I drive through the town, with the 911 burbling along streets lined with luxury boutiques, art galleries and charming cafés, and reach the hotel. It is the legendary Badrutt’s Palace, an icon of Swiss luxury to those in the know.
The entrance is discreet, but emits an aura of old-school hospitality, particularly of the golden age of continental hotels. Smartly uniformed doormen and porters stand outside, and the picture is completed by the presence of a classic Rolls-Royce Phantom (one I later find out has British Royal family provenance).
As I pull up, the doorman immediately helps me out of the low-slung Turbo S, and I am ushered inside. I am introduced to Gaia, my butler, who shows me to my room where my other butler, Stefane, is waiting. I am staying in the newest part of the hotel, the Serlas wing. It sits just across the street from the original hotel, and is connected by a secret underground tunnel system that joins up the whole hotel complex – affording guests total privacy once checked in.
My suite is the epitome of good taste. The smartest Italian furniture, soft fabrics and chic objets are meticulously laid out to create the most inviting spaces within the enormous open plan sitting area, bedroom and dressing room. It is entirely possible to spend the entire stay within the palace grounds without running out of things to do. Think expansive gardens, tennis and padel courts, swimming pools, spas and a state of the art fitness and reformer pilates suite to name just a few attractions.
Badrutt’s Palace is an icon of Swiss luxury to those in the know
Badrutt’s Palace