The Kulm Hotel is the oldest of the historic five star hotels in St Moritz. This legendary hotel has connections to numerous historical events including bringing electricity to St. Moritz, The Cresta Club, and the Winter Olympics. Founded by Johannes Badrutt in 1855, the hotel has been expanded over the years. Its most recent renovations were completed in 2019. Many historic hotels feel old and creaky, but the rooms at the Kulm feel like you’ve walked into a brand new space – filled with the smell of Alpine pine.
Not only was the look and feel of our room crisp and luxurious, but the pillow menu puts the comfort level of the Kulm hotel rooms over the top! Just make a quick call down to housekeeping and they’ll bring as many pillows as you’d like. We felt a bit like Goldilocks testing out a stack of pillows until we found just the right one, but we had a fantastic night’s sleep because of it!
The Kulm has everything you need for your winter or summer vacation. You can spend all day at the spa and restaurants or you can get outside and take advantage of the natural beauty of the Engadin valley. Ice skate or curl on the natural ice rink, take ski lessons at the oldest ski school in Switzerland (children are even offered free lessons), or if you’re looking for an adrenaline rush there’s the Bob Run and The Cresta Club. The Cresta Club is a private club started in 1887 where every year since, members ride a hand-carved ice run head first.
The Sunny Bar is where the Cresta Club members meet for lunch. You’ll find photos of the club members through the years completely covering the wooden walls. At night, The Sunny Bar turns into a Peruvian restaurant run by Chef Claudia Canessa. We’ve missed Latin food (and spicy flavors in general) since moving from California to Switzerland, so Chef Canessa’s ceviches and bold flavors were truly a treat.
For another immersion into St. Moritz history, the Kulm Country Club is a must for dinner. The moment you enter, you’re greeted by the giant bobsled suspended in mid air. The Olympic games were held here in 1928 and 1948 and the 110 year old building recently underwent gorgeous renovations. The restaurant and bar is filled with vintage bobsleds, sleds, ice skates, skis, and more. The food is spot on, offering a small menu of simple yet luxurious cuisine. Don’t miss the lobster risotto or grilled lamb. Before the evening is over, be sure to head downstairs to the bar where you’ll find a treasure trove of historic memorabilia.
For fine dining, head to the K by Mauro Colagreco. The restaurant is currently taken over by three-star Michelin restaurant Mirazur located in Menton, France. You’ll find a surprisingly large selection of natural wine on the list along with fabulous dishes like their famous crab and apple, wild boar consomme with foie gras, or the baked chicken or “Poularde Albufera.”
For lunch each day, we headed to Chesa Al Parc. It’s set at the entrance to Kulm Park, on the famous Kulm olympic ice and curling rink. This cozy restaurant is filled with curling trophies. Start with their Chesa al Park Spritz and order the venison burger, which is actually BBQ pulled venison served on a bun. It was so good that we ordered it more than once (recipe hopefully to come in our Taste Edit Magazine on St Moritz).
In addition to the fantastic food, the Kulm also has a large spa with an indoor and outdoor pool that overlooks downtown St. Moritz and the lake. It’s the perfect place to relax after a long day of skiing or just to sit by the pool all day if you don’t ski. The spa also offers a private suite overlooking the mountains for a truly relaxing experience.
Kulm Hotel St Moritz, Via Veglia 18, 7500 St. Moritz Note: The Kulm Hotel provided support for the reporting of this story.
Preorder your copy of the St Moritz issue now
