Hike to mountain hotel in Grindelwald or Zermatt area?

I don't know specifically if you can hike up to Grindelwald, but on the opposite side of the valley, you can hike up to Gimmelwald and from there to Murren, both of which have hotels and hostels... or you could ride the gondola to either town. I have never been to Grindelwald, but I'll go out on a limb and say that you can probably hike up there as well, given that it lies at the end of a road.

Check out this web site for an interactive map of hiking trails in Murren. Click on Summer, and then activites, hikes. My husband has hiked Zermatt and Murren and says he likes Murren better for hiking.....http://www.muerren.ch/start-e.htm

If the mountain Hotel experience is part of what you are looking for, you could look at either the Hotel Trachsellauenen or the Hotel Obersteinberg in the back Lauterbrunnen Valley (Still in the Berner Oberland, but the next valley over from Grindelwald). You hike past the Trachsellauenen on the way to Obersteinberg (about 2 1/2 hours from Lauterbrunnen if you are reasonably fit).

Biggest difference is that the Trachsellauenen has electricity, Obersteinberg does not.

There are hikes above Obersteinberg (Google Oberhornsee) if you want, or you get spectacular views from the Hotel itself.

Here are links to a couple of reviews/articles about the area.

http://www.laurabyrnepaquet.com/travel/switzerland.html
http://www.adirondack.org/news/newsletter0709.php

good typical image at http://www.stanford.edu/~melkor/lisa_pictures/large_jpg/WEurope/Switz58.html

a hike overview at http://www.walkingswitzerland.com/walks/walk_descrip/8109/
and an NY times article on Mountain Hotels (which includes the 2) http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE3DB143BF932A25755C0A96F948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

Hope This Helps

Mike,
Grindelwald is a town that ou can drive in. We stayed there last year and it is Beautiful. I think you are thinking of Gimmelwald. You have to take a gondola to the area and then hike to the hotel. (walking distance). Wengen is also a lovely town in the mountains that you would take a high mountain train. Grindelwald does have some wonderful hiking in the area if you do go there. First chair has a nice day hike to a lake. Enjoy Switzerland.