St. Moritz Travel Journal

When my hubby and I pulled up in front of The Carlton Hotel in St. Moritz, we must have looked like a pair of gypsies. In contrast to the fur-clad Vuitton-toting Euro-royalty and their Bentleys and Range Rovers out front, our rented SUV was dirty from the long drive, packed to the gills with luggage, and had two curious cats hanging out on the dashboard.

Our little family (ie. us and our fur babies) had spent the past five months in a string of AirBnbs and hotels, and desperately searching for an apartment we could rent long-term. When we finally found one, but it wouldn’t be available for a month, we decided to use that time to travel around Switzerland.

We’d heard that The Carlton was a glamorous gem considered to be one of the leading hotels in the world. It’s not hard to see why. From the moment we drove up, every need was cared for. With a warm and welcoming attitude, each member of their staff made us feel completely at home. Check-in was a breeze and when we got to our suite we noticed that they’d provided a bowl of fruit, organic tea and chocolates, and two cat beds along with water and food bowls.

St. Moritz was the original winter playground for the wealthy, and seemingly has changed very little in the past century. Billionaires around the world make their yearly winter pilgrimage here because they know what to expect: great skiing and winter sports, immaculate service, and high-end, well, everything.

I’d visited 15 years earlier and remembered the town –and its glitzy patrons– clearly. And honestly, aside from the interior of The Carlton Hotel, the town hasn’t changed. In fact, it’s exactly the same, as if the world is spinning around it, but St. Moritz pays no attention, totally unaffected.

There are a few other things in life that are also said to be certain. Namely, death and taxes. Close runner ups being sore feet after wearing heels, a cramped neck after talking to a distressed friend on the phone all night, and nasty jet lag / dry skin combo after a long flight. When watching trust funders in fur coats guzzle cheese fondue without a care in the world got to be too much, my hubby and I were able to find solace at our hotel’s spa, where they helped us forget about the world’s inevitabilities.

The Carlton Spa at The Carlton Hotel can’t do anything about the old adage (you know — death and taxes…) but can make your tired feet spring forward, your sore neck feel revitalized and makes jet lag an extinct term. Luckily, we were able to be pampered at the Carlton Spa almost daily for our entire 5-day stay. Their couples massage room is to. die. for. and they have so many steam, whirlpool, and sauna rooms that you could blink and realize it’s three hours later.

Not long ago, The Carlton was completely gutted and re-done. And I mean gutted. The walls and hallways were moved, small guest rooms were combined, and it was transformed into a tres-unique suite-only hotel. At The Carlton, not only are their elaborate and eclectic rooms (you should see their ultra-flamboyant interior designer — what a character!) enormous, but every room comes with your own private living room, access to the spa, a giant outdoor deck, multiple lounges, two incredible restaurants and 24/7 room service.

Want to go out but don’t feel like walking in your heels? They’ll drive you there and pick you up after — in the hotel’s uber-posh Bentley.

It’s all meant to spoil you — and it does. To get a sense of the level of opulence, consider that they’re hovering around 9.5 out of 10 on all the major hotel-ratings websites, even though their suites go for around $5k per night. For pretty much every guest to feel they got their money’s worth, they’re definitely doing something everything right.

The Carlton is intentionally positioned to maximize the view of the lake and surrounding mountains, and designed to not only impress you, but also to inspire you. To remind you that sometimes what is needed is not to have more things, but to experience more things. To remind you of how big and beautiful and spectacular this planet really is. This is the Carlton, whose views will take your breath away.

St. Moritz stands a whopping 5,900 feet above sea level and surrounds a crystal-clear lake.

Besides being host to the Winter Olympics several times and to the secretive, powerful Bilderberg Group (rumored to run much of the world), this winter wonderland offers endless things to experience. But our hotel was so comfortable and cozy that we decided to spend all our time there, and let them plan our activities. Here were our favorites:

Our Outdoor Adventure with Urs

I wish I could hug whoever came up with the idea for The Carlton St. Moritz to have an “outdoor butler”. Mr. Urs Wiederkehr is a true outback man and a traditional gentleman rolled into one. He can hold his own in the diamond-encrusted crowd and yet he spent four years of his life living in a little mountaintop cabin 100 meters above the nearest road (yes, that means he had to hike to get to and from it!) #amaaazing! #gladyoutrieditsoIdon’thaveto

Urs spent a day with us hiking through the mountains past several sparkling lakes and uber-charming mountain villages, all the while telling us about the local bird and animal species and the history of St. Moritz (he has, after all, lived in St. Moritz for over 30 years). Lucky for us, he brought a backpack full of gear I didn’t realize I needed but was super glad to have. The hike was just tough enough to keep me from getting bored, but not so tough that I got vertigo. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

The best (vegan) meal we’ve ever tasted

I’m honestly not exaggerating when I said that it’s worth the trip to St. Moritz just to have dinner at Da Vittorio (which is in The Carlton Hotel). With a Michelin star and 17 Gault & Millau points, expect to have the meal of a lifetime in this glitzy restaurant. They have three menus: vegan, vegetarian, and traditional, each with a 5 or 7-course culinary journey full of surprises.

Every dish we were served was displayed as a different kind of unique artwork. From delicious Amuse Bouches to an other-worldly wine list, you won’t go wrong at this eatery featuring two of the world’s most creative chefs, brothers Enrico and Roberto Cerea. Their Michelin-star creations are redefining what the term “fine dining” means. Every detail is considered, right down to the Zalto wine glasses.

If you’re wondering where to go for breakfast (or for a meal that doesn’t cost 3x the price of other cities), there’s a great spot called Hauser in the center of town. It’s a lively restaurant with a great scene that often has live music. It’s also got a large outdoor seating area and bar. They’ve got a huge menu full of fantastic, healthy dishes, and their mulled wine is ohhhh soooo yummy. Definitely check it out when you’re in town.

And if you’re looking for some skiing action, The Carlton can hook you up. They have a ski/snowboard shop where you can get rentals, ski passes, etc. right in the hotel. My hubby (who is an expert boarder) went snowboarding and said the slopes were world-class, easily rivaling Chamonix and much better than any American slopes.

So there you have it. Go visit the St Moritz when you get the chance, stay in the breathtaking Carlton Hotel, and be sure to let them know you’re a fellow Urbanette. When you go, you’ll enter a winter wonderland that will spoil, enchant, and dazzle you, and leave you both satisfied and wanting more and more. Get ready!