St Moritz has a reputation for excess that, for some people, doesn’t sit well in these challenging economic times. Those jet-set skiers in their après-ski furs sipping champagne as if it were lemonade appeals to some, but makes others think St Moritz is not the place for them, on cost alone and perhaps on image too.
I thought that way for almost 30 years, as I went around the world ticking off the great resorts on my ”must ski” list. I only finally ended up in St Moritz when I was sent there on an assignment by a magazine to check out some of the 5 star hotels – or rather, 5 star Superior hotels, of which the resort boasts five – regular 5 star hotels aren’t good enough (a nightmare job I know…!).
I began my visit with the mountain railway climb up to St Moritz. This is a very high resort, and in the early years of winter sports holidays was particularly difficult to reach. As a result the train journey is spectacular, so much so that it has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in its own right. It’s a good start.
Rolling into St Moritz I was not prepared for the beauty of the place and the scenery. The resort is divided into two, with one part rising above a magnificent lake, the other part lying across on the far side. Spectacular mountains tower above – there’s skiing all around.
So far, so good. It’s short walk up into the heart of the village. There are exclusive boutiques and spectacular grand hotels, yes, but there are also ”normal” cafes, restaurants, shops and hotels. A quick check of the lift ticket cost and I see it is actually cheaper than many other ski areas in Switzerland and the Alps, and there are 3540km of piste on the pass.
So, although many guests are, you don’t have to be rich to enjoy St Moritz.
And enjoy it I did. There is talk of a champagne climate, of more than 300 sunny days a year, and that’s partly it, but for me, without wanting to get too airy-fairy, there’s something spiritual about St Moritz that transcends any glitz. This is the home of ski holidays, and has been for almost 150 years.
Many people know the story: it was in the winter of 1864–65 that a comparatively poor hotelier bet some English Victorian grand tourists staying the summer in St Moritz for health reasons, that if they stayed the winter they’d find it sunnier and much more pleasant than smoggy, damp, cold London. They did, he won his bet and they told their friends, and winter sports tourism was born.
That hotelier, Johannes Badrutt, went on to build the mighty Kulm hotel, which remains there still. The main events of the 1928 Winter Olympics were staged in its grounds, and the top of the Cresta Run departs from just outside.
But the most exciting thing for me was that the original farmhouse where those original English visitors stayed is preserved in a corner of the building. The manager took me in. I could sit at Mr Badrutt’s desk, see the rooms where that first holiday took place, something no one could recreate.
I like the ski slopes too. There are complaints from diehard skiers that they are too easy, maybe they are, I’m just an average British skier, but I like wide sunny slopes that are indeed pretty empty most of the morning, as it’s not fashionable to get up early in St Moritz. There are fast lifts back up, and superb mountain restaurants offering surprisingly good value and high-quality cuisine.
On more recent visits I have stayed in The Carlton Hotel (carlton-stmoritz.ch; +41 81 836 70 00), which takes your visit to St Moritz to another level. In my experience of more than 250 ski areas this is the best ski hotel in the world.
This truly spectacular hotel re-opened in 2007 after many, many millions of Swiss francs were spent on an 18-month renovation, which saw the nearly 100-year-old hotel taken right back to its bones. Beautifully designed by Carlo Rampazzi, the number of rooms nearly halved so that an all suite hotel could emerge, blending the best modern design with century-old aspects of the hotel that were worth preserving. The transformation has turned this luxury establishment into a true gem.
Resplendent in its new look, with 60 spaciously appointed junior suites and suites, two restaurants, and an incredible 1200m2 spa extending over three floors, which includes the only indoor/outdoor swimming pool in the resort. Winter 2012–13 sees the opening of the Carlton Penthouse on the top floor of this 5 star hotel – with a total surface area of 386m2 it’s the largest suite in St Moritz.
Add to this backdrop the hotel’s remarkable service, the complete respect of guests’ privacy, the bliss of having a liveried member of staff meet you at the station to carry your skis to the car, and drive you the short distance to the hotel, plus the daily return private shuttle to the lifts.
Of course, it is not cheap, but you can live like royalty for (comparatively) very little if you take advantages of one of the package specials you’ll find on the website, some of which include gourmet meals, massage services and lift pass along with your wonderful suite, amazing daily breakfast and unlimited spa access.
Wherever you stay, you’ll find St Moritz continues to go quietly from strength to strength. The next milestone is the World Alpine Skiing Championships in 2017, and there’s talk of a joint bid with Davos to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, 94 years after the first time. St Moritz remains the only ever Swiss Olympic host. Not once, but twice.
Travel Essentials:
Guests staying in over 100 hotels, in all price categories, in St Moritz and the wider Engadin region for a minimum of two nights will receive a ski pass, including free travel on all public transport for just CHF25pp per day (approx £16) for the entire duration of their stay.
