Ski lodges. In the American West, they tend to be big, timbered affairs with massive stone fireplaces. In Europe, the classic chalet rules. In the wildly popular Zermatt, Switzerland, most chalets sport wooden shutters and overflowing flower boxes. All very gemütlich. Things look a bit different at The Omnia.

A boutique property nestled in the shadow of the Matterhorn, the 30-room inn was designed by the late, New York-based Turkish architect, Ali Tayar. The property is the passion project of Swiss businessman Alexander Schaerer, Chairman of the Board of USM, a manufacturing business begun by his great-grandfather in 1885. While the firm began as a hinge manufacturer, Schaerer’s father, Paul, transformed the business in the ‘60s when it began producing a modular steel shelving and storage system. Dubbed the USM Haller, the system can be found in businesses across the world from Parisian banks to Japanese hospitals to St. Tropez yacht clubs. In 2001, in recognition of its unique flexibility and durability, the USM Haller was included in the New York Museum of Modern Art’s collection.

That system—very Bauhaus-looking—is used throughout The Omnia, and while there’s a certain sense of precision about the property (this is Switzerland, after all), there’s nothing hard and machine-like about it. While Tayar embraced an industrial aesthetic, with motifs and materials repeating in the various pieces he designed for the hotel, he combined this very economical and production- oriented approach with a distinctively welcoming sense of style. Neither mid-century derivative nor hard-edged contemporary, Tayar’s interiors are a wonderfully satisfying merger of comfort and function.

Residentially scaled, The Omnia is intimate, but not cozy in the usual sense of the word. Wood and stone are used throughout but when it comes to upholstery and carpeting, shades of black, white, and gray rule. The living room-like lobby is made up of an open sitting area with access to an expansive terrace and—separated by a two-sided fireplace—an intimate library, wrapped in tall bookcases and comfortably outfitted with a long banquette. Steps away is a cocoon-like bar, tailor-made for après ski conversation.

The cool sophistication of the public spaces carries over into the guest rooms, where the same shapes, colors, and materials perform equally well. Crisp and uncluttered, the accommodations combine a shipshape, everything-in-its-place order, with sensuous touches—a curvaceous chaise longue that hovers over the floor on a transparent base, sliding doors in inky blue lacquer, and deep wooden soaking tubs elevated on plinths.

If the experience of healthfulness could be translated into tables, chairs, and the like, that’s The Omnia effect. Of course, well-being isn’t purely metaphorical here. Yoga, Pilates, and massage are on the menu—as well as an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, Finnish sauna, and Turkish bath. And when it comes to dining, the offerings are as thoroughly composed—nutritionally and visually—as every other aspect of the property. The menu—created by Executive Chef Tony Rudolph—is vegetarian-driven but at a scale of sophistication that many carnivores find they don’t mind the absence of an animal protein on their plate. Staying true to The Omnia’s commitment to service, those who must have meat are deliciously accommodated.

With over 186 miles of marked runs, 70 lifts, and dozens of peaks soaring to 13,000 feet, Zermatt is a skier’s paradise. But you don’t have to be sportif to enjoy a visit here. A leisurely stroll along the Vispa River will lead you out of town and past fields and meadows offering an unobstructed view of the Matterhorn. The village itself is impossibly picturesque and carless—except for the toy-like little buses that scoot about, fetching visitors at the train station and delivering them to the inns and chalets that sit cheek by jowl in the cradle of the mountains. Designed for lazy strolling and shopping—not to mention people watching from the restaurant terraces—Zermatt is one of those places where only a fool would fail to sit back, breathe deep, and count himself lucky.

For more information, visit the-omnia.com.