Lauterbrunnen · Valley floor
The valley floor is the smart base: the train station, the shops and the trailheads are all here, and so is Chalet Staubbach, a short walk from the centre with the Staubbach Falls in view. The Apartment has its own private wood-fired hot tub.
The Lauterbrunnen valley gives you two kinds of base. On the valley floor, Lauterbrunnen village itself, you get the railway station, shops, restaurants, a winter ski shuttle and direct access to both the hiking trails and the lifts up to Wengen and Mürren. It's the most practical and the best value. Up the mountain, in car-free Wengen or Mürren, you're closer to the snow but pay a premium, carry your bags up by train or cable car, and have far fewer beds to choose from, which is why those villages sell out a year ahead around big events like the Lauberhorn.
For most visitors, skiers and hikers alike, staying on the valley floor and riding up each day is the easier, cheaper and more flexible choice. You're never more than a short, scenic railway journey from the action, and you come home each evening to a quiet valley rather than a busy resort.
Chalet Staubbach sits at the foot of the Staubbach Falls, a ten-minute walk from the village centre and station (and right by the ski-shuttle stop in winter). It's an apartment and two studios, each self-catering. The Apartment, the premium of the three, has its own private wood-fired hot tub with a view of the waterfall, the thing guests remember most after a day on the slopes or the trails, and is a Top 1% home on Airbnb with a 4.98 rating across more than 200 stays.
Pick the size that suits, all three share the same prime valley-floor address. The Apartment has the private hot tub; the Studio suits longer stays; the Nest is the budget option.
A ten-minute walk from the centre, steps from the trailheads, and (in The Apartment) a private hot tub waiting when you get back.