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- Cat-tastic!73%
- Hmm, not sure.14%
- Sounds like a cat-astrophe to me.12%
The competition has ended.
Cats get to sip Pawsecco at this hotel
10.10.2025
Translation: Katherine Martin
Pictures: Christian Walker
At the Aristotel, Very Important Cats (VICs) are pampered with welcome drinks, massages and fancy amuse-bouches. I simply had to go to Siebnen in the canton of Schwyz to check out this curious luxury hotel.
Ah, cats and travel. For me, this is an all too familiar combination. My own feline friends have never been able to stay home alone, so I’ve seen my fair share of pet boarding facilities. These have ranged from slightly dingy to well-maintained catteries and hotels. In hindsight, maybe I should’ve posed as a pet version of The Hotel Inspector and tried to blag a place somewhere with 3+ stars.
Then again, maybe not. Because let me tell you, the accommodation I recently discovered completely threw me for a loop. When I was looking for a boarding service for the autumn break, I came across the Aristotel Swiss Luxury & Spa Cat Hotel. As well as checking into junior and superior suites with names like «Laguna» and «Ocean», cats staying there can enjoy spa treatments and sip Pawsecco and Pawnac. I initially thought this was bonkers. Or should I say «decadent»? Eventually, I decided I had to go there.
On the journey there, I find myself picturing gilded food bowls and Jacuzzis bubbling with catnip. However, as I’m approaching the inconspicuous building in Siebnen’s industrial district, I start to question my preconceptions. And when Elisabetta Morandi opens the front door, they crumble away completely.
The hotel has everything – and yet, something’s missing
Elisabetta, a down-to-earth Ticino native, gives me a friendly welcome, ushering me into the Aristotel. She opened the hotel with business partner Giovanni Rengucci in 2020. Having previously run a consulting business advising foreign companies, she eventually decided she’d had enough and opted to do «something nice».
We step onto a soft, artificial lawn strewn with countless toys, a large climbing tower, fake palm trees and an exercise wheel. There’s a drinking fountain bubbling away next to it, accompanied by the murmur of a cat TV. This is all surrounded by 14 private suites. On the floor below, known as Down Under, there are eight more.
I’m immediately struck by what isn’t there: smells and sounds. I initially wonder if the hotel’s unoccupied, but Elisabetta shakes her head. «Eighteen of our 22 suites are occupied, which is typical during the holiday season. In fact, we’re often fully booked.» Sure enough, when I look closely, I spot curious kitty eyes peering at me through barred doors. I can also hear [self-cleaning toilets](/search?q=self-cleaning+litter box) whirring in the background. Every suite has one – in addition to a private TV. So that explains why it doesn’t smell. But why is it so quiet?
No cat crowds, just private suites
«The cats only share rooms with members of their own family,» Elisabetta explains. Apparently, it’s much easier to get a handle on their food and droppings this way than when cats from different households are sharing the same room. During her apprenticeship in animal care, shared set-ups often bothered her during placements at boarding facilities (linked website in German). «Some cats spent the whole time hiding in a corner while others dominated the group. It caused an unnecessary amount of stress,» she recalls.
Elisabetta wanted to give her feline guests more privacy and enjoyment. «Private suites are standard here, so that alone makes us a luxury hotel. We offer XL suites measuring up to eleven square metres, as well as a 60-square-metre play area on each floor. As a result, we can’t accommodate as many guests, so we’re slightly more expensive.» A superior suite for up to two cats costs around 90 francs per day, while a junior suite for one cat goes for almost 50 francs. That’s 10 francs more than an average cat hotel and about double the price of a stay in a cattery. Mind you, guests staying at the Aristotel get quite a lot in return.
From Bach flowers to Reiki treatments
Bengal mix Maisy has just arrived at the Aristotel. She’s still a little disoriented and frightened, so she’s hiding in her basket. Elisabetta gives her a soothing welcome drink with Bach flowers in it. «That’ll do her good,» she says. During her week-long stay, Maisy will get a Reiki treatment or, if she likes, the chance to lie on a PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) mat. Electromagnetic impulses in these mats supposedly alleviate stress.
Catching my slightly sceptical expression, Elisabetta says: «I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but a lot of cats find it soothing. Maybe because they don’t question it.»
The doors to each suite are opened once a day. Usually, only one cat is let out at a time, but some kitties are super sociable and outgoing. Luzia, Teto and Hugo, for instance, have become friends at the Aristotel and are allowed to run around together. Elisabetta sends them hurtling into the play area, where Luzia makes a beeline for the exercise wheel. «She’s got a real soft spot for it,» Elisabetta says. I can’t help but chuckle as I watch the cat’s short legs going like billyo.
Meanwhile, Teto and Hugo have zeroed in on a play mat with a motorised mouse zipping around underneath. «That’s one of our most popular toys,» Elisabetta says.
Suddenly, hotel co-manager Giovanni appears holding a play fishing rod. Grinning, he makes the cats chase it across the artificial lawn for several minutes. It’s difficult to say who’s having more fun. After about 15 minutes of this, it’s time for the next guests to have a go. Giovanni carries Luzia, Teto and Hugo back to their suites and opens the next door.
Elisabetta and Giovanni are on duty seven days a week, 365 days a year, bringing a new meaning to the phrase «full-time job». Laughing as she does so, Elisabetta says Giovanni’s cat Serafino isn’t much help. «We wanted to hire him as guest manager, but because he was such a lazy lump, we had to send him into early retirement.» On the bright side, they do get some human support in the form of an animal carer who helps them out during the high season. At night, a CCTV camera takes over. And the footage has brought some astonishing stuff to light.
High-security suites and cat chats
«We initially fitted the suites with three-metre-high bars. We thought that’d be fine, but one day, one of the cats got out and climbed into the food storage area. It was chaos,» Giovanni recalls. Because of this incident, the suites are now closed up to the ceiling with Plexiglas. Which should be enough to reassure cat owners. Only, they don’t always feel reassured. Elisabetta reveals that every so often, taking care of the cats is less work than taking care of their humans. «Some people find it very difficult to let go.»
With this in mind, the Aristotel gives pet owners the opportunity to video chat with their furry friends. Elisabetta also sends them digital postcards with photos of their cats. «Sometimes, owners are astonished when their cats don’t miss them any more,» she says. «Even though that’s actually a good sign,» she adds.
Unsurprisingly, Elisabetta prepares à la carte meals consisting of cooked meat and fresh broth for guests who’ve been upgraded. She’ll also occasionally whip them up a cat’s milk «Catpawccino» or serve catnip «Pawsecco» or «Purrlot» red wine made from beetroot. She’s even designed her own wine labels. «Giovanni thinks I’m nuts, but I think we could all do with a little humour.»
More charm than champagne
I can’t help but smile at that. My preconceptions have turned out to be wrong. The Aristotel isn’t decadent. Sure, it’s luxurious. But they’re also devoted to their cats and have a good sense of humour. Not everyone likes the idea of the hotel, nor can everyone afford a stay there. However, I do think there’s a valid question here. If I’m willing to treat myself to some serious pampering in a spa hotel, why shouldn’t I let my pets enjoy some luxury TLC as well?
I tried out a private boarding facility during the autumn break. More on that soon…
Darina Schweizer
Senior Editor
Darina.Schweizer@digitecgalaxus.chI love anything with four legs or roots - especially my shelter cats Jasper and Joy and my collection of succulents. My favourite things to do are stalking around with police dogs and cat coiffeurs on reportages or letting sensitive stories flourish in garden brockis and Japanese gardens.
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