A mountain village of 1,000 inhabitants, far from the hustle and bustle, encircled by archaic mountains and pristine valleys — that is Vals.
A masterpiece made of 60,000 slabs of Vals quartzite. Light colours and natural materials dominate the design, and every room offers a clear view of the surrounding peaks. The top floor comprises three penthouse suites conceived by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, whose fully glazed fronts draw the landscape indoors like a painting with a breathtaking vista. The opening of the 7132 Hotel 5S gave Vals an iconic luxury property that sets new standards for such a destination. In a luxurious yet lean style, three spa suites and twelve spa deluxe rooms with en-suite steam rooms were created, alongside three double rooms and one single. Bright colours and rare natural materials define the timeless design, and each accommodation enjoys an unobstructed view of the alpine world beyond. The top floor houses three stunning penthouse suites of 90 square metres apiece, also by Kengo Kuma, their fully glazed frontages turning the scenery outside into an almost painted backdrop — the landscape becomes part of the interior. The 7132 Hotel offers two in-house restaurants, the 7132 Blue Bar, two board rooms, and two meeting rooms for incentives and events, with the associated 7132 Thermal Baths accessible directly from the hotel's spa area.
The 7132 House of Architects delivers what its name promises. Four internationally renowned architects were invited to develop their visions: Peter Zumthor, Tadao Ando, Kengo Kuma, and Thom Mayne. Each room presents a different, visually appealing experience for design lovers. After a day exploring Vals, Peter Zumthor's architectural masterpiece in Vals quartzite awaits — the 7132 Thermal Baths, internationally acclaimed for a simple elegance and timelessness that belies a quarter-century of hosting bathers. The baths sit at the heart of the complex, surrounded by the 7132 Hotel 5S, its various restaurants, the 7132 Blue Bar, and a fitness room, all conveniently reached via a glassed-in passageway from the House of Architects.
Peter Zumthor created ten rooms in stucco lustro, a plastering technique from the Italian Renaissance offering a refreshingly sensual experience through hues of red, black, and yellow, combined with hand-painted curtains of Habotai silk. Kengo Kuma relied on Japanese carpentry to turn his 23 rooms into cosy oakwood cocoons, each centred on an open floor-level shower resting on a base of local granite. His compatriot Tadao Ando paid homage to the subtle aesthetics of Japan's tea houses in his 18 rooms, which radiate soothing tranquillity and direct the eye toward the alpine scenery of the mountainside opposite. American Thom Mayne divided his focus between wood and black stone for the remaining 22 architectural rooms, placing in 2016 a free-standing shower stall at the centre of each, its organic shape offering a three-dimensional experience of space.
