"Canton is not moving forward" Valais mountain village needs new hotel - objection has blocked construction for years

An entrepreneur wants to build an urgently needed hotel on Riederalp VS. But an objection has been blocking the project for two years.

Hotel capacity is becoming scarce on the Riederalp in Valais. According to the "Walliser Boten" newspaper, only one small hotel is still welcoming guests. Andreas Walker, former local councillor and Vice President of Riederalp, wants to change this situation and is planning to build a five-storey hotel.

He submitted an initial planning application back in April 2022, but the ground-breaking ceremony has been delayed. This is due to two objections that were received after the planning application was submitted.

Although Walker was granted planning permission in June 2022, a second home owner lodged an objection and took the case all the way to the State Council. This appeal has now blocked the project for two years.

Is there now movement in the case?

The planned hotel will have eleven rooms and space for 40 to 50 people. A restaurant is also planned. The hotel is to be built on the west side of Riederalp, close to the top station of the gondola lift. Walker emphasizes the urgency of the project: "The current development in terms of hotels and restaurants on the Riederalp hurts me," he tells the "Boten".

The delay is increasingly frustrating Walker: "It's a disaster that the canton is not moving forward." He has therefore also stopped the detailed planning of the hotel for the time being. "It seems that the State Council and the associated administrative apparatus have no interest in newly built hotels and restaurants," he complains.

Nevertheless, there could soon be movement in the case. The State Councillor responsible told the newspaper that the complaint is still being processed due to the complexity of the case, but that a decision will be made in the coming weeks.