Located right above the lake of St. Moritz, in one of the most luxurious resorts in the world, the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel has been a landmark of elegance and refinement in the Swiss Alps for more than a century.
Situated in a majestic location, surrounded by breathtaking mountains and beautiful buildings, the hotel is one of the most special places you can live in in the entire world. Each room has a distinct character and the restaurants, spa and sports facilities complete the experience.
The magic atmosphere of the Palace is only matched by its history and the people who come to visit it every year.
Badrutt’s Palace, located in the beautiful Engadin Valley, has a history that goes back to 1856.
It was this year when Johannes Badrutt, a brave ski jumper bought a guesthouse in St. Moritz and decided to rebuild it in order to create the Hotel Engadiner Kulm, which today is called simply the Kulm Hotel. In 1864, Casper Badrutt, the son of Johannes Badrutt, bought the Hotel Beau Rivage in St. Moritz, which had been built in 1872 by C. Rungger and altered it to create the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel we see today. Caspar decided to remodel the hotel and hired famous Swiss architects Chiodera and Tschudi to do it. The hotel got not just a new décor, but a new name as well, Palace Hotel. Meanwhile, Johannes Badrutt invited his first English guests to the hotel for winter sports and built curling rinks and the world’s first toboggan run to offer his guest a great experience.
The official opening of the Palace Hotel was on July 29, 1896. Soon enough, the hotel started offering more and more captivating experiences and memorable moments to its guests. For example, in 1913, the first European indoor tennis court was inaugurated in the hotel.
Partying at the Palace was, and still is, legendary. On one occasion, a guest wanted to surprise his wife with a gift. While the content of the gift is unknown, the way it was delivered was an unforgettable experience for everyone who happened to be there on that day and see it. The guest impressed his partner by having the gift being brought in by an elephant.
This type of occasional moment is not the only time you can have a once in a lifetime experience at the hotel. Each year, New Year’s Eve is celebrated with an extravagant themed party that turns the hotel into a fairytale world. Sindbad the Sailor, Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves were just some of the themes of these dazzling parties. Outside that, guests can even tailor their own parties. Once, the hotel even put together an indoor BBQ, with a real green lawn.
For those who want to relax and enjoy the silence of the Swiss Alps, the hotel offers 7 restaurants, 3 bars and a lobby snack bar (Le Grand Hall). Suites in the hotel feature living rooms and some even have Jacuzzis and grand pianos. In 1969-70, a fitness and pool center was added, which was rebuilt in 2010 and 2002 saw the opening of the luxurious Serletta designer shopping complex (2 000 sqm / 21527.82 sqf), which faces the main entrance to Badrutt’s Palace Hotel. Today it is renamed Palace Galerie.
The glitz and glamour of Badrurtt’s Palace have drawn many celebrities throughout time. Thus, people like Audrey Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich and Charlie Chaplin have all enjoyed the experience of this grandiose hotel. Today, the hotel has something for everyone: from the wellness center to the King’s Club nightclub, every type of guest can enjoy their stay.
In 2016, the hotel celebrated its 120th anniversary. The celebrations were completed by the so-called “120,000 SFr. Package”. This was a package available only during 2016 and contained a transfer by private jet to and from St. Moritz, either from Milan or Zurich. Also, guests could reside in the luxurious Beau Rivage suites and could embark on a 120 minutes helicopter flight over the breathtaking mountain panorama. The Package also included a 12-course gourmet dinner. A cocktail containing a 1.2 carat Graff diamond was also included. The cost for the package was, of course, $120,000.
In conclusion, it can be said that the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel is the quintessential St. Moritz experience. It is the one place that contains everything this resort is about: elegance, luxury and overall fine living. This venerable hotel is in many ways what the palaces and castles of the past were: it combines the exclusivity of select rooms with the famous laid-back Swiss soft opulence. For its state-of-the-art hospitality and remarkable history, it has become and remains to be a worldwide attraction for those who want to enjoy the definition of luxury.
This article was originally published in the July 2018 issue of InCompany by Attire Club, which was our first travel issue. Make sure to check out the magazine for more amazing pictures of the hotel!
Fraquoh and Franchomme
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