Sweet Dreams at St. Moritz Carlton Hotel

(Picture Above -The Engadine Valley – Karen Loftus)

One expects only the best in the ritzy region of the St. Moritz in Switzerland. The good news is, what one gets, is far better than expected. With five, 5 star hotels, six in total in the Engadine Valley, there are plenty of posh places to lay your pampered head.

In 1913, the Carlton was the first ever five star hotels in all of St. Moritz. After the passing through many well-heeled hands, Carlton today is now a member of Tschuggen Hotel Group, a Swiss Deluxe Hotel, one of The Leading Small Hotels of the World and a Preferred Hotel and Resort. After 18 months and 65 million CHF, (comparable to USD) The Carlton, now the new kid on the posh block, is ready for its close up.

As you walk through the doors of this provocative palace, you know you are in for something special. Like a great lover, she doesn’t show you all of her wares right away. She is discovered slowly and seductively, with each turn, every inch and every angle. We take in the subtle nuances, the genuinely warm touches, coupled with traditional architecture, against bold innovative designs, woven with more than a bit of whimsy.

The charismatic and ever charming Christopher Cox, the Carlton’s GM warmly greeted us as we checked in. The German bred Cox, knows five star service all too well as his post prior was at the famed Badrutt’s Palace, another five star property in St. Moritz. He and his multilingual team, which come from all corners of Europe, make the detailed hospitality feel seamless, as intimacy and privacy are key components of the Carlton experience. Upon arrival,we were assigned our own butler, on call 24 hours for whatever we needed from packing and unpacking to dinner plans and shopping options.

Before we hit our suite, we made a quick stop in the casual, Euro Asian inspired Tschine Bar and Lounge on the entry level of the hotel, perfect for the chic après ski scene. We opted for a big Swiss red, a wise choice as only 1% of all Swiss wines are ever exported. We enjoyed our wine with a bite size appetizer, a signature in the Carlton. It is a tease sure to please.

Once in our luxuriously expansive suite, we knew there was a mad genius behind the design. Swiss born, yet self-proclaimed citizen of the world Carlo Rampazzi is wildly and brilliantly expressing himself all over the hotel and in his many maximalist properties and projects around the globe.

Carlton, once a hotel with 100 rooms is now the only all suite hotel in St. Moritz with 60 very vibrant suites and junior suites in radiant, red, orange, yellow, pale blue, purple and lime green. Rampazzi, fearing that it would all get a bit boring (hard to imagine) with just the six schemes, had to have a bit of fun in a few. We were lucky enough to be in one of those. We were in the Chagall suite with his creative take on a classic Chagall painting parading on our walls. We were sleeping in his canvas, which made for sweet and expressive dreams.
 
The suites vary in scale and color. So, be sure to check out other floors and suites, as it is an art installation well worth the study. The suites are true Hollywood Regency, modern mixed with classic with that indescribable Rampazzi twist in the mix. The furnishings are original pieces from the hotel, impeccably restored or a Rampazzi original.

Wherever you look, in this rich property, be it a suite, the elegant, castle-like Romanoff Restaurant overlooking the lake, perfect for weddings, or the Carlton bar with its floor to ceiling stone fireplace, the eye is forever inspired. You can see Rampazzi’s strokes and his vision splashed throughout.

The Carlton, is as grand and opulent as its local competitors, yet is quite unique as there’s an intimacy, a chic boutique feel that makes it seem like you are one of the chosen and few attended guests in house, alongside the few, effortlessly sexy skiers.

After a day of pure pleasure and pampering, go the next level with a hot stone massage at The Carlton Spa. Enjoyed in the 1200 square meter, three level spa, their stone massage is sure to wake up the senses. My masseur didn’t want to tell me the stones were hot and incredibly cold for fear that in the peak of the winter season, I would say no to cold stones. So, she surprised me. It, like the St. Moritz champagne culture and crisp weather was both relaxing and enervating.

After a quiet reflective sit on our snow filled terrace, with a view of the mountains hugging the lake, we had an egg white omelet in the Romanoff Dining Room before checking out. As I slipped in to our awaiting Mercedes limo, I wistfully told the front desk staff that I was only too sad to go. They, as if they must say it often, reassuringly said, that all good things must come to an end.

Perhaps it was just a dream…

For more info on then Carlton Hotel:www.carlton-stmoritz.ch or  www.tschuggen.com

More info on designer Carlo Rampazzi: www.selvaggio.ch

More info on St. Moritz: www.stmoritz.ch

By KAREN LOFTUS