Drei Berge, a Mountaintop Hotel like no other
French-Moroccan. Cultural renegade. Entrepreneur. Ramdane Touhami has taken his discerning aesthetic and unparalleled vision to peak heights with drei berge hotel in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss Alps. He shares all about his latest undertaking, speaking to a hiker’s soul.
“‘A friend I shared my idea with thought I had gone mad, but I felt it would be phenomenal for holidays’”
When I ask Ramdane how his day is going, he starts laughing. 'Well, I have seventeen companies so it’s… busy.' His Parisian creative agency Art Recherche Industrie (ARI) – commissioned by the likes of Moynat and Christofle – is situated in a stunning 19th-century Gothic ballroom in the 10th arrondissement, 'quite possibly the most beautiful office in the world,' according to Wallpaper Magazine. Ramdane also lives in a beautifully renovated landmark with his wife, Victoire de Taillac-Touhami, and their three kids. Their fragrance company L'Officine Universelle Buly, sold to LVMH in 2021, banks on the dream of Parisian culture or old-world French luxury with the finest natural ingredients. Though Ramdane grew up in the slightly more rural south of France, Paris has become his stomping grounds, his home base.
At least for now. 'I barely see anything of the city; I never go or dine out. I don’t like crowds or noise,' says Ramdane. 'Paris mornings start at 7:00 AM. I then go bouldering at 7:30, have a quick shower, and am in the office by 9:00 AM. Just work, work, work, no lunch break in between, nothing. At 8:00 PM, I eat at home, and that’s about it. Over the weekends, I can go to Chile, Doha, Delhi, anywhere in the world.' Or, of course, to visit his visionary venture, Drei Berge, tucked away in the Swiss mountains and only accessible by cableway. No cars allowed.
'That’s actually the reason I started Drei Berge,' he explains. 'I was looking for an escape. Then I discovered this mountain chalet built in 1907 in the tiny, roughly 100-people town of Mürren.' Now, I don’t do holidays. So, I decided to turn it into a hotel. That would strike a good balance. Though it shouldn’t feel like a hotel; it’s like inviting you into my home.' If there’s one thing Ramdane takes pleasure in, it’s hosting – and he’s done an excellent job doing just that at Drei Berge Hotel.
From the vivid patterned carpets to the Swiss woodworked beds that Ramdane and his team carefully designed, everything, including the impeccable mountain cuisine crafted by Japanese Chef Kobayashi, is impeccable here. 'Every time I went to the mountains,' recalls Ramdane, 'I might have been hiking all day, but I’d still gain weight or at least feel unpleasantly full. So much meat, cheese, bread; that’s all available most of the time. I wanted to offer something healthier, balanced, with fresh and seasonal products, something that makes you feel satisfied but light after a long day out and about in the open air. Two days ago, I even decided that from now on the whole menu will be fully vegetarian.'
Tiny or big adjustments on a whim, even when a project already seems finished, are nothing unusual for Ramdane’s team. He is a perfectionist. 'This is my problem, my everyday problem,' he says. 'It’s hard to deliver, but when you walk in, everything has to be wow and nothing less.' Therefore, he’s constantly in a state of creative flux, chipping away, changing, and eventually elevating any experience or product. Only the best is good enough, and the devil really is in the details.
The typography on the tableware was created using an antique printer, which Ramdane acquired. The bed linen, woven from the softest cotton, feels like sleeping in a cloud. 'In my search for the most exquisite bed sheets, I rang up a friend of mine who works with a family company in Italy. I asked to meet them, I absolutely loved what they did and then… I bought the company. Merde,' he laughs. 'Another project. But I’m not complaining; it gives me heaps of energy in return. Our bedding, for instance, was swiftly named the best in the world by Tatler.'
It sounds like he would be into preserving these ancient crafts, like the printer, but he brushes that thought aside. 'That isn’t the rationale behind it. Everything just has to be to the highest standards, and this just so happens to be the best. No blah-blah, no marketing ploy. How to explain it… it’s like breathing to me. Take the coffee cups. They’re made in Arita, Japan, where they do the finest porcelain in the world. It’s just as simple as that.' Drei Berge is soon to have its own toiletries – the best of the best, of course. And, no, they won’t be Buly but something totally unique to Drei Berge. Just like the scent when you enter the hotel: a rejuvenating walk through the mountains.
An avid mountaineer himself, Ramdane heads into the Swiss highlands quite often. 'The higher you get up into those Alps, the more you’re like “what on earth”… you’re just blown away. It’s a different world out there.' Drei Berge takes its name from the three highest peaks in Switzerland, which encircle the chalet. Glancing through the hotel windows, The Jungfrau Mountain (the highest peak in Europe) stands proudly in the pristine landscape.
As soon as Ramdane stepped over the threshold of his newly acquired property, painted in a distinct poplar green, he knew exactly how the place would look, smell, sound, and feel. 'It’s kind of odd, but when I arrive somewhere, start a new project, it’s done in a few minutes. I come in, and I just know. It’s the same with Drei Berge Hotel: I arrived in late April last year, by June the living room was done. Sometimes I regret some decisions, but then you improvise, and so far, so good. We never go off mood boards. If anyone comes up with one, they’re fired,' he says without a hint of sarcasm.
Throughout the space, including the 19 aesthetically unique lodges, all types of furniture and design pieces are scattered. 'You know, I own a huge collection of furniture. And when I say huge, I mean huge,' mentions Ramdane. 'Pieces from Jeanneret, Moreau, Martin Visser, Scarpa. It's like daily research. Other than that, we design almost everything in-house. I sometimes get obsessed with these strange, niche movements; lately, I have been loving a 1920s mountain aesthetic.'
Ramdane, who seems unstoppable in his countless creative pursuits, has a crystal-clear vision of his own and listens to no one. He never follows a client’s brief, he’s no people pleaser—rather the opposite. He simply follows his own instincts and intuition. This might also be the key to his success. Next up on the horizon are more of his own hotels worldwide, including one in Jaipur, India. 'Will it have a similar aesthetic and vibe as Drei Berge Hotel?' I ask. 'No,' he answers resolutely. 'Of course, it all comes from my mind, but we never do things twice.' Even more reason to keep your eyes peeled.
