Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in St Moritz is one of the ski world’s great establishments. Opened in 1896 it was created by Caspar Badrutt, son of Johannes, who is credited with creating the winter-sports holiday three decades earlier when he invited some summer tourists to do what was then the unthinkable and stay the winter.
By the time The Palace opened St Moritz was a winter holiday Mecca for the world’s wealthy and famous, including many royal families, world leaders and upper A list celebrities. Charlie Chaplin is credited with being the first to drive a tank-tracked vehicle up to St Moritz and The Palace before there was a proper road, Alfred Hitchcock maintained a suite there.
Now The Palace has completed what’s being billed as its first major renovation and expansion in a century, with the addition of its new six-storey Serlas Wing.
The new wing is located directly on Via Serlas, the world’s highest luxury shopping street and includes 25 contemporary luxury guestrooms and suites. It’s being promoted as representing a link between tradition and the future.
Designed by the Milanese architectural icons Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel, design notes include the new building’s portico constructed of regional Dorato Valmalenco stone.
The 25 modern luxury guestrooms and suites pulls from local traditions by weaving elements of nature into the design. Oakwood, natural stone flooring, and wool-fabric wall panelling all work in tandem to create a feel and colour palette that complement the surrounding Swiss Alps and the blue hues of nearby Lake St. Moritz. The interiors feature furniture by B&B Italia and fabrics by Loro Piana Interiors, putting the finishing touches on a comfortable and sophisticated stay.
An innovative underground pedestrian tunnel system providers guests with a discreet and exclusive passage to the town square and Chesa Veglia, the oldest farmhouse in St. Moritz and home to four restaurant concepts by the Palace.
The unveiling of the Serlas Wing marks the beginning of a new chapter in the hotel’s storied history and acts as a bridge between tradition and the future.
Last winter nightly room rates started at £1,100, with suites from £3,400. Rates for a Serlas Room start from £715 per night and a Serlas Suite from £1750 per night during the summer season, which runs from 20 June to 7 September, 2025.
All images credit Steve Herud.