Could you share a bit about yourself and your family, including names, ages, and where you live? Additionally, please tell us the names of your accommodation(s).

We are Alenka (39) and Antoine (40) - we live in Zurich, Switzerland, with our one-year old daughter. Villa Hortensia in Leysin is our second home.

Would you like to tell us more about yourself? For example: your interests, free time activities, work, family, holidays?

We are both entrepreneurs. Alenka leads a Swiss government innovation agency and Antoine works as an investor and advisor of various startups. Villa Hortensia is our retreat where we can focus on our projects and enjoy moments with family and friends.

When and in what way did this property come into your life and what motivated you to make it a part of your life?

We visited Villa Hortensia in 2020 as we were looking for a place to escape the lockdowns and be closer to nature. We immediately fell in love with the property and its surroundings, and we felt that this would be a place where we would like to come back to again and again. And we did! Right now we spend 2-3 longer periods there every year, during which we concentrate on doing focus work remotely.

Can you tell us more about the process of renovating and furnishing your property?

A delicate renovation was made in 1989, that consisted of closing the medical galleries located on the south side of the building and combining them with the interior spaces, while perfectly preserving the rationalist identity of the building. We focused on the comfort with better windows, new floors, fresh paint, a new stove, and all the equipment needed for long term stays.

On a personal level, what makes your property truly special for you? Any standout memories or moments that make it dear to your heart?

Time feels different up there and the place has a very special energy. The panoramic views help us get detached from the small everyday problems - being there we are literally able to take a higher perspective on things.

How would you describe the atmosphere and interior of your property?

It is a very quiet place, very much like a retreat. It is located at the very top of Leysin with a commanding view over the village and the region. Sometimes you can see the sun shining on a sea of clouds a few hundred meters down, it feels like a big privilege to enjoy the nicer weather.

Which part of your property do you love the most, and why?

We love the dining area and the living room, this is where we enjoy most time as a family or with guests. We love watching movies there in the evening with just the lights of the surrounding villages shining far away down. As we both remote for part of the time we spend there, we also very much enjoy the comfort of the office area, which features a huge drawing table and an external screen.

What makes the location where your accommodation is located unique and special?

The apartment is located next to a train station, which can be reached easily from anywhere in Switzerland. The house was built upwards of the village center, resulting in breathtaking views that cannot be enjoyed from more central locations. Getting back from the village is a short hike but there are also several convenient services for delivering groceries.

Are there any sustainable or eco-friendly applications associated with your property that you are proud of?

The property is located next to a train station and we encourage guests to come up by public transport, though we also have a parking space. In the dry season we also provide a small e-bike that guests can use to go to the village and back.

What motivated or inspired you to rent your property to guests?

We are able to spend 2-3 longer stays per year at the property but it is empty the rest of the time. We starting making it available for our families and close friends, and from there it was just a step to enlarge the circle. We were a bit worried at first because we keep a lot of personal and sentimental items in the apartment but external guests have been extremely respectful of our property so far.

Can you paint a vivid picture of the overall experience someone can expect when staying at your property?

Experiencing the views from there for the first time is always a wow moment. The mountain on the opposite side of the valley feels very close! And this is also the first thing you can see from your bed in the morning: the mountain is just in front of you. It's a bit of a magical setting.

In what ways does your property stand out from others? What unique features or characteristics make it a one-of-a-kind experience for guests?

It is a special place that is close to our heart and that we furnished with great care using items sourced from Swiss and regional designers and artists. The furniture is very high-end and you would normally not find such items in a place available for rental.

Can you share the best compliment you've received from a guest?

We receive lots of feedback about the quality of the design and art choices, and about the various amenities we offer. One guest recently said she is "in love with our style"! We put a lot of our personality into the apartment and it's very rewarding to be able to share that with new people.

Do you have any recommendations for guests to fully enjoy their holiday?

We provide a guide with information about the apartment, the village (shopping, restaurants), hiking, skiing and the region. Here are a few places in the region that we like to visit and bring guests to:

• Chapelle des Missions (St-Gingolph)
  Built in 1969 by Arthur Bugna, the Chapelle des Missions is a rare example of sacred brutalist architecture in Switzerland, set in a majestic setting with the altar acting as an interface between the circular rows of seats and the Geneva lake.
• Chaplin’s World (Corsier-sur-Vevey)
  Located on the grounds of Charlie Chaplin’s former residence, Chaplin’s World Museum retraces the private and public life of the artist. Visitors can explore The Studio, a new building of Hollywood inspiration that presents his cinematographic work, and stroll through the four-hectare park featuring several hundred-year-old trees and breathtaking views of the Geneva Lake and the Alps.
• Chillon castle (Veytaux)
  The Château de Chillon was erected around 1150 by the House of Savoy to control the narrow strip of land located in front, a path trodden by travellers, merchants and pilgrims heading towards Rome via the Great Saint Bernard Alpine Pass. Today, it is the most visited historical monument is Switzerland. The Fort de Chillon, its modern counterpart built in 1941 by the Swiss army, is hidden in the steep side of the mountain. It has recently been privatized and converted into a storage facility for fine wines.
• Glacier3000
  Accessible by cable car from nearby Les Diablerets, Glacier3000 is - as its name indicates - a 3000m high glacier, that has been developed with a series of activities including a sledge track, a ski lift and various hiking tracks. A walk across the glacier takes about an hour and leads to the Refuge de l'Espace, a mountain hut on the edge of a cliff, that offers simple mountain meals with breathtaking views of the Derborence valley.
• Ethical deer breeding (Rougemont)
  Frédéric Blum is a forest ranger and deer breeder who runs the Cerfs de Rougemont facility, a large field home to a group of around 20 individuals living their deer lives as they would in the wild. Every morning, he fires a blank shot, creating a connection between the sound of the gun and the moment of the food delivery, allowing him to put away the animals having reached maturity without causing concern to the rest of the herd.
• Jardin des Monts (Rossinière)
  At 1350m above sea level, the Jardin des Monts is a mountain herbalist production facility, cultivating a large number of aromatic plants and has a local production of teas and candies among other products. Jardin des Monts is only accessible by foot (30 minutes from nearby Rossinière) and is open to the public all Summer (self-guided tours).