Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains

Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains

The cable car to Corviglia leaves from just outside the door, and skis are already lined up against the entrance by mid-morning: the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains sits at the foot of the lift, with the Corviglia Ski Resort, the St. Moritz Bad-Signal Ski Lift and the Signalbahn Cable Car all within walking distance. Inside, the scale shows in the numbers: 184 rooms across six floors, three restaurants including Les Saisons, and a 2,800-square-metre Alpine Spa with four saunas, a Kneipp stream and heated indoor and outdoor pools. What sets it apart from the other luxury addresses lining the Engadin Valley is the Life Cube Cryotherapy chamber, St. Moritz's only one, a three-minute plunge into minus-110 degrees after a day on the slopes. Rooms carry fireplaces, heated floors, down comforters and deep soaking tubs, the kind of detail that rewards a longer stay rather than a weekend dash. Families are handled properly, with a kids club, a playroom and family rooms, and pets travel along for a fee. Skiers get ski-in/ski-out access, a ski school and ski passes arranged on site, while golfers, tennis players and hikers have their own facilities without leaving the grounds. It is not a hotel for anyone counting francs: an extra bed runs 220 CHF a night, the damage deposit is 250 CHF a day, and an airport transfer costs 1,000 CHF one way. Nor is it a place to escape the casino crowd, since one operates on site alongside a nightclub. For a couple or a family wanting ski access, real spa hours and dinner options that do not repeat, the Grand Hotel des Bains delivers on all three before the lifts open. At the foot of the Corviglia cable car, the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains offers ski-in/ski-out access, a 2,800-square-metre spa with St. Moritz's only Life Cube Cryotherapy, and rooms with fireplaces and heated floors. It suits skiers and families more than budget-conscious travelers, given the extra fees.