St Moritz is one of the most chic winter resorts in the Swiss Alps and in Europe. It is known for 300 days of sunshine, incredible skiing, delectable cuisine and aspirational Alpine lifestyle.
Badrutt’s Palace is the most exquisite luxury hotel in town, a place to see and be seen. It is famous not only for its impeccable service and beautiful rooms, but also for its rich history. In 2019 Badrutt’s Palace is 123 years old.
Badrutt’s Palace in the olden days
Hotel’s founder Johannes Badrutt was the innovator, who brought winter tourism to St Moritz by inviting a group of English travellers in winter on a promise that if they didn’t enjoy the vacation, he’d pay all their travel expenses. The trick has obviously worked and now St Moritz is one of the world’s most renowned and exclusive winter resorts in the world.
Ambiance
They say that ‘people watching’ is another sport in St Moritz and there is certainly no better playground in town than Badrutt’s Palace. At any time of the day one could spot St Moritz’ well heeled crowd in the lobby lounge. The abundance of exquisite furs, jewelry and world’s most expensive handbags is hard to miss. If you love to see and be seen, there is no better place for your winter vacation.
Arrival
There are a few ways to arrive to St Moritz – by car (3.5 hr private transfer costs approximately €900.00) or by train (an easy 3 hr journey on the famous Glacier Express is €140.00 one way per adult in First class). When you arrive at St Moritz station, you’ll be greeted by Badrutt’s Palace stylish driver waiting for you in a shiny Rolls Royce. The journey to the hotel takes only a few minutes and before you know it, you’ll be relaxing at the Palace.
Check-in takes place in a suite and won’t be longer than a couple of minutes. All suites come with a butler, who offers you a welcome drink on arrival and set up the suite to your liking. Young guests are treated as VIPs with their own welcome gifts and amenities. My eight year old son was fitted out with his own perfectly fitting bathrobe and slippers and was greeted by a chocolate tower, orange juice and gummy bears.
For me, a glass of champagne and chocolates were served in the suite on arrival. Beautiful fresh flowers decorated the suite and fruit bowl and a complimentary selection of spirits was refilled every day. Minibar is also included in the suite stays.
Accommodation
We stayed in a very private Beau Rivage Suite, located on the 4thfloor. It has a spacious homey living room with a long balcony, perfect for enjoying the rays of sunshine that St Moritz is so famous for.
Bedroom has the comfiest of beds and lots of wardrobe space, so you could unpack the luggage and feel at home. Large marble bathroom features an oversized bath, great for warming up after a day in the snow. The bathroom is also very private as visitors have access to the guest powder room.
Spectacular views of the mountains and the lake lie ahead as far as the eye can see and you truly feel on top of the world in this beautiful suite. Many of the suites are in their own section of the hotel, which guarantees privacy for those who value it. Some of the suites, including ours, could be connected to another room creating a very spacious two-bedroom space, excellent choice for bigger families.
Little features we loved – Welcome gift – cake, chocolates and a bottle of champagne.
Complimentary mini bar with lots of fun drinks for the kids.
Adults can enjoy a selection of complimentary spirits – choose from vodka, gin or scotch – all beautifully served in crystal bottles.
Bed time gifts – a little treat left for you at turn down service.
Kids’ amenities – bathrobes, slippers that actually fit your child plus lovely kids toiletries.
Handwritten notes from the butlers.
Facilities
In my humble opinion Badrutt’s palace has the best facilities in St Moritz. I’ll start from the pool where we spent every afternoon after skiing.
Beautiful indoor and outdoor pool provides relaxation area for the adults and lots of fun for the kids – they can even play jumping off the rocks into the deep end while their parents relax in the sauna. There is a great choice of steam room and saunas – I especially enjoyed the eucalyptus and salt steam rooms, each one with a different temperature and humidity level, offering various health benefits.
Heated outdoor pool is very special too, the only one I saw in St Moritz. You start outdoors and swim through the glass door outside. Being in the warm pool outdoors, amongst snowy mountains, is a once in a lifetime experience.
Of course for the active travellers there is a gym and even a skating rink with skating lessons available on demand. In summer you can engage in a game of tennis or try the yoga.
The Spa
For those who prefer a slower pace on their holiday, a visit to the spa is a must.
The spa uses very advanced skincare products Biologique Recherche – it’s formulated by a team of medical doctors and is very results driven. Try one of the custom designed facials to protect your skin from the dry mountain air. I loved the products and therapist, who was attentive and professional. But above all I loved that my face glowed for at least 24 hours after the treatment.
For those who prefer a massage – there are 10 types of massage therapies on the menu including a kids massage. Why not spoil yourself with a mother-daughter or father – son treatment to make your stay in the Palace even more memorable.
Ski Facilities
The palace makes it very easy for the guests to enjoy the snow. Ski passes will be booked by reception and take two minutes to issue at check in. Instructors from one of the best ski schools in St Moritz are on call and can be booked on a very short notice. Instructor would meet you in the hotel and take you to the mountain so you don’t have to worry about anything.
Corvilja ski lift is less then 5 minutes away by hotel shuttle, which is available at all times on demand. Ski storage is also available on the mountain or at the hotel.
I found St Moritz a very easy place for skiing – you’ll need to worry about nothing, everything is done for you with a big smile. Even though hotel is technically not ski-in, ski-out excellent service makes getting to the snow seamless.
Dining
Dining at the palace deserves a special mention. There are more then 15 bars, restaurants and nightclubs in the complex, which makes the Palace the ultimate dining destination.
I’ll start from breakfast, as it is extremely impressive even for a seasoned luxury traveller like myself. On the first morning I walked into the stunning restaurant to the sound of harp – every day a lady plays beautiful music to accompany our first meal of the day. Silver service, crisp white table clothes and ‘anything you like’ from the food menu in the elegant surroundings of the old world restaurant are truly unforgettable. Request a table by the window to add a spectacular view to it and you’d never want the breakfast to end. It’s your choice whether you’d like to dress up or dress down, but many people make an effort and change into their sporty ski clothes after breakfast.
For dinner the choice is endless. If you feel like a casual meal with the kids, try Pizzeria Hueboden.
If you feel like a fancy romantic dinner, try one Michelin star IGNIV by Andreas Caminada. It’s a sharing style menu with a daily selection of the seasonal dishes chosen by the chef and delivered to the table. It’s nice to not have to think and unlike in many other Michelin restaurants you won’t leave the restaurant hungry. There are so many exquisite little dishes on offer that we could hardly get through the mains or the deserts. Caminada is a very talented young Swiss chef, so prepare to be surprised and spoiled during the evening.
Another fun restaurant worth trying is the new King’s Social House. One of the oldest nightclubs in St Moritz has been recently re-launched as a restaurant and a club. Start your dinner late, Italian style, 9-10pm and let the night unfold with Jason Atherton cocktails and the sound of funky dance tunes.
Last but not least is Patrizien Stuben, traditional, cozy Swiss restaurant serving all the Swiss favourites. It is perfect for both – a family night out or a romantic quiet evening. I loved the chalet atmosphere and traditional dishes like the venison, foie gras and barley soup.
The Lux Traveller Loves
Suite with panoramic terrace and lots of space to indulge and relax
Best choice of restaurants in St Moritz
Excellent and seamless ski service
Heated outdoor pool in winter – magical experience
Kids treated like VIPs
Top location in the centre of town
Badrutt’s stylish uniform
Exquisite service and true old world chic atmosphere
Splitting Hairs
The only part we didn’t enjoy about our stay was leaving the Palace – our experience at this hotel was so exceptional that all of us would’ve been happy to call it home for another couple of weeks. We can’t wait to be back!
All In All
Badrutt’s Palace is a true Palace hotel – one of the best in Europe and in the world. I felt like a princess staying here. I think this hotel should be on every luxury traveller’s bucket list. I have a feeling that once you try it, you will be coming back again and again.
Check out the calendar of events in St. Moritz – every month there is a number of prestigious and fun events like Snow Polo, Gourmet Festival, Cresta Run and many others – the atmosphere in town during these events is fantastic!
I stayed in Badrutt’s Palace in winter during the ski season, as my family are big fans of the ski slopes, but I know that St Moritz is also very beautiful in summer and it might be worth a visit in both seasons.
