Frosty but Still Hot in St. Moritz

Photos: Funkyforty

 

Beatrice, I am not you, having a bath in high heels…on the other hand this bathtub does look great and deserves a special picture. But I am not going to stand on skis with stilettos either! You have too many crazy ideas!

Says Yvonne of Funky Forty, my friend and neighbour, who is also a fashion photographer, as we enter the recently renovated Grace La Margna Hotel in St.Moritz, and stare at our stunning room.

Having said that…why not.

She adds one minute later, noticing the art all around the hotel.  It didn’t take long to convince her.

Sexy Art

We have a full program for our stay in St. Moritz, because every time we come, we do something different and learn more about it. So we also find more things to do. This time we are planning:

• Slopes
• Chesa Futura
• Segantini Museum
• St.Moritz village
• Leaning Tower
• Tea, Coffee & Caviar
• Horse carriage
• Window shopping
• Spa & Pool

But the hotel is catching our eye, first of all.

Photos by  Tony Kelly (there is also an art gallery showcasing his work, in the village, right in front of the Kulm Hotel) are scattered throughout reception, the bar, the rooms. Glossy, scarlet heels from which a woman is lighting a cigarette. Gorgeous naked legs standing on skis. Models standing on a Ferrari, driving in the snow. Room maids with perfect uniform and starched apron, relaxing at the pool instead of working. We have to  try and replicate a couple of images.

322 Days of Sun

After our photo sessions, the sun comes out. In St.Moritz, there’s an average of 322 days of sun per year, and our second day is glorious. It’s perfect to enjoy the slopes, have lunch at the Salastrains – that is a family business and therefore super friendly and beloved by locals – do some people watching, and pass by an iconic round building by star architect Norman Foster, Chesa Futura, on our way back.

We get a nice little surprise while entering the hotel again: a light installation by Pietro Terzini illuminates our walls.  It appears from the dark.

Feelin’ frosty…

It says, and it pauses. We wait for the end of it.

…but still hot

It concludes.

Village Gems

The day after we go to the pool at 7 am. I get my usual dopamine shot by doing some cold therapy, and in this case I sit in the snow. The temperature is around minus 8, so I don’t resist for very long. A beautiful warm fire welcomes me in the relax room of the spa. A quick swim, and we are off for trouble again.

We visit the village with a guide and learn some more about its history. I am shocked when she shows me the local leaning tower and claims it is more inclined than the leaning tower in Pisa (I am originally from Tuscany, and studied there). It is! The ground around the tower gets fixed every 10 years, to avoid any accident or crashing. It has been done in the Summer, so it will be good for 10 years to come.

We watch traditional buildings and fancy shops, the legendary St.Moritz logo with the sun shape, and then we reach the coffee, tea and caviar shop, Glattfelder. It is a St.Moritz institution, and we didn’t know it, shame on us.

This somewhat hidden gem in the centre of St. Moritz is easily recognised thanks to the fine smell of freshly roasted coffee that emanates from the premises. We can take a peek at one of the best-kept secrets of St. Moritz: the legendary “Caviar-Stübli”.

Luckily the grandchild of the founder is there. He gives us a caviar tasting. Hey, I am no caviar expert, but I can tell you it is divine, smooth and delicate while being so tasty. I am going back for more, for sure.

At lunchtime we go for a horse carriage ride. Yvonne and I feel very romantic…for about five minutes. Then we see the half frozen lake shining in the sun, and start taking videos and pictures, nonstop. In the forest, we are speechless. St.Moritz can be loved by tourists, but it is still nature lovers paradise. Wild.

Why St.Moritz Now

We have been invited by the St.Moritz Tourism because the opening of the season is always a moment to celebrate and show the press. There are more than enough guests joining the Engadine valley during peak season, but there is still some calm before and after. And to me, this is of course the best moment. Low season is cheaper, less crowded, easier to mix with locals, and of course it has the same generous amount of sun.

A little treat expects us on our third and last day: the Segantini Museum, that opens just for us in the evening. It is worth the trip for its beautiful, intimate architecture (two of my friends got married there), and of course for the well known paintings depicting the calm force of the nature in the area. The lights effects on the mountains are so realistic, that sometimes scenes look like photos. But get close, and you’ll see the thousands of tiny little dots of colour, very dark and very bright, creating an incredibly realistic effect.

Grace La Margna

A final paragraph has to be for our hotel, Grace La Margna. I had been there before its renovation, so I was very curious about it. As soon as I posted it on Instagram, people told me that Michelle Hunziker and Ilary Blasy (Totti’s ex wife) had just left. This must be the coolest address in town.

Indeed, every detail here is immaculate and brand new.

Breakfast is a dream, both because of the mountains views, and for the food – croissants are served on a mahogany trolley, by a good looking Italian waiter wearing gloves and offering you a choice of  freshly made fillings: cream, chocolate, pistachio, or anything you want, spread inside the airy pastry cut in two, and reassembled in front of your eyes.

The pool is immaculate – a mix of blue lights overlooking the snow, decorated with huge, sleek beds.

But what Yvonne and I are most surprised about the kids club. It almost looks like a mix between a luxury gym and a park, all vintage and all in natural materials, with climbing walls and beautiful animals painted on every side of the room. We “play” there in the morning instead of doing classical exercises, and laugh and have fun exactly like kids.

Our last moments at the hotel are spent filming with a drone. Mariano, who owns the ski shop in Grace and has helped us the day before, preparing the skis and the outfits for our photo shooting, is welcoming us and offering more help.

It is hard to leave, and go back to the Zurich grey weather; we could have stayed a bit longer for sure. We are rested, full of impressions and inspired to create more. That’s the magic of St.Moritz: giving something special to anybody. It maybe frosty, but it’s undeniably hot.