Kloster by b_smart in the town of Schaan, Liechtenstein
When I walked the Liechtenstein Trail, the nearly 50-mile (75-kilometer) route that winds its way through this small country. I stayed in a different hotel each night during my five-day adventure. Some were heritage properties, others entirely modern, while still others were cozy, family-run inns. Kloster by b_smart, a 19-room hotel in the hills above the town of Schaan, combined historic features, contemporary technology, and — unusual for Liechtenstein — a fully vegetarian restaurant.
Here’s the scoop:
Guests check themselves in at Kloster by b_smart.
Kloster by b_smart
Run by b_smart selection, a Liechtenstein-based chain which has properties in that country as well as in Switzerland and Austria, Kloster by b_smart is located in the St Elisabeth convent. The nuns still use one side of the 1930s building, while the other side has been converted into the hotel, which opened in 2023. The building also houses a co-working space.
Kloster by b_smart has no front-desk staff; check-in is fully automated. Using a screen in the lobby, you enter your name or booking number and verify your address, passport information, and other details. The machine provides your key card as well as a receipt. When you’re ready to check out, you simply drop off your key.
Kloster by b_smart has simple, modern guest rooms, with cookies as a welcome treat.
Guest Rooms and Amenities
Arrayed across several floors, the guest rooms include queen and twin-bedded options, with simple white linens and duvets. You can also select a larger junior suite with a pullout sofa, or a more spacious suite, in which the living room is partially separated from the sleeping area.
My twin room had a chair and small table in the corner. While not a desk, it was possible to work, especially because the Wi-fi was fast, and there were outlets and reading lamps on both sides of the bed. A TV was mounted on the opposite wall. Although the room had no closet, there was a bar with hangers and a shelf above, as well as several wall hooks for your belongings.
The rooms all have en suite baths. Mine was spacious, with a large walk-in shower and a mustard-yellow vanity.
Breakfast is vegetarian-friendly at Kloster by b_smart.
Room rates include a vegetarian-friendly breakfast buffet, with yogurt, cereal, fresh and dried fruits, several fresh vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and delicious hearty bread.
A vegan dish at Ruuf, the plant-based restaurant at Kloster by b_smart
RUUF Restaurant
Even if you’re not staying at Kloster by b_smart, it’s worth coming for a meal at Ruuf, the vegetarian restaurant on the hotel’s lower level, with a terrace overlooking the valley and mountains beyond. You can find vegetarian and vegan dishes at other Liechtenstein restaurants, but a fully plant-based eatery is still rare.
Designed to share, the inventive dishes might include a “corn dog,” made of ribel, a traditional corn porridge, coated with crispy bits and shaped into the form of a hot dog, or fregola (pictured above), a pasta that resembles Israeli couscous, paired with daikon dumplings. You can accompany your meal with local beer, wines from around the region, or non-alcoholic options, like kombucha, ginger beer, or housemade lemonade.
And after enjoying your meal and the verdant views, you only have to head upstairs to turn in for the night.
Rates
Double room rates at Kloster by b_smart start at about CHF190 (USD$225) per night, including Wi-Fi and breakfast. If you’ve come with a car, parking is included as well. If you’re walking the Liechtenstein Trail, the hotel is directly on the trail’s route.
Check for the most recent rates for Kloster by b_smart online.
Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. Switzerland Tourism and Liechtenstein Marketing provided support for my Liechtenstein travels.
