Why Winter in St. Moritz Begins and Ends at Badrutt's Palace

Badrutt's Palace Hotel: Nearly 130 Years at the Center of Alpine Society

St. Moritz is where winter tourism was effectively invented, and Badrutt's Palace Hotel St. Moritz has been at the center of that story since 1896. This Forbes Five-Star alpine hotel has witnessed nearly 130 years of alpine society evolving — from early European aristocracy to today's global UHNW families seeking a luxury winter ski resort in Switzerland. The Palace is alive, current, and impeccably run, while still honoring the traditions that make St. Moritz what it is. This balance is precisely why the hotel holds a coveted Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating — a distinction reserved for properties that deliver excellence with unwavering consistency.

The arrival alone sets the tone. Many guests arrive by private jet into nearby Samedan Airport, just minutes from town. Others arrive by train, greeted by Rolls-Royce house-car transfers from the station. From the moment you step onto Palace grounds, nothing feels rushed or improvised — every movement anticipated, every preference remembered.

UHNW Family Travel: Winter Days at Badrutt's Palace

Winter days at this luxury alpine hotel unfold beautifully for families. The skiing is world-class, with expert instructors and seamless transfers to the slopes. Though not ski-in, ski-out, any inconvenience is negligible when guests are chauffeured to the slopes in minutes. For children, the Palazzino Kids Club offers endless joy through activities ranging from ice skating and cooking classes to playful discos.

Beyond skiing, winter in St. Moritz is rich with experiences that bring families together: tobogganing through snow-covered trails, horse-drawn carriage rides through town, ice skating on the frozen lake, and long afternoons that drift easily into elegant evenings. Dining at the Palace reflects this same philosophy: refined without being rigid, indulgent without excess, and welcoming to families without ever feeling casual.

Skiing at Badrutt's Palace, St. Moritz: What You Need to Know

Badrutt's Palace has a gorgeous, well-equipped ski shop and ski school, making it the perfect ski resort for any level, from beginners to experts. Iconic slopes like the Corviglia run, famous for hosting World Cup races, and the Piz Nair and Free Fall, two of the steepest, highest runs in St. Moritz, are all easily accessible to experienced skiers staying at Badrutt's Palace.

The ski concierge can handle every detail of getting you on the slopes — gear coordination, ski passes, ride timing, the works. No lugging boots and helmets down a corridor or piling equipment onto a cart. Instead, a Range Rover or Mercedes Viano whisks you to the funicular in a scenic, three-minute drive, which then transports you to three world-class ski areas: Corviglia, Corvatsch, and Diavolezza/Lagalb, all connected by ski bus and cable car.

The result? You arrive at the mountain unburdened, free to take in the scenery and simply anticipate your first run. It's not ski-in ski-out — but the effortless precision of the Badrutt's Palace skiing experience makes you wonder why that ever mattered.

Inside the Hotel: Suites, Pools, and the Spa

The luxury suites at Badrutt's Palace come with butler service as standard — because of course they do. But the history embedded in the walls further elevates the experience, establishing the Palace as a longtime haven for celebrities, creatives, and culturally significant figures who come here to escape the world in style.

The Hans Badrutt Suite stands out for its grand marble foyer and the flexibility to expand into a multi-bedroom suite. Ideal for families, entertaining, or conducting business, the suite offers guests 1,873 sq. ft. of refined interiors with gold furnishings and chaises longues, plus a sprawling terrace with unrivaled views of the lake. If the warm design of this suite doesn't match your tastes, forty-two others are available, all similarly adorned and expansive with the same otherworldly views. The Serlas Wing of the property caters specifically to groups or families needing more than one bedroom, offering penthouse suites with up to five bedrooms, all with the same level of specialized service you'll find across the Palace suites.

The Hitchcock Suite is where Alfred Hitchcock reportedly conceived the idea for The Birds, a detail that adds a layer of glamorous, slightly electric history to every stay. For groups, the three-story, four-bedroom Tower Penthouse Apartment is in a category of its own — expansive, extraordinary, and entirely fitting for a palace.

The award-winning Badrutt's Palace Spa feels like descending into a luxury cave beneath the palace — intimate treatment rooms, hushed and cozy, designed for total escape. Step into the common areas and the mood shifts: an indoor-to-outdoor heated infinity pool and floor-to-ceiling windows frame the Swiss Alps in cinematic scale.

Outside, heated plunge pools and jacuzzis offer a restorative contrast to the mountain air. Round it out with a salt steam room and two saunas and you have a spa that earns its place in one of Europe's greatest winter hotels. The Palace Coiffeur adds another layer of indulgence, offering high-end hair and beauty services that make it a natural destination for brides celebrating their wedding at Badrutt's Palace.

Afternoon Tea in Le Grand Hall

Afternoon Tea in Le Grand Hall deserves special mention. This is the social heart of the hotel, and arguably of St. Moritz itself in winter — the place to see and be seen—where guests gather beneath soaring ceilings as daylight fades over the lake.

St. Moritz Winter Events: A Social Calendar Like No Other

What are the best St. Moritz winter experiences and events for luxury travelers? The frozen lake becomes a stage for iconic gatherings that elevate the resort into a category of its own. The Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz (January 2026) draws teams and spectators from across the globe — imagine sipping Veuve Clicquot in a heated VIP pavilion as thoroughbreds thunder across the ice. The legendary White Turf horse races have been run on the frozen lake since 1907, a spectacle of speed and tradition against an impossibly beautiful backdrop. And The I.C.E. St. Moritz brings rare vintage automobiles — Bugattis, pre-war Bentleys — onto the ice in a concours d'élégance that feels more like a living museum.

For Palace guests, these events are steps from the front door, and the hotel curates exclusive access that transforms attendance into an experience. These are social institutions, woven into the rhythm of the season.

This is winter luxury at its highest level, and it simply does not get better than this.

This is why St. Moritz — and specifically Badrutt's Palace — remains the definitive winter destination for my UHNW family clients: access, heritage, flawless execution, and experiences that feel as extraordinary on the tenth visit as they did on the first. This is winter luxury at its highest level — and it simply does not get better.

How to Book Badrutt's Palace Hotel St. Moritz

Exclusivity here is real. During Christmas, New Year, and peak winter weeks, reservations are not simply "sold out." They are tightly controlled. Suites are allocated quietly, often long before availability appears publicly. Because of this, working with a Forbes Travel Guide Endorsed advisor gives you access to this ultra-luxury property. Through industry relationships, I can secure access during periods when availability is otherwise closed — something my UHNW clients rely on.

Contact me below to start planning your stay in St. Moritz.