A legend celebrates

The Badrutt's Palace Hotel turns 125!

125 years of tradition, five generations, a fairytale castle: these are the facts about Badrutt's Palace Hotel in the heart of St. Moritz. But there is so much more. The legendary hotel, which opened its doors for the first time on July 29, 1896, lives and breathes the history of the magical ski resort of St. Moritz like no other. And yet it never loses sight of the future. The innovative and pioneering spirit of the Badrutt hotelier family has a long tradition. And even after 125 years in business, Badrutt's Palace Hotel is still one of the best hotels in the world.

Institution in St. Moritz

Caspar Badrutt, the second eldest son of Johannes Badrutt, built and opened the hotel. He had his father to thank for his success. He brought winter tourism to St. Moritz with a bet. After the opening in 1896, a total of five generations of the family were committed to the luxurious mountain hotel. Always with them: passion, a sense of tradition and the will to move with the times. In 1920, the hotel already had an elevator and the first telephone booth in the Engadin. In 1913, Europe's first indoor tennis court was unveiled. Even the region's first ice skating rink was part of the hotel. The Acapulco complex was added in 1969. Even then, the outdoor pool of the infinity swimming pool was heated.
The "Palace Gallery" was added in 2002 with boutiques from world-famous brands. From then on, guests could purchase their favorite pieces from the collections of Gucci, Cartier and Christian Dior. To this day, the Hans Badrutt Suite is one of the most exclusive hotel suites in Switzerland. It costs up to 25,000 Swiss francs (approx. 23,300 euros) in high season. The suite was opened in 2003. Three years later, the Badrutts once again demonstrated their flair for new technologies. They put a pioneering heat pump system into operation. In 2019, 5G mobile technology came to the Palace. It was the first luxury hotel to have this technology.

Special guests

It goes without saying that a house like this also attracts very special guests. Crowned heads have already stayed here, as have celebrities from politics, business and sport. Even Hollywood greats such as Audrey Hepburn, Alfred Hitchcock, Marlene Dietrich and Charlie Chaplin have stayed at Badrutt's Palace. Many events are legendary. The most famous is probably the Palace Silver Star Night, for which lavish decorations ensure that the hotel is completely transformed every year. For example, into a "Palace in the Space". Incidentally, people still tell the story of the elephant that was specially organized at the request of a guest who wanted the pachyderm to present his wife with a birthday present. And this is not even a legend. It really happened.

Further information & booking: www.badruttspalace.com

Text: Claudia Hilmbauer