Went back again this year and it couldn't have been better. We had other friends staying in the Village and their hhotel was a long walk from the centre, whereas the Beau Rivage is 2 mins away from the main hub.
Food was Fantastic, we made the mistake of eating out at the newly refurbished Post Hotel.....BIG ERROR ! Stick to Chez Max.

I stayed in the Beau Rivage in mid-December, just after the first heavy snowfall of the season. Max Julen, the proprietor, immediately made me feel at home in his hotel. I had booked a 'Matterhorn view' room and it more than lived up to its description. The infamous and iconic mountain was more or less framed in my window and the different views of the Matterhorn at dawn, midday and dusk were really spectacular. Though the temperature outside in Zermatt was a chilly minus ten degrees, the room was very well heated and the immensely comfortable duvet, sheets and underblanket were conducive to great sleep (especially after an active day outside in the Zermatt air).

Max is a former Olympian, having won the gold medal in the giant slalom, a ski discipline which is immensely demanding from a technical point of view. Considering his achievements as a skier, he's a very modest and understated person. And he's always available to help skiers to locate the best skiing conditions in Zermatt. He was a bit bemused because I had elected not to ski (I weigh almost 18 stone, had not skied for twelve years, and would not have been very flexible on the slopes). But I intend to lose a few stones and ski the next time I am in Zermatt. Instead I bought a ski pass for two days and rode the lifts up to the high mountain passes. Several of my friends were staying in other hotels in Zermatt, and the lift passes enabled me to meet them for lunch in some of the restaurants perched on the rocky mountain fastnesses above the town of Zermatt.

My favourite place was Klein Matterhorn, 4,000 metres up. The Swiss have built a tunnel through the top of the mountain and you can see Cervinia in Italy, 800 metres below the exit from the other side of the tunnel. On a clear day, you can also see the Alps stretching out for 50 to 60 kilometres in the distance. You can then climb a series of three ladders and you find yourself at the summit of Klein Matterhorn. You are then in a natural amphitheatre surrounded by eight Alpine peaks. To your right is the majestic Matterhorn glacier. When I was there, it was minus 22 degrees centigrade at the summit, the skies were blue and I was moved to tears by the sublime beauty of it all. An unsurpassable experience.

Further details as regards my hotel, they served a tasty continental breakfast in the mornings. And - if you let them know the time of your arrival in advance - they'll send a car to collect you at the railway station. Connection time from Geneva Airport to Zermatt is about four hours. The train journey from Geneva is immensely scenic, skirting Lake Geneva and - from Visp onwards - winding upwards into snow-capped mountainous terrain. Though my room was not cheap at circa Euro 200 a night, this was because I decided to opt for the large room with the Matterhorn view. If I hade been more modest in my tastes, I could have had a much more reasonable single room at the Beau Rivage for half the price.

We stayed in Zermatt 20 years ago at a now-pricey hotel that was out of reach for two rooms. So we found the Beau-Rivage and couldn't have had a better time.

The rooms were outstanding -- the adults' room had a sitting area and a balcony with an extraordinary view of the Matterhorn. The girls' room was perfectly fine, although it overlooked the village.

The restaurant served delicious but pricey dinners; the breakfast buffet had variety and tasted good.

The location is perfect -- right in the middle of everything and close to lifts and train station.

The Julens were tremendous hosts. It's the best hotel in town!