren, that when I tried to use the hotel's online booking site (their own, not a third party like booking dot com), they would show no availability of the room I needed. By e-mailing them directly, I got the room, and by mentioning that I found their hotel in the Rick Steves Switzerland book (since I did), I got a small discount. Booking direct by e-mail is my preferred method anywhere, but I've never had such difficulty booking by other methods elsewhere.

I agree with Larry's review of Bellevue. We have stayed there on two separate visits to Murren and enjoyed it very much. The view from the deck is stunning. The paragliders take off within site of the deck.
Othmar is a great host.

Jay

We have never stayed at the Bellevue but we have dinner there every time we visit Mürren. The food is excellent, and I would happily take half-board if we ever did stay there.

As affordable and "good" as the half board option may be, that really eliminates the possibility of you trying other restaurants and ordering exactly what you want (or bypassing whatever you don't want). For example in Murren there are several restaurants both free-standing and hotel. Some of the best asian food I've ever found was Tham's. Who would have figured? The Stager Stubli has excellent Swiss Cuisine with cheese fondues, local vegetables and some really wonderful rostii with alpkase (alp cheese). You might also opt for a nice bottle of wine, cheese, fruits and croissants from the local Coop and bakery and have a picnic on a grassy area overlooking the valley. Just many many possibilities that are all eliminated if you choose half board.