Suvretta House, St. Moritz

Text and Photography by Mart Engelen

Much-loved places like Zermatt with its enchanting Matterhorn, Courchevel offering superior skiing fun in France and fashionable Madonna di Campiglio in Italy remain popular destinations for winter sports. But there is one place that successfully mixes the cocktail of perfect snow, sun and the presence of the happy few: St. Moritz. Officials say it has more than three hundred sunny days, and for sure it has the most beautiful nature, polo on the frozen lake, the famous Cresta Run, incredible classic car events and blue-chip art galleries. But even now, although many events were cancelled because of the current pandemic, the hotels have managed to stay open during this winter season. St. Moritz has been able to offer its guests a safe haven of tranquillity thanks in part to the ‘splendid isolation’ of the Engadine valley, protected by mountain passes at a height of over two thousand metres and its many glaciers. In short, the access routes won’t easily be blocked by mobile homes and nor does it have a public which likes to express itself raucously as happens in many Austrian ski resorts. For more than a century, the Suvretta House has towered proudly above the Suvretta residential area. This giant landmark is a haven and refuge for families, many of whom have been coming here for several generations. When the sun disappears behind the Piz Nair (3,350 metres high), the staff of Suvretta House, fifteen hundred metres lower down the mountain, put logs in the man-sized fireplaces. While the glamour-loving guests of the Badrutt’s wear their fur coats inside the hotel as well as outside, the low-profile winter guests of distant Suvretta House only wear their furs outside. The Suvretta House stands as firm as a rock even after a century, thanks to generous investment in every room and the hotel’s other areas. It will be no surprise that over the course of decades to the present day this ‘Grand Dame’ of the Swiss Alps has hosted and still hosts many celebrities from the worlds of the arts, film, politics and business. You can’t go wrong: led by the charming Esther and Peter Egli, the hotel’s friendly staff offer impeccable service, top-notch amenities and great cuisine (14 GaultMillau points) featuring French and seasonal specialities by Head Chef Fabrizio Zanetti.