♫ Summertime and the livin’ is Kempinski ♫
Kempinski hotels have been running since 1897, having started in Berlin, Germany; it is Europe’s oldest luxury hotel company. Berthold Kempinski’s humble roots as a Berlin-based wine merchant back in 1897 were where it all began; now the group covers several continents.
Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz is located at 1882 meters above sea level, in an iconic 1864 hotel. It is certainly one grand palace hotel, with a huge approach and a big entrance, you know you have arrived in timeless luxury. From the moment one arrives, the staff are impeccable, delivering an outstanding service
Kempinski Rooms and Suites
The hotel’s 213 rooms and suites are currently going through a renovation, and we were lucky enough to stay in one of the finished suites. I say this a lot, but the aesthetics of my surroundings are integral to how I feel about a place and how I wind down. These freshly created suites are ideal for exactly that, relaxing in a space with calm colours and clean lines. With carpet to sink your toes into, accents of deep blue textiles, and brushed golden metals, the space exudes subtle style and elegance.
With huge amounts of storage space, enough to store all copious amounts of paraphernalia from mountain hardware to elegant dinner wear and Cheeky’s shoe collection, we were able to keep the place looking as slick as the designer intended. The bathrooms with their black and white marble look particularly timeless, with modern hints of gun metal bathroom furniture. These are rooms that we were certainly happy to just ‘hang out’ in.
Kempinski Bar & Food
The Lobby Bar shares similar aesthetics to the suites as well, with similar design, style and fabulous lighting. This is the ideal location for an evening with friends or family. We had an evening of extravagant cocktails and fine food in the Lobby Bar. The cocktails have been imagined with true flare, creativity and a plethora of ingredients from wide and far; a few of our favourites were ‘The Hiker’ accompanied with your own marshmallow for toasting over a flame, ‘The Photographer’ served in a lens and the refreshing ‘Bee’… of course there are many more that we tried, but I leave that for you to go and explore.
The food at the Lobby Bar is outstanding, as was the service from Jasmine, who looked after us for the evening. We jumped straight in with a huge selection from the sushi menu, and we were not disappointed. The sushi chef is an artist of perfection and taste. I will certainly return for more of his culinary delights. This was closely followed by a beautifully cooked Fillet Mignon with Veal Sauce, Wow!
All good things come in threes… The original Star Wars film trilogy, The Lord of the Rings books and the Kempinski Chocolate Trilogy, if there is only one thing you do when you visit St. Moritz, then make sure it is to go to the Kempinski and eat the Chocolate Trilogy… to die for!
Breakfast is served in the large Grand Restaurant Les Saisons. The breakfast buffet is award-winning, with local produce, freshly baked goodies, as well as international cuisine. This is everything that you would want from a breakfast buffet: perfect service, great staff, and pretty much anything that you want to eat.
Kempinski Spa and Pools
The Kempinski spa houses the original fountain of youth known as the “Mauritiusquelle”, “Mauritius springs”, with a myriad of health benefits. The waters, which are rich in iron, sulphur, sodium and various mineral salts, can be drunk straight from the source as people have been doing for thousands of years. As well as this natural water source, the Keminski spa covers a vast 2800m², with a multitude of steam rooms and saunas from the Ladies Sauna zone to the cold water Kneipp baths and the alpine Kneipp stream, it has it all.
The Kempinski also boasts a large family indoor pool and a brand new outdoor pool to boot. Another treatment certainly worth experiencing is the Life Cube Cryotherapy. Leandro, our super friendly host, made the experience really fun, with 3 minutes of cryotherapy at temperatures of -120°C, perfect after a day hiking the mountain to repair those tired muscles.
As well as the Spa area, the Kempinski has two large gym areas with a huge collection of training equipment, including the brand new Swiss Sensopro, the likes of which I have never seen before! A machine designed to improve coordination, fitness, balance, as well as be utilised for rehab.
Kempinski Summer Activities
The hotel’s great location offers hiking straight from the doorstep. With easy access straight to the south into the Bernina Range of the Alps, you are spoilt for choice. However, there is also a lot of choice over on the opposite side of the valley or around the corner towards Pontresina as well.
One of our favourite walks was from the Kempinski up to the mountain restaurant Bergrestaurant Hahnensee, located on a little mountain lake with views across St. Moritz. This is a spectacular location. We were greeted by the very beautiful local dog called Pino, meaning Pine in Italian. The veranda is the perfect place to stop for a spot of lunch and drink a spritzer in the sun.
St. Moritz is not lacking in activities; the hiking is endless, but there are many more activities such as sailing and kite surfing on Lake Silvaplana or golf on the Samedan golf course. There are over 400 km of mountain biking flow trails, easy single trails and more technical and advanced Alpine trails.
When it comes to driving cars, whether classic or modern, you are spoilt for choice, with a huge selection of stunning mountain passes. We usually enter via the Julier Pass, a stunning mountain pass with an elevation of 2284 metres. For those with a penchant for spending their pocket money, St. Moritz is a shopping mecca with every high-end brand imaginable. During the summer, St. Moritz becomes a hub of activity from Jazz festivals, extreme sports to classic cars and the arts.
Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz is a hotel of grand proportions and service to match. We love how, despite the extravagance and luxurious style that the staff manage to keep things personable and friendly. The newly furbished rooms are just the right balance of luxury, design and homely comfort. If you have only visited St. Moritz in Winter, then make sure to add it to your summer trips. With a slightly slower pace of life, a laid-back vibe, Kempinski St. Moritz will certainly not disappoint you.
Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski
Via Mezdi 29
7500 St. Moritz
Switzerland
