T+L’s Hotel Review of Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz, Switzerland

St. Moritz, Switzerland, the luxury resort town with a penchant for tomfoolery, is one of those spirited destinations where serious athletes, eccentric artists, and après enthusiasts converge.

Considered the birthplace of Alpine winter tourism, the town sits at roughly 6,000 feet elevation in Switzerland’s Engadin valley. St. Moritz hosted the Winter Olympics twice (1928 and 1948) as well as Europe’s first curling tournament (1880), continues the tradition of the Cresta Run – a yearly hand-built, world-championship bobsled run made of natural ice – and is so sought-after that even the local Lake St. Moritz has an impressively booked winter schedule. The frozen body of water presents skijoring behind galloping horses, snow polo, cricket, and vintage car racing.

The town of 5,000 residents that has self-branded as the Top of the World, sells its own oak-forward room fragrance, polarized sunglasses, and Assouline book, titled St. Moritz Chic. Since 1937, the town colors of blue and yellow have been protected by trademark.

Every bit as storied as the town is the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz. Built atop an ancient, iron-rich mineral spring called the Mauritius Source, the hotel continues to pipe the water into the spa for guests to enjoy. Via a dedicated tap and recommended to drink only once per day, the mineral water was key to establishing the town as a spa destination during Queen Victoria’s reign. Tinny yet strangely tasty, I found myself filling up a glass each of the four days I was in residence.

The historical building, which houses 213 rooms and suites, traces back to 1864. As I strolled through the lobby or up the staircase that runs through the heart of the building, a sense of grandeur naturally followed.

Thanks to its oriels, turrets, and powder-blue window shutters, which can be spotted from the Corviglia summit on a clear day, Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski remains steeped in tradition while thoughtfully modernizing.

Here, everything you need to know about Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski.

The Rooms

Entering my recently renovated Corner Tower Executive double room felt like sipping a well-balanced cocktail. Just the right amount of contemporary Swiss alpine charm, cue the warm wood tones and cool marble bathrooms, with a shot of Scandinavian design aesthetic, all clean lines and soft furnishings, and a dash of contemporary nonchalance, signal the robust amount of dimmable light switches. Sitting at the desk, which was outlined by windows on three sides, made answering emails equal parts delightful and distracting. I had a front row seat to the accumulating powder on the mountainside.

A small but notable touch: the closets were ample enough to fit a weeks’ worth of winter wardrobes for two adults, but it was the exterior rows of hooks, for the pesky outwear that all-too-often commandeers a chair, that were most appreciated.

In addition to rooms and suites, Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski offers 40 residences, ranging from one-to-five bedrooms, for holiday, seasonal, or long-term stays.

Food and Drink

The buzziest table in St. Moritz belongs to Billionaire, the brainchild of Monaco-based entrepreneur Flavio Briatore who’s coined the term “masters of extravaganza” to describe the dramatic dinner show. Presented in acts, the performers often sync with the courses. Wagyu beef carpaccio with truffle and a side of singing; Homemade maltagliati with white veal ragout accompanied by a duo of strongmen; Grilled langoustine and acrobatic performance; Petit Fours in the mouth, white napkins in the air.

Low key but surprisingly scrumptious, the Lobby Bar and restaurant features the most thorough accounting of dietary restrictions I’ve ever seen. Not only do they point out the more common ones like shellfish, gluten and lactose, but also, celery, lupines and sulphites. An impressive 14 allergens in total. More than one of the members of our group expressed joy at this dedication to detail.

The Michelin-starred Cà d’Oro looked lovely, but it’s worth noting the restaurant’s dates of service and hours are limited to the highest part of high season.

Activities and Amenities

The hotel is located at the foot of the Signalbahn and the legendary Hahnensee piste. It’s a true ski-in/ski-out to not only the downhill Corviglia and Corvatsch ski areas, but also cross-country ski trails, hiking, and mountain biking paths in the hotel park (which, conveniently, lead to the lakes and forests throughout the Engadine valley).

With 88 trails and an average snowfall of 369 inches, it’s worth noting that St. Moritz is on the Ikon pass. For those less enthused by frozen water, St. Moritz town is brimming with shops like local florist Bel Verde, the beloved brand extreme cashmere’s first boutique, and more well-known international houses like Zegna, Chopard, and Davidoff.

Hauser & Wirth have an outpost here, and Koller Auctions, the leading Swiss auction house accepts consignments at any time.

A can’t-miss experience: paragliding. A Lady in Red can assist with booking a 20 to 40-minute experience with Paragliding Engadin GmbH. I won’t soon forget the serenity of drifting over St. Moritz.

The Spa

When Norman Zweyer, the hotel’s marketing manager, encouraged me to enter the Classic Sauna Landscape of the Spa, I thought he was exaggerating the offerings. I can confirm the sauna landscape is very appropriately named, with six different heated offerings.

“The Finnish sauna boosts the immune system and enhances circulation, while the bio sauna invigorates the senses, with its colorful lights and aromatic scents,” Zweyer told me. “The herbal sauna provides a tranquility through its therapeutic aromas, and the stone sauna is about unwinding and releasing stress. The steam bath and Laconium expands the blood vessels and stimulates the metabolism. Then there’s the Ladies Spa, with an aroma grotto and bio sauna, that can be reserved for special occasions.” Also, there’s a cold bucket shower and a knee-down cold plunge.

Should one crave additional cold, there’s a cryotherapy chamber available for three-minute bookings. And that’s before we even get to the marble columned indoor pool or the Celestial Outdoor pool (both kid friendly).

There are Pelotons in the ample gym, but with such a diverse set of outdoor offerings, I found it difficult to justify an indoor workout or fitness class.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz has one disabled-accessible room, which is a Deluxe Room. All of the hotels’ public spaces and facilities are accessible for guests with disabilities, except for the spa, which is only partially accessible.

Location

The chicest way to arrive in St. Moritz is by private plane to Engadin Airport, three miles from the hotel. By car, it’s a three-hour drive to Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski from Zurich or Milan. By rail, the trip with the Rhaetian Railway from Chur via Tiefencastel to St. Moritz “is one of the most scenic and technically interesting in Europe,” according to Zweyer. The route even has UNESCO World Heritage status. A complimentary 10-minute transfer awaits those who arrive at the train station.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Stay

Regarding loyalty programs, the hotel does not currently offer a points-based system or special treatment programs, such as complimentary breakfast. However, they will soon be transitioning from Kempinski Discovery to their proprietary loyalty program, The FIVE. This program will not include points collection but will instead operate on a cashback basis for their guests.