Press Kit
THE HOTEL: FACTS AT A GLANCE
The owners:
The Badrutt family: Hansjürg & Anikó Badrutt
The Management Team and the Staff
Managing Director: Hans Wiedemann
Executive Assistant Manager: Yves Gardiol
Resident Manager: Angelo Martinelli
Rooms Division Manager: Kai Ulrich
Director of Sales & Marketing: Illu Tirasci
Director Food & Beverage: Daniele Botta
Executive Chef: Frédéric Breuil
Staff: 530 in winter, 250 in summer
Opening dates
Summer season 2008: between 22 nd June 2008 and 14 th September 2008
Winter season 2008/09: between 4th December 2008 and 30th March 2009
The Rooms and Suites
A total of 159 rooms, 38 of which are suites and junior suites. There are four room and 7 suite
categories ranging from CHF 460.00 to CHF 19,500.00
The Restaurants, Bars and Night Club
Le Restaurant: The “Grande Dame” of the Palace’s restaurants. Guests enjoy glamorous nights in
a unique but classic setting. This venue seats 300, features international and French cuisine
throughout the season and requires a jacket as dress code for dinner. During the winter season a
harpist entertains guests for breakfast. In the evening musical ensembles provide further
entertainment. A set dinner is served daily throughout the season.
Nobu @ Badrutt's Palace: the trendy hot-spot in town – Badrutt’s Palace Hotel’s most innovative
restaurant. The management team of world famous chef, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, better as “NOBU”,
has for the last ten years gained renown around the world for this celebrity-packed restaurants,
which offer his unique fusion cuisine combining traditional Japanese ingredients with Peruvian
influences. Legendary dishes such as Tiradito, Black cod with Miso and New Style Sashimi,
among others, are available on the Nobu à la carte menu. Open only during the winter season.
Renaissance Bar: The Renaisssance Bar is the cosiest Bar in St. Moritz offering classic and
innovative cocktails. It is a place for people “to see and be seen”. Mario, the well-known barkeeper,
is certainly among the attractions. The Renaissance Bar is famous for the best Bellinis in St.
Moritz! But this is Mario’s only speciality: he also attracts many regular guests during lunch time
when he personally prepares his signature dishes.
Le Grand Hall: The legendary lobby of the hotel with stunning views and extravagant décor. Le
Grand Hall is the hotel’s greatest asset in terms of architectural design. The Douglas wooden roof
and the views over Lake St. Moritz offer the best ambience for our guests to meet up with friends
and family or just enjoy caviar and champagne or home made pastries served with the best
selection of teas in town. During the winter season we offer daily entertainment by a well known
Jazz Duo. The press affectionately calls it the “living room of St. Moritz”.
Le Bistro: A new dining experience awaits our guests at Le Bistro since the beginning of the 2006
winter season. A cosy and stylish 55-seat restaurant with a sleek continental design created by
Italian designer Maurizio Argenti and a simple twist on contemporary French Cuisine by Executive
Chef Frédéric Breuil. Open only during the winter season.
Chesa Veglia: Chesa Veglia is one of the oldest farmhouses of St. Moritz (built in 1658) and
features three restaurants and two bars: The Pizzeria for original Italian pizza and pasta, the Grill
room Chadafö for elegant dining with classic French cuisine and the Patrizier Stuben for Swiss and
international specialities. The Polo Bar and Carigiet Bar, are the perfect place for a get-together, as
well as for pre and after dinner drinks. Chesa Veglia’s restaurants are among the favourites in St.
Moritz.
King’s Club: The famous King’s Club provides the ideal venue for stars and starlets to gather.
Guest DJ’s and theme nights heat up the atmosphere. King’s Club knows no curfew, making it the
most exciting place to be when all other lights have gone out. If you haven’t experienced the
exhilarating and numbing decadence of King’s Club, you haven’t experienced St. Moritz’s
nightlife. Open only during the winter season.
What the Hotel has to offer
- Health Club with personal trainer and aqua gym
- Beauty Spa offering exclusive treatments, solarium, massages
- Personal professional sport coach for Nordic Walking, Golf Training, etc.
- Indoor and outdoor (summer only) swimming pools, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room
- Private sun terrace
- Outdoor tennis courts managed by professional tennis coaches (summer only)
- Natural outdoor ice skating rink with instructor (winter only)
- Kids’ club Palazzino with professional day care
- “Fun for Teens” programme in the summer season (upon request)
- Shopping arcade with international designer boutiques and elegant jewelers including own shopping guide “Palace Galerie”: Antique Collector, Bulgari, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Chanel, Chopard, Church’s, Belle Privé, De Grisogono, Les Ambassadeurs, Loro Piana, Trois Pommes, Prada, Pucci, Boutique Tourbillon, Tabea’s Manufaktur, de Nicola, Gübelin, Versace, Four Emotions, Snow Sports St. Moritz, Van Cleef & Arpels, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Tod’s, HSBC Private Bank and the Galerie Gmurzynska.
- Palace Ski School in winter
- In-house ski service, shop and rentals in winter
- 24-hour room service
- 24-hour Concierge service
- Butler service for all rooms
- Free Minibar and movie channels
- Limousine service and car hire, including Rolls Royce transfers
- Shuttle service between Zurich, Milan and Samedan airports on request
- Free use of all fitness facilities
- Free access to ice-rink
- Events & Guest Relations Team
- Restaurant Reservation Desk
- In-house fitness trainer
- In-house bridge hostess
- Baby sitting
- Hairdresser BELLE PRIVÉ
- Quality management system ISO9001 since September 2002.
Hotel History
1856 Johannes Badrutt takes over the 12-bed Pension Faller in St. Moritz and upgrades it into a hotel with the name Engadiner Kulm (today's Kulm Hotel).
1883-1892 Caspar Badrutt (1848-1904), son of Johannes Badrutt, purchases the St. Moritz Hotel Beau Rivage, built in 1872 by C. Rungger
1892 Caspar Badrutt charges the renowned Swiss architects Chiodera and Tschudi with the remodelling of the hotel. The hotel is also renamed to the Palace Hotel. It is to be the first hotel named “Palace” in the Alps and was open for the season from July to April.
1864/65 Johannes Badrutt wins a wager and brings the first English tourists to St. Moritz for winter sports. He builds curling rinks and the world's first toboggan run and, in doing so, invents alpine winter tourism.
1896 Official opening of the Palace Hotel on July 29th. Caspar's son Hans Badrutt (1876-1953) joins the management in 1898.
1913 The current dining room (Le Restaurant) and the first indoor tennis courts (today’s King’s Club) on the European continent were built.
1930 The “Corviglia Ski Club” is founded at the Palace by their guests.
1935/36 The historical Chesa Veglia was bought and converted into a rustic-style restaurant by Helen
Badrutt.
1953 Following the death of Hans Badrutt, his wife Helen runs the hotel with her son Andrea. Helen dies in 1960 and her sons Andrea Badrutt (1910-1998) and Hansjürg Badrutt (born in 1930) continued to run the Palace Hotel together.
1967 The Palace Tower, the legendary symbol of the hotel is destroyed by fire. In 1969/70, a year after its restoration, the Acapulco complex is built with its swimming pool, fitness centre and restaurant. Between 1981 and 1984, the "Suot Mulin" complex with apartments and suites are built.
1999-2003 Hansjürg and Anikó Badrutt appoint Rosewood Hotels & Resorts to manage the Hotel and to commence renovation work with the aim of maintaining and accentuating the history and ambiance of this legendary property. Since April 2003, the Badrutt's Palace has been successfully managed as an independent, family owned hotel.
2000 The first renovation phase gets under way, 70 rooms are refurbished and modernised. Opening of the Health Club and the Daniela Steiner Beauty Spa featuring 10 treatment rooms, beautifully decorated in a natural style. Opening of the Emilio Pucci and Loro Piana boutiques.
2001/02 Renovation of a further 60 rooms, all provided with the Nortel multifunctional telephone system and other state-of-the-art technology, such as an infrared keyboard for easy operation of the entertainment equipment. Redesign of the reception and construction of the Kids' Corner Palazzino covering 250 m2.. End of December: opening of an exclusive Chopard Boutique and De Grisogono Shop in the hotel.
2002 Installation of a Gift Shop with its own comprehensive merchandising collection opposite the Le Relais Restaurant. Opening of the luxurious Serletta (2000 m2) designer shopping complex facing the main entrance to Badrutt’s Palace Hotel. Today it is renamed “Palace Galerie”
2003 Opening of two new luxurious suites: The spectacular Hans Badrutt Suite with a surface area of 280m2; spacious marbled lobby, two generous bedrooms – all with luxury Italian marble bathrooms, luxurious, comfortably appointed salon with a piano, wood-lined Engadine library, kitchenette, Jacuzzi, steam bath, state-of-the-art technical appliances and security precautions. The unique and exclusive Helen Badrutt Suite with a surface area of 250 m2 spacious entrance area in marble, two luxuriously appointed bedrooms with Italian marble bathrooms, an exclusively furnished salon, lobby, kitchenette and state-of-the-art technical appliances.
By the end of December 2003 renovations of all rooms in the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel are completed. Re-opening of the in-house ski shop with state-of-the-art ski equipment rentals and the Palace Ski School.
2004 In April, Hans Wiedemann becomes the new Managing Director of Badrutt’s Palace Hotel.
2005 During the spring, the entire south side of the hotel was renovated and new balconies were installed,offering a stunning new view of the lake and mountains from the rooms. Before the winter season, the entire north façade was renovated and new windows were installed everywhere.
2006 On July 29th Badrutt’s Palace Hotel proudly celebrated its 110th anniversary!
2006 From the winter season 2006/07 onwards Badrutt’s Palace Hotel heats the premises with an innovative eco-friendly heat pump system using water from St. Moritz lake.
2007 Renovations begin on the Beau Rivage wing in Spring 2007. 21 new rooms and suites will be
developed.
2008 Completion of the Beau Rivage wing and mew conference rooms Roni Pieper I and II. Renovation of the pool area and work begins on the lift project.
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Awards
- 2008 Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence for wine cellar
- 2008 SonntagsZeitung Hotel Rating, No. 3 in the Best Holiday Resorts in Switzerland
- 2008 Condé Nast Traveler Gold List
- 2008 SonntagsZeitung Hotel Rating, No.6 in the 20 best golf hotels in Switzerland
- 2007 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards, No.4 in the Top 20 European Resorts
- 2007 Bilanz «Hotelier of the Year» Switzerland 2007, Hans Wiedemann
- 2007 Bilanz Hotel Rating Switzerland, No.9 in the Best Holiday Resorts in Switzerland
- 2007 PATWA (Pacific Area Travel Writers Association), Hans Wiedemann «Best Hotelier of the Year»
- 2007 Hotel Rating by Karl Wild, No.2 in the Top 20 Five Star Winter Hotels in Switzerland
- 2007 VIP International Reader’s Travel Award No.2 in the most Luxurious Ski Hotel Worldwide
- 2007 Swiss Mountain Water Award, «Award of Recognition» for ecological heating system
- 2007 Réserve Badrutt’s Palace Pinot Noir awarded Medaille d’Or Mondial
- 2007 16 Points in GaultMillau for NOBU@ Badrutt’s Palace
- 2007 15 Points in GaultMillau for Le Restaurant
Associations
- The Leading Hotels of the World
- Swiss Deluxe Hotels
- Swiss Historic Hotels St. Moritz, July 2008
Jayne Lloyd-Jones
Spectacular Ink
604.925.8187
jayne@spectacularink.com
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