Check In
Johannes Badrutt (of the family that founded Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, the castle-like stay that has long been at the heart of the St. Moritz’s Après-ski scene) opened the Kulm Hotel in 1855 as a way to lure his British friends to the tiny Swiss mountain town in the colder months. Should anyone not enjoy their ski holiday, he promised his guests that he would cover their expenses.
Located just opposite the Cresta & Bob Museum, the Kulm now attracts skiers, snow-polo types (the hotel hosted the 1928 and 1948 winter Olympics) and loyal families on a first name basis with the veteran staff. It’s the kind of dazzling hotel where the head of maintenance knows where every piece of historic china is located.
The Look
Renzo Mongiardino, the celebrated Italian decorator best known for working with the likes of Lee Radzwil and Gianni Versace, renovated the lobby in the early 1990s with florals upholstery and carpeting. (Hand-carved trompe l’oeil panels are on the first floor’s walls). Guests can relax and have afternoon tea looking out onto the pine-covered mountains. Grand ballrooms and the hallways that seem to go on forever evoke the set of The Shining. And, of course, this is a property built for the snow. A ski-storage facility features built-in heating rods to dethaw helmets and boots, and a subterranean spa includes a salt-water grotto and infrared cabin.
Rooms
Rooms come lined in light wood and mirrors, which give even the smaller spaces an airy and spacious feel. (Try to book a room that faces the mountain and lake.) Guided by the eye of the French interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, everything is awash in a handsome palette of gray, beige and navy blue. Swiss-pine ceilings have a naturalistic feel, complete with a fresh Alpine aroma. Bathrooms feature Art Deco-esque black-and-white tiles and the mini bar, stocked with beers and soft drinks, is complimentary. Since there is no air conditioning, if you are visiting during the summer, closing the shades during the day helps keep your room cool. At night, swing the windows open to sleep comfortably under a blanket of cool mountain air.
Food and Drink
The resort recently announced dining partnerships with Mauro Colagreco, the Argentine chef behind the French Riviera restaurant Mirazur; Tom Booton, a Brit who made history as The Dorchester's youngest ever head chef; and the Lima-born chef Claudia Canessa, whose new Peruvian-Alpine-fusion spot features interiors by British designer Luke Edward Hall.
Breakfast is served in the large dining room, which has an outdoor terrace looking out onto the lake. There’s no shortage of options for dining on property — a welcome relief after a day of skiing or hiking. There is a small pizzeria decorated with the region’s typical knotty-pine tables and chairs. Housed in the 1928 Olympic pavilion and recently redone by the British architect Sir Norman Foster, the Kulm Country Club is where guests can dine on flat breads and other Mediterranean dishes under a collection of toboggans and other winter sports paraphernalia. Chesa al Parc, the eatery next door, specializes in regional dishes like cheese fondue, wienerschnitzel and calf’s liver. For mulled wine, skiwasser (literally "ski water") and live piano, head to Altitude Bar. Sunny Bar, the oldest bar in the Alps, is known for hosting another form of entertainment: the post-game shenanigans of Cresta Runners.
Check Out
It’s not uncommon for guests to spend an entire day on property at the spa between private yoga or meditation sessions high in the mountains. Parents can ship their brood off to the “kid’s club,” for tennis classes or paddleboard lessons. This part of the Engadine Valley has long lured artists, from Giacometti to Julian Schnabel, and is now home to the cutting-edge Muzeum Susch. Stroll through the town’s historic passages lined with designer shops, bakeries (Confiserie Hanselmann) and galleries (Vito Schnabel), or pop by Grand Hotel Kronenhof, a sister property in the nearby charming Swiss village of Pontresina.
