Review - Badrutt's Palace
There are many remarkable hotels in St. Moritz. For sheer history and fame, Badrutt’s Palace is the name sitting at the top of the list. The tower, the lake, the grand arrival: expectations are already quite high before anyone takes your car keys.
I stayed at the legendary Palace to find out what it is really like today. Summer is a particularly good excuse. At around 1,800 metres above sea level, with a lake below and mountains all around, St. Moritz has a very persuasive answer to another hot summer in the city.
Table of Contents
Ambiance
The Palace does the grand hotel thing with complete conviction. There is a sense of occasion to being here: the interiors, the classical service, the feeling that you have arrived somewhere with a long memory. At times it reminded me of visiting a British castle. Royalty might be in the next room; meanwhile, someone is making sure you feel perfectly at home.
The family history reaches back to the beginnings of winter tourism in St. Moritz. The famous story goes that in 1864 Johannes Badrutt, owner of the Kulm Hotel, persuaded British summer guests to return for the sunny Alpine winter. It is a tourism legend rather than a precise account of who “invented” holidays in the Alps, but it captures how the English visitors and the Badrutt family helped turn St. Moritz into a winter destination.
The Palace itself came later: Johannes’s son Caspar founded Badrutt’s Palace in 1896. More than a century of glamour is quite a lot for a hotel to carry. During my stay, the welcome was the part that made that heritage feel most alive.
Location
St. Moritz packs a slightly absurd amount of luxury into a small mountain town. There are grand hotels, expensive shops and plenty of opportunities to spend money. Then you look towards the lake and the mountains, and remember the original attraction.
The Palace sits in St. Moritz Dorf, above the lake, with the village close at hand. In summer, the combination of mountain air, sunshine and all that open landscape is lovely. You can have a proper Alpine holiday and still return to a very elegant table.
The views are a large part of the appeal here. That matters when choosing a room: the lake and mountain outlook is a different experience from looking towards the back of town, as I did.
Room
My room had been renovated and delivered the classical palace style I had hoped for. It felt appropriate to the hotel, comfortable and well cared for. The bedding was particularly comfortable, which is still one of the most important things a hotel can get right, however famous its name.
My room highlights:
A classical interior that gives you that proper Palace feeling.
Comfortable bedding and a room I was happy to return to.
A large bathroom with a modern Japanese toilet. A very welcome bit of technology among all the tradition.
The compromise was the view. My room faced the town at the back, and the outlook was much less impressive than the scenery you see from the hotel’s lake-facing spaces.
My booking advice: pay close attention to the outlook, alongside the room category. If the view is a big part of your reason for coming to St. Moritz, this is worth discussing before you book.
Service
The service was exceptional from arrival to departure. It started the moment I stepped out of the car: the valet took care of everything, and I immediately felt welcome. That first minute tells you quite a lot about a hotel.
There is a wonderful confidence to this kind of classical service. Everything feels properly attended to, with the warmth that makes the formality enjoyable. I had that slightly royal feeling throughout the stay. Visiting a palace does come with certain expectations, and this part delivered.
A practical detail I appreciated: valet parking was included during my stay. At Palace prices, it is quite nice when something is already taken care of.
Dining
Breakfast was one of my favourite parts of the stay. Le Restaurant gives you the full grand hotel setting: an elegant, sunny dining room, staff in white uniforms and, during my breakfast, a live harp player. Yes, a harp. The morning had barely started and the Palace was already putting on a show.
What made it work was how comfortable the staff made me feel. I never had the sense that I should have worn a suit to breakfast. The food was very good, the room beautiful, and the atmosphere relaxed enough to enjoy both.
I also really liked Le Grand Hall, the restaurant in the lobby with those large windows. The menu brings together Western and Indian dishes, which makes for an interesting choice in such a classical Swiss setting. I ordered the apparently famous butter chicken. It was pretty great, and something I would happily order again. There is also outdoor seating with views for when the weather invites you to stay outside.
The Renaissance Bar continues the classical mood, with elegant surroundings and proper service. During my visit, smoking was allowed in the bar itself. That is part of its character, and something to know before settling in: it will appeal to some guests much more than others.
I did not explore all of the hotel’s dining options, so this is my take on the places I actually tried. And the pricing? Everything seemed to be priced as high as humanly possible. Even by luxury hotel standards, the bill deserves some room in your plans.
Spa & Wellness
The heated outdoor pool was a real highlight. It is large, comes with beautiful mountain vistas, and seems to have bubble stations everywhere. Warm water, fresh mountain air, scenery in every direction: this was one of the easiest places in the hotel to be very happy.
Compared with the small outdoor spa pool at the Gstaad Palace, Badrutt’s has a clear advantage for me. There is much more space to enjoy the outdoor pool experience here. I am comparing the spa pools, rather than Gstaad’s separate summer swimming pool.
Inside, I was less convinced. Parts of the spa could use an upgrade, and the sauna area felt too small for a hotel of this standing. The outdoor pool was the reason I would make time for the spa; the indoor facilities were one of the few areas where I wanted a little more.
What to do in summer at Badrutt’s Palace
Summer in St. Moritz gives you plenty of reasons to leave the hotel. A few ideas for a stay:
A walk around Lake St. Moritz, with time to stop and enjoy the views.
A day in the mountains: Corviglia for hiking or mountain biking, or Muottas Muragl for the panorama. Choose the outing to suit your energy level.
A wander through the village for shopping and people-watching, followed by a long lunch.
An afternoon in the heated outdoor pool. There is no obligation to turn every mountain holiday into an endurance event.
A table outside at the Palace when the weather is good, then an evening in the bar if its smoking atmosphere suits you.
Mountain lift routes and opening dates vary, so check the current summer operations when planning your day.
Who it’s for / who should skip
Badrutt’s Palace lived up to its reputation where it mattered most to me: the welcome, the service and the pleasure of being in a proper grand hotel. The renovated room was comfortable, breakfast was memorable, and the outdoor pool was a particular highlight.
It also left me with a few very clear reservations. The indoor spa deserves attention, the sauna area felt too small, and my room’s town view did little justice to the setting. Then there are the prices. You need to be comfortable with a very high bill extending well beyond the room rate.
A very good fit for:
Guests who enjoy classical palace interiors, history and a sense of occasion.
Travellers who place warm, attentive service high on their list.
A summer escape combining Alpine scenery with excellent breakfast and outdoor pool time.
Think twice if:
Your main priority is a thoroughly modern indoor spa and a generous sauna area.
You would find yourself questioning the price of every meal and drink.
You are booking for the views but considering a room facing the back of town.
For me, the people made the strongest impression. The Palace knows how to make you feel welcome, and that feeling stayed with me after departure.
Book with me to get perks
If you are considering Badrutt’s Palace, send me your dates, who you are travelling with and what matters most to you. The room outlook would be high on my list to discuss, along with how much time you want for the mountains, the spa and the hotel itself.
I can help you choose the right room and check the best available booking benefits. As usual, I’ll look into perks such as hotel credit and possible upgrades, and confirm exactly what is included for your dates and rate.
