Autumn, by appointment

The useful question in the mountains this month is when. A hotel can be receiving international attention while its doors are between seasons. A trail that suits an afternoon ride can become a poor choice after a working day. The accommodation is only half the plan.

In Arosa, a reported change of hosts at BelArosa gives an established address a new chapter. In St. Moritz, Badrutt’s Palace lists its next winter opening in December. Around Laax, evening restrictions return to sections of two bike trails; in Sils, rock-clearance work changes the route through the village. None of this rules out a longer stay. It makes a precise itinerary more valuable.

Our shortlist follows that distinction. There is a town hotel to enquire about before its autumn break, a palace for a later season, and apartments whose domestic space is better documented than their suitability for calls. Two separate mountain houses offer another kind of stay, with access and connectivity part of the choice.

This is the delayed 18 September edition, researched and checked on 22 September. Its calendar retains 18–24 September as the edition’s week; elapsed dates are identified, and later dates are previews.